2019 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
J.J. Barea: 1 year, $2.6 million (Dallas Mavericks)
Free agent guard JJ Barea has agreed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal to return to the Dallas Mavericks, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2019
A Dallas Mavericks fixture for 10 out of his 13 NBA seasons, J.J. Barea will be returning for year No. 11 with the Mavs, agreeing to a veteran minimum deal worth $2.6 million.
Though he’s already 35 years old, Barea showed little signs of showing down last season when he was healthy, averaging 10.9 points and 5.6 assists in just 19.8 minutes per game. He struggled with the 3-ball, but he was heading up one of the NBA’s most underrated second units until his season-ending Achilles tear, which marked a definitive turning point of the season for Dallas.
Suffering such an injury at his age is worrisome, but even in the worst-case scenario where he’s washed, this is only a minimum deal. The Mavs are doing the right thing by seeing what he’s got left in the tank after such an injury, even if expectations for his return should be limited.
Grade: C+