Still down on their luck, the Dallas Mavericks will be waiving veteran guard Tyus Jones (h/t The Stein Line’s Marc Stein), whom they acquired ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline in a three-team deal with the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards. At the time, Jones was characterized as a player the Mavericks had long been targeting. Indeed, Jones was the point guard that Dallas hoped to sign last summer when they wound up with D’Angelo Russell, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
Mavs Set To Waive Tyus Jones, Convert Ryan Nembhard
Now, the Mavs will have neither Jones nor Russell, the latter of whom was traded to the Wizards. For a team that hasn’t had and won’t have All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving this season, that leaves a clear void at the 1. As a result, it would make sense for Dallas to convert two-way standout Ryan Nembhard to a standard contract. The younger brother of Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, the 5-foot-11 point guard went undrafted last offseason.
The Mavericks are waiving recently acquired guard Tyus Jones, @TheSteinLine has learned.
The move will allow Jones to seek out a playoff team and open up a roster spot for Dallas to explore its late-season options … including converting Ryan Nembhard to a standard NBA deal.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 28, 2026
Like Jones, R. Nembhard’s diminutive size can make him a defensive weak link. However, he’s a seasoned floor general with a high basketball IQ. Though he’s a rookie, Nembhard played in college for four seasons, learning under Greg McDermott (Creighton) and Mark Few (Gonzaga). For those that don’t know, Few’s such an accomplished head coach he’s been a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
Between Nembhard and Brandon Williams, the Mavericks will have an undersized but underrated point guard rotation. Due to their inexperience at the NBA level, one could suggest that Dallas adds a veteran to replace Jones. However, though Irving’s been shut down for the 2025-26 season, he can still offer pointers from the sidelines. Furthermore, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd is a Hall of Fame point guard. Between Irving and Kidd, their point guard group shouldn’t need much more mentorship.
The Last Word On Tyus Jones
It’s actually unclear exactly why the Mavericks chose to release Jones. If he had been a buyout candidate from the start, like Khris Middleton, him being waived wouldn’t come out of left field. Perhaps the 29-year-old grew disillusioned with Dallas after being in the facility for a couple of weeks. Alternately, the Mavs may have been left underwhelmed by Jones once they actually got him in the building.
Frankly, Jones is in the midst of the worst season in his career. In 56 games, he’s averaging 3.1 points and 2.6 assists per contest on .349-.281-.875 shooting splits. In his eight games with Dallas, he’s averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 assists per contest, shooting 38.2% from the field (21.1% from 3).
If he is looking for greener pastures, opposing teams won’t be lining up around the corner for the chance to sign him.
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
