MAVS NEWS:

[F Gump]

Looks like he’s added some weight since he was here. If nothing else, he’s more serviceable on the offensive end and doesn’t look completely lost on the floor like Kelly. Wonder why we didn’t sign him in the first place? I’m not certain, but i think he was available.

The timing was dictated by the timing of the injuries. Up until there was a weird injury epidemic on Mav centers, they had MORE than enough. Gafford, Lively, Powell, and even Maxi. Then AD was added. 

Then they all went away after first AD and then Gafford went down, the latter on Feb 10.

At that point, there were only 2 games until the AS break, and the Mavs only had money for a single 10-day period. Why sign a player to a deal covering a stretch of days you don't even play? I believe the timing of this will allow them to have him for as many as 5 games (they have 5 games in 9 days beginning Fri 2/21) if they sign the deal on 2/20. (And if they sign him too early, where they only get 4, how stupid.)

Whether he can actually help, that still remains to be seen. Usually these fill-in guys are not that great (which is why they're still available in Feb). He's been a FA since Dec 9, and his stint with Indy was meh. Since then he's been dominating the GL, with 15 ppg, 15 rpg over 17 games -- but it's the G-League.