Immediately after the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 1, fans were calling for Mavs GM Nico Harrison's job. Harrison was the one who ultimately devised the plan to send Doncic to Los Angeles for Anthony Davis, and this controversial trade filled fans with rage.
Seemingly every move after that by Harrison caused a fan uproar, whether it was a good move or not, and that includes Dallas' final signing of the regular season ahead of the Play-In Tournament last season. The Mavericks had one open standard roster spot that they could fill at the end of the season to add one more player to their postseason roster, and Harrison had the choice between Kessler Edwards and Brandon Williams.
Harrison ultimately went with the shifty guard, Williams, and at the time, this move wasn't universally loved. Dallas considered signing Edwards before signing Williams, and now, Harrisson may have just been proven right as Edwards remains unsigned ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Harrison's decision to roll with Williams over Edwards has been justified
When the decision was made, there were pros and cons of signing both players, as they needed more wing defense and shooting ahead of the postseason, but they also needed some guard depth. Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in March, and with how much their offense was struggling, they ultimately signed Williams to a standard contract.
This move has worked out beautifully for Dallas, as Williams had an excellent end to his season last year and quickly became a fan favorite. His subtle similarities to Irving's game caught fans by surprise, as Williams' electric finishing, tight handle, and smooth scoring ability were some of the bright spots of the Mavs' rough ending to the year. Now, he looks like he is going to be in the rotation to start next season, and the Mavericks are going to need his scoring off the bench.
Edwards also had plenty of great moments for Dallas, as he ended up starting in 18 games during the Mavs' unreal injury curse, including some games at center. He did whatever the coaching staff asked of him, and his versatility in his role is what made him special.
Now, nearly a month after free agency began, Edwards remains jobless. This should be a shock to many, as he proved he can be a rotation-caliber player in today's NBA who has a variety of skills, and some team should take a chance on him.
One glaring reality that could be killing Edwards's chance of getting signed is the fact that he is entering his fifth season in the NBA, and he is no longer eligible for a two-way deal. Edwards thrived on a two-way deal in Dallas last season, and even though Harrison ultimately made the right choice by converting Williams' deal instead of Edwards', they likely wish that they could have converted both players.
Even though Edwards wasn't eligible to play in the team's two play-in games, he was still supporting his teammates alongside Dallas' other two-way signing, Kai Jones. All season long, Jason Kidd praised Edwards' ability to give the team what they needed, as he often talks about keeping a next-man-up mentality, always reminding the media how important that is.
Kidd could only play the cards that were handed to him, and both Edwards and Williams proved that they were worthy of real contracts in today's NBA. Unfortunately, Edwards' Mavericks journey ended with Harrison electing to convert Williams' two-way deal to a standard contract, and now he is still looking for a new home.
Some Mavericks fans have speculated that Edwards could end up being a target for the Texas Legends of the G League if he doesn't get an offer to remain in the NBA, as Edwards was sitting courtside with some former Mavs teammates at NBA Summer League earlier this month, and fans would likely be thrilled if he was playing up the road in Frisco.
