Dallas Mavericks fans should get acquainted with Kylor Kelley, a 7’0” center who recently signed a two-way contract after the team faced injuries to three of their big men in just 11 days.
Heading into the 2024-25 NBA season, Mavs fans were speculating about various scenarios with far-reaching implications. However, even in the wildest imaginings, few could have foreseen a situation where injuries would create such a void that Kylor Kelley would emerge as a viable option at center by late January.
Yet, here we are. With Dereck Lively II sidelined for 2-3 months due to a stress fracture in his ankle, Maxi Kleber out indefinitely with a broken right foot, and Dwight Powell still unavailable (hip) for Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards, Kelley has become the Mavericks’ “next man up.” He is expected to make his NBA debut on Monday in a Mavericks uniform.
How many minutes Kelley will play is one of the biggest questions heading into the game against the Wizards, especially with Powell still recovering from a hip injury sustained during the team’s Jan. 17 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At 27 years old, Kelley joined the Mavericks on Sunday after they waived guard Jazian Gortman. The team’s public relations team acknowledged that Kelley’s signing comes during a time of “desperate need for help in the middle.” This underscores just how unprecedented the team’s injury situation is this season.
Before joining the Mavericks, Kelley played for the South Bay Lakers in the G League, where he averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, shooting 63.5% from the field. In the G League’s Tip-Off Tournament, his numbers improved to 12.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 69.2%. Kelley earned G League All-Defensive Team honors last season, leading the league in blocks with 83 (2.86 per game). During his college years at Oregon State, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team twice and set school records for career blocks (211), blocks in a season (107), and blocks in a game (9). His 211 career blocks rank seventh in Pac-12 history. Kelley also played professionally in the UK with the London Lions and had a stint with the Boston Celtics’ G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.
Now, Kelley finds himself as one of only two healthy centers on the Mavericks’ roster. His journey to the NBA is remarkable, and his arrival highlights the dire injury situation Dallas is navigating. So far, the team has lost 149 player games to injury and illness this season. At their current pace of 3.2 lost games per outing, the Mavericks are projected to lose 262 player games by the season’s end, which would be the second-highest in the last 20 years.
Daniel Gafford offered some perspective on the situation, telling the Dallas Morning News: “Just gotta keep a cool head about it. It’s nothing to really just get flustered about. It’s gonna take time, of course, but if we have patience and we lock into the things we need to do, I feel like we’ll be okay.”
Kelley’s debut will be a baptism by fire as he faces the Wizards’ center duo of rookie Alex Sarr and veteran Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas, a powerful presence at 6’11” and 265 lbs., could pose a significant challenge against the slimmer Mavs centers. Dallas might counter with a small-ball lineup featuring PJ Washington at the five, focusing on running the floor to limit Valanciunas’ impact and potentially reduce Kelley’s minutes in his first game.
In the meantime, let’s give a warm Texas welcome to Kylor Kelley, who will wear #50 for the Mavericks. While his arrival might be unexpected, his presence offers some much-needed help. For those who’ve read this far, here’s a highlight video of Kelley’s recent game with the South Bay Lakers against the Indiana Mad Ants on Jan. 14.
