Two more new announcements have come out of the NBA involving the Dallas Maverick and a former Los Angeles Lakers player. Although the two signing action occurred overnight, but the impact is not small. The former completes the Maverick’s backcourt lineup, while the latter sees a former NBA player’s magnificent transformation in the European arena. Let’s take these two signings one by one.
The Maverick corrected Brandon Williams: from two-way contract to official signing
According to the famous basketball reporter Shams Charania, the Dallas Maverick has officially reached a two-year contract with guard Brandon Williams. Although the amount of the contract has not been made public, the significance of this signing cannot be ignored: the young guard has been ‘converted’ from a two-way player and has officially become a member of the team.
Brand-Williams is not a hot rookie, but a player who worked his way out of the 2022 NBA Draft after falling through the cracks. He stands at 1’88” and plays point guard and is known for his scoring prowess. While not particularly impressive for an NBA guard at his height, he is a threat on the floor with his excellent explosiveness and offensive awareness.
He briefly played for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022 before rolling over to the Mavericks and becoming a two-way contract player for the 2023-24 season. Despite the temporary uncertainty of his status, his play on the court has been nothing short of spectacular.
For example, in the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on 8 March this year, Brandt Williams blew fans away with 31 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. He followed that up with an outstanding 25 points and 4 assists against the Rockets.
This season, he played 31 games for the Maverick, averaging 14.7 minutes per game, contributing 8.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists. What’s even more noteworthy is that he shot an efficient 51.1 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from three-point range.
These stats show that even with limited playing time, Brandon Williams is able to fully display his individual strength in limited opportunities. And that’s the fundamental reason why the Maverick was willing to turn the corner for him. The team clearly sees potential and immediate success in his future.
Kendrick Nunn extends contract with European giants: 3 years, $14.8 million, secure core position
Another piece of news comes from the European scene. According to Greek media SDNA, former Laker Kendrick Nunn has agreed to a three-year contract extension with Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, worth a total of $14.8 million. The deal is not only substantial, but is fully guaranteed with no NBA return clause, meaning Nunn will continue to play in Europe for years to come.
Nunn now plays for Panathinaikos, one of Greece’s most traditional giants, and Nunn just helped the team win its seventh Champions League trophy in club history. He is no longer a bench player, but a real centre piece in the team.
It was revealed that Nunn’s current annual salary is 4.5 million euros, which translates to about 5.1 million dollars. This salary has been the entire European basketball league players income ‘ceiling’. To know, European basketball is not as strong as the NBA, can get such a high salary, enough to prove his value.
Nunn is 29 years old and is in the golden stage of his career. He left the NBA in 2023 and ended up playing for the Washington Wizards when he averaged 7.5 points and 1.8 assists per game. Despite moderate performances, he was unable to remain in the NBA due to team system and personnel adjustments.
His best time in the NBA was during his time playing for the Miami Heat, where he had a stellar regular season averaging 15.3 points per game, and even contributing 10.3 points in the Finals. He then joined the Lakers and was offered a two-year contract worth $10 million. However, his role with the Lakers was gradually marginalised and injuries took him off the court for a while.
Now in Europe, not only double the salary, and the role from the bench to become a tactical core. Nunn himself has publicly said: ‘In the NBA I am the team’s 12th person, but here, I am the protagonist, I am leading the team to create a new era belongs to us.’
His quote is very representative and points to the reason why many NBA fringe players choose to play in Europe. There, they get more playing time, a more stable income and the feeling of being truly valued by their team.
From Role Player to Core Player: NBA Players Get a Second Look in Europe
Kendrick Nunn’s experience is actually not an isolated case. In recent years, more and more NBA players have chosen to seek development in the Euroleague or other overseas leagues. In the NBA, they may only be marginal players, and even difficult to have the opportunity to play, but to Europe, but can become the core of the team, to regain the enthusiasm for the game.
This also provides more development paths for some young players or ‘draft picks’. No longer obsessed with the aura of the NBA, but from the actual start, looking for a more suitable for their own stage.
Young people like Brand Williams, who won his contract through his efforts to convert from a two-way player, and veterans like Kendrick Nunn, who left the NBA but lived a more exciting life in the overseas arena, are using their actions to illustrate the truth: as long as you have the ability, you can shine wherever you are.
Summary
These two signings show the diverse changes in the NBA ecology. Young players gain recognition through hard work, and veterans find new values in life by changing tracks. Whether in the NBA or in Europe, as long as you are willing to work hard and have the strength, you can break into your own path.
For the Maverick, the turnaround of Brand Williams may be an important part of the future backcourt rotation; while Panathinaikos’ continued locking up of Nunn is a key move on the road to the title. Two seemingly unimpressive signings are a perfect example of the mutual achievement of player value and team strategy.
