WEDNESDAY, 4:20pm: The Mavs have officially waived Ledo, the team announced in a press release.
TUESDAY, 3:20pm: The Mavericks have told Ricky Ledo that they are releasing him to make way for Amar’e Stoudemire, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). Stoudemire has committed to joining the Mavs should he clear waivers, as expected, following his buyout deal with the Knicks. The move is a signal that the team intends to keep Bernard James, who’s with the team on a 10-day contract. Ledo is one of 14 other Mavericks with deals guaranteed through the end of the season. The guard is making the minimum this season and has non-guaranteed minimum salaries for 2015/16 and 2016/17.
It’s not altogether surprising that the Mavs would cut ties with Ledo, even with Rajon Rondo out indefinitely with facial injuries. Ledo, the 43rd overall pick in 2013, has played in only five NBA games this season and has spent significant time on D-League assignment. The Mavs have sent him down eight times this year, as our D-League assignments log shows, and he hasn’t put up dominant numbers for the Texas legends, averaging 16.0 in 33.4 minutes per game.
Dallas chose to keep Ledo over James and fellow backup guard Gal Mekel earlier this season, though it appears at least for now that James has become the greater priority. The Mavs’ 10-day contract with James lapses after Friday, two days after Stoudemire is set to clear waivers, but Dallas could have terminated the 10-day deal early if it wanted to.