The Dallas Mavericks and veteran point guard Tyus Jones have decided to part ways by mutual consent and will be waived, league sources tell ClutchPoints.
Jones, 29, was acquired by the Mavericks at the trade deadline in a short deal with the Charlotte Hornets, who were looking to trade the 11-year-old guard for cap reasons. Last offseason, the Mavs showed strong interest in acquiring Jones via free agency, but other teams such as the Orlando Magic, with whom Jones began this season, could offer him more than Dallas.
Although it seemed likely he would finish the 2025–26 season with the Mavericks before entering unrestricted free agency in the summer, sources said Jones first contacted the Mavs to express his interest in a potential buyout to join the playoff-contending organization.
The Mavericks, who are looking for a way to replace two-way guard Ryan Nembhard, now have an obvious reason to do so.
Jones' decision to enter the NBA buyout market was first reported by Marc Stein.
After waiving Jones and potentially trading Nembhard to a two-way contract in a matter of days, the Mavericks are also awaiting a concrete answer from veteran wing Khris Middleton on what he wants to do regarding a potential buyout.
Middleton was traded to the Mavs in a nine-player deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards. Initially, Middleton was viewed by many around the league as a potential buyout candidate, but he reported to the team and Dallas showed no interest in immediately waiving him.
Over the past week, Middleton has been wondering about his future, and the possibility of leaving the Mavericks to join the playoff threat remains. He has until Sunday to decide whether he will approach the team for a buyout or not, as they will not forgive him unless he wants a change of scenario.
The Mavericks are 21-38 this season, the seventh-worst record in the NBA.
