Dallas Mavericks point guard J.J. Barea is reportedly set to become a free agent, but he’ll leave the team with a nice parting gift.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Barea is set to be released Thursday by the Mavericks, but he won’t leave Dallas empty-handed. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
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Barea inked a $2.6 million deal with the team in November, and owner Mark Cuban gave him the contract as a sign of his appreciation for the guard’s contributions to the team over the year.
So, while he won’t be playing in Dallas anymore, he’s getting a monster parting gift from Cuban.
Filed to ESPN — Sources: Mavs plan to release J.J. Barea on Thursday. Mark Cuban knew this move was likely when Barea signed a 1-year, $2.6M deal last week but wanted to reward him for his impact over 11 years with Mavs. Barea, 36, still hopes to play in NBA this season.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 9, 2020
This is a 100% pure class move from Cuban and the Mavericks. This is what we love to see in pro sports. Barea, who won a title with Dallas in 2011, is a fan favorite, but it’s just time to move on.
After a total of 11 seasons playing in Dallas, the Mavericks are now making roster moves to focus on the future.
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Those moves mean that Barea’s time with the team has come to an end. They could have cut and run without paying him anything.
Instead, Cuban gave him a $2.6 million gift before cutting him as a sign of his appreciation. If that’s not a classy move, then I don’t know what is.
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Props to Cuban and the Mavericks for taking care of a guy who gave the team his everything for several years.