Mavericks Sign AJ Lawson To Two-Way Contract

DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed guard AJ Lawson to a Two-Way contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. In a related move, the Mavericks have also requested waivers on Two-Way guard Tyler Dorsey.

Lawson (6-6, 224) joins Dallas after beginning the season with the G League’s College Park Skyhawks and Iowa Wolves, where he averaged 19.9 points (.527 FG%), 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 33.5 minutes in 13 total games (all starts). Lawson also made his NBA debut while on a Two-Way contract for the Timberwolves in 2022-23 and recorded two points (1-1 FG) and one board in 2 minutes at Orlando on Nov. 16.

The 22-year-old started all five games for the Mavericks at the 2022 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging a team-high 15.6 points (.519 FG%, .500 3FG%, .846 FT%), 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.6 minutes. He signed a Two-Way deal with Minnesota on July 26 before being waived by the franchise on Oct. 14 and joining the Skyhawks for the start of the 2022-23 season. Lawson signed another Two-Way contract with the Timberwolves on Nov. 15 but was again waived by the club on Dec. 7 and returned to College Park.

After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, Lawson signed with College Park on Sept. 22, 2021, and averaged 11.8 points (.481 FG%), 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 31.8 minutes in 33 games (26 starts) for the Skyhawks during the 2021-22 campaign. The Toronto native later signed with the Guelph Nighthawks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League on April 26, 2022, and averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 30.5 minutes in 10 games (all starts) for the club.

Lawson was a three-year player at the University of South Carolina, where he totaled 1,153 points, 325 rebounds, 167 assists and 101 steals in 81 games (80 starts) for the Gamecocks. He earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2018-19 (13.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.1 spg) and Second Team All-SEC accolades as a junior in 2020-21 (16.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.5 spg).

Lawson will wear No. 9 the Mavericks.

Dorsey (6-5, 183) signed a Two-Way deal with Dallas on July 23 and appeared in three games with the Mavericks. He recorded nine points (4-4 FG, 1-1 3FG) and two boards in his Mavericks debut against Memphis on Oct. 22.

Dorsey also saw action in 16 games (all starts) for the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, and averaged 24.2 points (4^th in the G League), 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32.5 minutes while shooting 45.6% (115-252 FG) from the field, 45.7% (58-127 3FG) from beyond the arc and 84.0% (63-75 FT) from the foul line.