DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks have reached a deal with Samuel Dalembert (DAL'-em-behr), who will likely be their fifth starting center in the past five seasons.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told reporters at the NBA summer league in Las Vegas on Wednesday night that Dalembert had agreed to a contract but hadn't signed it. The deal with the 32-year-old Dalembert came after Dallas missed out on Dwight Howard, who chose Houston.
The 6-foot-11 Dalembert is known as a defensive-minded center with career averages of 8.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots per game.
The Mavericks have had a different starting center at the beginning of each of the past four seasons: Erick Dampier in 2009-10, followed by Tyson Chandler, Brendan Haywood and Chris Kaman.
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