Former versatile Mavericks forward joining Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Kessler Edwards was originally the 44th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to the Brooklyn Nets and spent a season and a half with them before he was traded to the Sacramento Kings for the rights of David Michineau, who has never appeared in an NBA game. It was basically a small salary dump.

After a year and a half in Sacramento, his contract expired, and he signed his two-way deal with the Mavericks. He ended up being a useful player, putting up a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double in a win over the Spurs on March 10th, both of those being career highs for him.

Edwards likely would've played more down the stretch of the season, but he ran out of games he could play in on his two-way contract. Any of Dallas' two-way contracts were deserving of the final standard contract, but they gave it to Brandon Williams for his on-ball creation with Kyrie Irving out.

Denver Nuggets have added a few former Mavericks this offseason

The Denver Nuggets have added four former Mavericks to the team this offseason: two coaches and two players.

The two players never actually crossed paths in Dallas, as the Nuggets also signed Tim Hardaway Jr. this summer. Hardaway was traded in the 2024 offseason to the Pistons for Quentin Grimes, with the Mavs offloading three second-round picks because of the salary differential. Hardaway had been with the Mavs since coming over in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, and stayed with them until last offseason, while Edwards was only in Dallas for the 2024-25 season.

The Nuggets also hired Jared Dudley away from the Mavericks to be the team's lead assistant, and they also added JJ Barea as an assistant, an NBA champion from the 2011 Mavericks team. Dallas returned the favor by hiring Popeye Jones as an assistant, who had been in Denver since 2021.