The Dallas Mavericks are keeping the University of Michigan pipeline going.
Dallas announced on Monday that they have signed guard Jett Howard to a two-way contract. Local beat writer Grant Afseth adds that the Mavericks waived forward Tyler Smith earlier in the day, creating the roster space to sign Howard.
The 22-year-old Howard is a former Michigan player who played for the school in 2022-23. Howard then became the No. 11 overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Of course, the Mavericks are now led by ex-Michigan head coach Dusty May. While Howard never actually played for May at Ann Arbor (instead playing under his father Juwan Howard, who was May’s predecessor), he is still an intriguing signing for Dallas.
Standing 6-foot-8, Howard averaged 5.5 points per game in a low-opportunity role for the Orlando Magic last season. He did shoot 37.2 percent from three though and became an unrestricted free agent after Orlando declined his fourth-year team option.
The Mavericks already drafted former Michigan standout Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick in this year’s draft. Now another Wolverines alum in Howard is coming aboard as well for a Dallas team that could soon be undergoing some more big changes.
