Oct 9, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Moi Hodge (55) controls the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Mavericks adding former Lakers guard, Thunder forward to compete for roster spots

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 7:48 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks are adding bodies for training camp, which starts on September 30th in Vancouver, Canada. They added their former 9th overall selection, Dennis Smith Jr., on a training camp deal earlier in the week, but they're continuing to add more bodies for camp.

Dallas first signed former Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Moi Hodge on a training camp deal on Friday night. Hodge played at Cleveland State and Missouri in college before going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft. He spent the 2023-24 season on a two-way contract with the Lakers, then played for the Rip City Remix (Portland's G-League affiliate) that same season after being traded. He spent last season in Greece playing for Aris Thessaloniki.

On Sunday, NBA insider Marc Stein revealed that the Mavericks have also added forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl for training camp. JRE was an early second-round pick in 2021 by the New York Knicks but was traded to the OKC Thunder on draft night. He then spent the last two years with the New Orleans Pelicans, appearing in 66 games last season, averaging 6.3 PPG and 4.8 RPG.

The Mavericks are finalizing an agreement to sign former Thunder and Pelicans big man Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to bring him to training camp, @TheSteinLine has learned.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 21, 2025

Can Either Player Crack the Mavericks Roster?

The Dallas Mavericks already have 15 players signed to standard NBA contracts, but they do still have an open two-way spot. That could leave an opportunity for a younger player, but two-way contracts are limited to players with fewer than four years of experience, so someone like Dennis Smith Jr. or Jeremiah Robinson-Earl wouldn't be eligible to sign that.

D'Moi Hodge could, but there are a few younger players fighting for that final spot, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Mavericks kept that open spot throughout the preseason so that they could evaluate talent elsewhere, too.

But just for argument's sake, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is the better of the two players that they've recently agreed to deals with, but since he's not eligible for a two-way, that makes his path to making the roster nearly impossible. Dallas is loaded in the frontcourt, and even if you could an argument for JRE over Dwight Powell, they're not letting go of Powell's leadership.

The Mavericks desperately need guard help, something that Hodge could provide, and although they already have two guard on two-way contracts, adding another wouldn't be the worst idea.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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