The Dallas Mavericks recently announced that they signed former Orlando Magic forward/guard Jett Howard to a two-way contract. According to the Mavericks, the terms of the deal were not disclosed. To make this deal work, the team requested waivers on two-way player Tyler Smith.
Howard is the son of former Fab Five member and assistant coach of the Brooklyn Nets Juwan Howard. Juwan was also a member of the Dallas Mavericks from February 2001 to June 2002, and again for the 2007–08 NBA season.
Over the course of his young career, Howard averaged 4.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 11.0 minutes in 133 games with the Orlando Magic. During the 2025-2026 season, he averaged 5.5 points while shooting a career-high 37.2% (54-145 3FG) from beyond the arc and a career-high 94.9% (37-39 FT) from the foul line.
The former Michigan Wolverine was selected 11th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft after just one season in Ann Arbor. He earned the All-Big Ten Third Team honors, as well as Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.
After drafting Howard, Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman praised not only his shooting ability, but also his IQ. Something they were focused on when they selected Howard with the 11th pick.
“Jett is not just a shooter,” Weltman explained. “Jett is skilled, he (has a great) IQ, and he’s got good size. But the hidden thing about Jett is that he played most of the season injured. And we believe that there’s more to Jett than he was able to show.”
Howard spoke about fitting a Magic roster in 2023 that featured Markelle Fultz, Wendell Carter Jr., Gary Harris, Cole Anthony, and Jalen Suggs like a glove.
“Honestly, I feel like I'll fit in like a glove with my ability to space the floor and make open shots,” said Howard. “I've always been able to play with good other players throughout high school and college, so I think I'll fit in really well with them.”
Former Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, now with the New Orleans Pelicans, spoke about allowing players to be themselves and meeting them where they are mentally and physically.
“I think the family atmosphere, you can see it so much, because we just meet people where they are, allow them to be themselves, …” Mosley said. “We talk about it a lot a ton, but keep your ego out of it, allow people to be who they are and push them to be their best.”
As for Smith, the former Dallas Mavericks forward, he played in 12 games after signing his two-way contract on March 1, 2026. During his time with the team, his stat line was 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 13.8 minutes of play.
