National Basketball Association

Mavs sign J.J. Barea to vet's-minimum deal

Published Oct. 29, 2014 11:28 p.m. ET

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DALLAS - J.J. Barea is investing in a repeat of his success in Dallas under the terms of what FOX Sports Southwest is told is a one-year, $1,310,286 deal with the Mavs.

To make roster room, Dallas will waive guard Gal Mekel; sources say the club will work to help him land elsewhere.

Barea would had been due his $4.5 million salary had he been claimed off waivers from Minnesota. But he cleared waivers at 4 p.m. Wednesday and shortly thereafter forged a deal with the Mavericks.

Barea was an undrafted street free agent in 2006 when he surprised and made the roster. Shortly thereafter he became a rotation player, his high mark coming when he started the last three games in the NBA Finals in 2011.

Barea parlayed that success into a handsome four-year, $18-million contract with the Wolves, but now the 5-11 waterbug starts anew with Dallas, where the undersized backcourt features point guards Jameer Nelson and Devin Harris. But the Mavericks are using a combo-guard concept so Barea could also play some 2-guard behind Monta Ellis.

Sources also say the organization is making minor-league moves, too, by bringing Dallas exes Bernard James (the 6-10 center with an Air Force background known as "Sarge'') and Mike James (the 39-year-old point guard who started 23 games in Dallas in 20-12-13) to the D-League Texas Legends team in Frisco.

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