The Dallas Mavericks may have stumbled onto a diamond in the rough.

At the start of the season, they signed guard Walter Clayton Jr. to a two-way contract after he had been waived by the Memphis Grizzlies.

It was a no-brainer for the Mavericks. They needed some help in the backcourt, as the depth behind Kyrie Irving is unproven, Clayton was roommates with head coach Dusty May's son in college, and Clayton was a first-round pick just a year ago.

Clayton had some concerns as an undersized guard, and it didn't help that he was already on his third team since being drafted, but he's been great for the Mavericks since arriving.

His counting stats may not be that outstanding, as he's averaging 7.0 PPG, 3.1 APG, and 2.6 RPG through seven games, but Clayton is shooting 47.2% from the floor and a blistering 52.6% from three.

The three-point shooting may not be sustainable, but Clayton was a great shooter in college, much better than the 30.7% he shot last season, and it probably helps that he's in a familiar situation.

Clayton has already become the second-best guard on the Mavericks. It's Kyrie Irving, then Clayton.

That was proven when Clayton was part of the closing lineup in Wednesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, alongside Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, and Naji Marshall.

Because Clayton is on a two-way contract, he can play in 50 regular-season games. They have a while before they hit that deadline, but it doesn't hurt to get out in front and think about how they could add him to the roster.

How to Create a Roster Spot for Walter Clayton Jr.

The easiest way to create a roster spot for Walter Clayton Jr. is to waive center Moussa Cisse. They kept the second-year big man over veteran Dwight Powell because of his potential, but he's hardly played in the regular season, despite Santi Aldama and Dereck Lively II being out while recovering from surgeries.

It's been a lot of Daniel Gafford and Morez Johnson Jr. at center, with some P.J. Washington sprinkled in. Cisse has played in just 5 games for a total of 15 minutes. It's clear he doesn't have a big role with the current roster.

The other possibility is a 2-for-1 trade near the trade deadline. The Mavericks are far too frontcourt-heavy, so a trade to clear out space in the frontcourt and add more backcourt help (preferably another scorer) would be a great idea.

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