Jameer Nelson has finalized a two-year, $5.58 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. Nelson will get paid $2.73 million for his first year and $2.85 million for his second. The second year of his deal includes a player option.
Yahoo! Sports first reported that Nelson has committed to the Mavericks before having his meeting Thursday afternoon. He was being recruited by his former teammate Dwight Howard to join the Houston Rockets, but Nelson figured that he would have a better chance of winning in Dallas.
Before the start of costless agency, Nelson was waived by the Orlando Magic, ending his 10-year tenure with the team. Nelson had the desire to join a contending team once being waived. He had interest in the Miami Heat early in the off-season, before LeBron James had made his decision.
Now with the Mavs, Nelson will provide play making, ball handling, and some scoring. It’s unclear whether Nelson will get the starting nod over Raymond Felton, but he should definitely see significant minutes, despite being the fourth point guard on the team.
Nelson, 32, averaged 12.1 points, 7.0 assists, and 3.4 rebounds with the Magic last season in 68 total games.
The Dallas Mavericks voided Rashard Lewis’ contract on Wednesday and immediately replaced him by signing Al-Farouq Aminu. With Nelson on board as well, the Mavericks may be finished with their off-season moves as they have 14 guaranteed contracts and one non-guaranteed contract, putting their roster at 15 players.