Photo Courtesy of AP Images

Preston Hollow neighbor J.J. Barea was waived from his contract with the Dallas Mavericks this past Thursday.

This comes just as Barea signed a $2.6 million deal with the Mavericks, which is now considered a tribute to Barea’s commitment and hard work with the team. The team is waiving Barea in order to bring younger talent in.

“I think with the fact that we’re on a little bit of a younger direction, let’s call it, with our backup point guard prospects, certainly the writing was on the wall,” Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson says. “We all understood that coming in. I think it was really more of an appreciation for J.J. and the amazing things he’s done in his career, why we brought him back as the 16th player on this roster and gave him a thank-you of sorts.”

After this move, many people involved in Barea’s career expressed their gratitude for what Barea has done both on and off the court, including Maverick’s owner and Preston Hollow neighbor Mark Cuban.

“JJ is a Mavs Legend,” Cuban wrote to ESPN. “What he did on the court is just a small part of who he is. Of course the title is big, but what he does for Puerto Rico, what he always does for people in need, will always be even bigger.”

Barea ranks fifth in Mavericks history for time played with 637 games under his belt, and he is considered by many to be a Dallas icon. Just last month, the City of Dallas enlisted Barea to help with their COVID-19 messaging, a sign of the admiration in the area.  After being waived, Barea reminisced on his time in the city.

“It’s been amazing,” Barea says. “It’s a tough day. But I wouldn’t change anything. The messages from the fans in Dallas have been amazing. The way they treated me from day one – this city saw me as a kid, saw me grow up with a family now, kids, wife – everywhere we go here is special. Dallas is my second home. It’s the happiest place I ever played basketball.”

In the future, Barea still hopes to play, but he could see himself coaching as well.

“I want to make sure everybody knows I want to play this year out,” he says. “Anything can happen this year with COVID. You never know, I might be back here with Dallas playing. I’ve seen it all in the NBA. But I’m going to keep my options open. We’ll see what happens.”