Nothing is ever easy with Rashad McCants.
After spending last season outside the NBA looking in, McCants signed a non-guaranteed contract with Dallas late in the preseason, and was cut almost immediately after. From a media perspective, the Mavericks’ intentions seemed rather obvious. However, McCants reportedly was told he would have a chance to make the team, and that never happened. Dallas, and GM Donnie Nelson, had other plans.
Regardless of who was told what, the Mavs’ signing and dismissal of McCants was a strategic move to procure the guard’s D-League rights for the Mav-affiliated Texas Legends, which are co-owned by Nelson. But for a time, it looked like the Mavs and Legends may have miscalculated. If McCants really was as incensed as his agent’s comments would suggest, then perhaps the red tape that prevented McCants from being assigned to any other D-League would be ripped to pieces in the name of hurt feelings and miscommunication.
That doesn’t appear to be the case, as McCants was named to the Legends’ 15-man training camp roster. However, that inclusion doesn’t technically mean anything; Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported that according to Percy Miller (one of McCants’ personal advisers), McCants intends to fully pursue several leads on NBA jobs before reporting to Legends camp. McCants may be a Texas Legend yet, but only if the team is willing to wait for him.
If when all is said and done McCants is willing to play for the Legends, he’s a no-brainer to make the team, and may not be long for the D-League world at all. McCants is an NBA-caliber player, and would undoubtedly be a focal point of Nancy Lieberman’s offense. That said, there’s still plenty of time left before the D-League season begins for things to turn sour. McCants’ career has had too many strange happenings for us to simply assume that his inclusion on the roster makes this a done deal. It’s likely that McCants will be a Legend next season based on his current inclusion, but stay frosty.