Kyle “Triple Double” Collinsworth signs deal with Dallas Mavericks

Former BYU star Kyle Collinsworth is getting a real shot in the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks announced Tuesday morning that they are signing the 6’6’’ guard to a two-way contract, and waiving guard-forward Antonius Cleveland and center Jeff Withey.

Collinsworth has been playing for the Mavericks’ G league affiliate the Texas Legends and (unsurprisingly to anyone who saw him play in college) consistently filling up the stat sheet. The Mavericks are sitting at 8-23 on the season and could be perhaps be willing to try anything to get a spark going.

Collinsworth is in his second season with the Legends after being signed by the Mavericks then waived in 2016. He averages of 8.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 30.1 minutes per game in 54 career G League games (34 starts). In 18 starts for the Legends this year, he averaged 11.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.7 steals in 35.8 minutes per game.

The only question remaining now -- what exactly is a two-way contract? It is something that is new to the NBA this season. Basically, a player can be with an NBA team for up to 45 days (of course it could be anything much less than that as well), but will spend the bulk of their time playing for a team’s G league affiliate. Players can make up to $279,000. That’s a lot more than they could ever make in the G league.

“NBA teams are allowed to have up to two players under two-way contracts who will spend the bulk of the season in the NBA G League and not more than 45 days with their NBA team.

Two-way players are paid a corresponding daily amount based on the number of days they play in each league. Only players with four-or-fewer years of NBA experience are able to sign two-way contracts, which can be for either one or two seasons,” a press release from the Mavericks reads.

Collinsworth will wear no. 8 for the Mavs. The next game for the Mavericks is Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons in Dallas. Here’s to hoping the former BYU star will continue to do what he does best, and earn himself a permanent spot on the roster, along with the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Wesley Matthews, and J.J. Barea.