The Dallas Mavericks closed the 2026 NBA Summer League on Friday night.
Apr 8, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Tyler Smith against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The 2026 NBA Summer League is over for the Dallas Mavericks.
They faced the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks on Friday night, which ended in a 110-88 win, leaving the Mavs with a 3-2 record this summer. Those wanting more Sergio De Larrea passing clinics were quickly disappointed to learn that he wouldn't play in this game. Neither did Morez Johnson Jr. nor Ryan Nembhard. Without De Larrea, that left the main watchables as John Poulakidas, Tobi Lawal, and Vsevolod Ishchenko.
And without De Larrea, there was a clear drop in the impact of players like Darin Green Jr. and Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu. Tyler Smith Will Be Waived Soon One of the big stories of the Mavericks' Summer League was the lack of Tyler Smith. He was expected to be a major contributor, as he is signed to one of their three two-way spots.
However, showing up late to a film session had him miss the third and fourth games, and he looked entirely uninterested in this game, even if he made a couple of threes and finished with 21 points. He missed an open dunk and had an unnecessary half-court heave turnover in the final minute.
There are plenty of intriguing options the Mavericks can fill this spot with instead, such as Vsevolod Ishchenko, who continued getting more and more comfortable as the summer progressed. John Poulakidas is another one of the players currently on a two-way contract, and the Mavs do need a sniper like him. He was... fine in the Summer League, but he probably shouldn't feel all that comfortable.
This was easily his best game of the summer, as he went 5/7 from three, but Darin Green Jr. was a little more consistent throughout the summer. Poulakidas has already shown that he can do it in the NBA to some extent, so that probably gives him an edge, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Mavs move on. We've talked a lot this summer about Vsevolod Ishchenko, the 56th overall pick out of Russia.
From the beginning, he showed he was willing to do anything and everything, always finding himself around the ball. Ishchenko found himself handling the ball a lot more in this game with both De Larrea and Nembhard out, and he handled it well, finishing with 15 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 stocks on 5/8 shooting. He did have 5 turnovers, but the vision was there.
The Mavs understand they have a player here, and whether they decide to stash him overseas in a better European league or bring him in on a two-way will be a fascinating decision. Austin Veazey joined NoleGameday as the Lead Basketball Writer in 2019, while contributing as a football writer, and started as editor for MavericksGameday in 2024. Veazey was a Florida State Men’s Basketball Manager from 2016-2019. Follow Austin on Twitter at @EasyVeazeyNG
Please follow us on Google to support usUnited States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Red Flag-Alaska returns next month for final summer segment of 2026Red Flag Alaska is set to returned to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for its last segment of this summer, bringing together U.S. military branches and allied partners for large-scale aerial combat training.
Read more »
Zymeworks to Report Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results on August 6, 2026VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zymeworks Inc. (Nasdaq: ZYME), a biotechnology company managing a portfolio of licensed
Read more »
MDA SPACE TO HOLD ITS SECOND QUARTER 2026 EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL ON AUGUST 7, 2026TORONTO, July 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- MDA Space Ltd. (TSX:MDA) (NYSE:MDA), a trusted mission partner to the rapidly expanding global space industry, will
Read more »
2026 NBA Rookies Shine in Las Vegas Summer LeagueHighlights from the 2026 rookie class performances in the early days of the Las Vegas Summer League, featuring standout showings from draft picks and undrafted free agents.
Read more »