The Dallas Mavericks have signed former Orlando Magic lottery pick Jett Howard to a two-way contract, the team announced in a July 20 social media post welcoming the 22-year-old wing.
Howard joins Dallas after spending his first three NBA seasons with Orlando, which selected him No. 11 overall in the 2023 draft. The move gives the Mavericks a low-cost opportunity to evaluate a 6-foot-8 shooter whose efficiency improved during his final season with the Magic.
Howard averaged 5.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists across 55 appearances in 2025-26. More importantly for Dallas, he connected on 37.2% of his three-point attempts after shooting 32.6% from deep over his first two seasons combined.
That progress does not guarantee Howard a regular place in the Mavericksâ rotation. It does, however, give Dallas a more compelling developmental project than his modest career scoring average might suggest.
Jett Howard Gives Mavericks Another Young Shooting Option
Howard entered the NBA with a clear offensive calling card.
During his lone season at Michigan, he averaged 14.2 points and made 36.8% of his three-point attempts. He led the Wolverines in made threes and earned spots on the mediaâs All-Big Ten third team and the conferenceâs All-Freshman team.
Orlando never found a consistent role for him, but Howard occasionally demonstrated why the Magic used a lottery selection on him.
His best performance came against the Boston Celtics on November 23, 2025. Howard scored 30 points in 29 minutes, making 11 of 23 shots and five of his 13 attempts from beyond the arc. He also collected seven rebounds and three assists as Orlando nearly erased a 26-point deficit.
Those flashes make the two-way arrangement sensible for Dallas. Howard can receive meaningful developmental minutes with the Texas Legends while remaining available when the Mavericks need additional size or shooting on the wing.
The signing also lowers the immediate stakes. Dallas is not counting on Howard to justify the draft investment Orlando made three years ago. The Mavericks only need him to improve enough to become a useful depth option.
Howard Still Has to Prove He Can Hold Up Defensively
Howardâs shooting gives him a path toward NBA minutes, but his overall game remains unfinished.
He has averaged only 1.2 rebounds and 0.7 assists through 133 career regular-season appearances. At 6-foot-8 and 215 pounds, he has the size to defend multiple perimeter positions, but physical tools alone will not secure him a role.
Dallas will need to see dependable defense, better rebounding and productive play when Howard is not receiving designed scoring opportunities. Those details frequently separate end-of-rotation NBA wings from high-volume G League scorers.
The Mavericks also have no reason to force the issue. Their wing group now includes several young players who require touches and developmental minutes, including Cooper Flagg and newly acquired former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher. Dallas acquired Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade reported July 19.
Howard therefore arrives as a reclamation project rather than a presumed rotation piece.
That distinction is important. The Mavericks are not making a major bet based on Howardâs draft pedigree. They are betting that a former lottery pick who has already shown NBA-caliber shooting can develop the complementary skills needed to remain in the league.
For a two-way roster spot, that is a reasonable gamble.
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