Tony Romo To Be ‘Maverick For A Day’

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has suggested multiple times this week that his team needs to add a “pass-first” point guard, but his solution probably isn’t what most fans had in mind. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Mavs intend to honor longtime Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo at their home finale on Tuesday night by making Romo a “Maverick for a day.”

Romo, who recently retired from the NFL and landed a broadcasting job with CBS, will sit on Dallas’ bench during its last home game of the season. Having not played competitive basketball since high school, Romo isn’t expected to get on the court, but the Mavs intend to treat him like an actual player, according to Stein.

ESPN’s report doesn’t mention anything about whether or not Romo will technically sign a player contract with the Mavs, but I’d assume that will be part of becoming a Mav for a day. While it would be odd to see Romo’s name on Dallas’ end-of-season salary cap breakdown, the team does have an open spot on its 15-man roster, and a two-day minimum salary contract to close the season would represent a drop in the bucket.

So is Romo the “pass-first” point guard that Cuban has been hinting at this week? Stein’s contacts within the organization suggest that it very well could be. Still, I’ll point out that Cuban’s initial comments about adding a pass-first point guard included his suggestion that the Mavs will explore the draft and free agency. As such, it sounds like it will be a legit offseason priority for the team, rather than just a wink toward honoring Romo.

Stein adds, unsurprisingly, that the Mavericks would not have considered honoring Romo in this fashion if the club had still been in playoff contention.

Austin Kent contributed to this post.

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