After being signed to a one-year veteran minimum deal by the Dallas Mavericks two weeks ago, J.J. Barea will be released in the next few days according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
MacMahon reports that signing Barea was gesture that Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban felt was necessary to thank him for all he had done for the franchise.
On Thursday morning, Barea had the chance to address the media and give his final thoughts as a member of the Mavericks.
During an emotional availability session, he gave one last thanks:
“It still hasn’t hit me, but I woke up today super happy. It’s been an amazing time here in Dallas. I wouldn’t change anything…But it’s a tough day. It’s the end of me as a player in Dallas, but [I have] nothing but good memories.”
General manager Donnie Nelson also made himself available on Thursday to speak to the media and discuss Barea’s impact on Dallas and the game as a whole.
“J.J. was as important a piece of a championship run as anyone. His championship ring should have been a little bit bigger because that heart inside of that 5-foot-10 body is unmatched and will be sorely missed… J.J. has got a lot of juice left in the tank…Anyone walking through that practice door will tell you he’s still got it. He wants to add to his championship trophy case.”
While it’s still unclear as to whether Barea will get signed by another team, what we do know is that he was an integral part of the Maverick’s 2011 NBA Championship run, where he averaged 8.9 points and 3.4 assists per game in the playoffs. Barea played 11 of his 14 seasons in Dallas.
