Free agent center Samuel Dalembert agreed to return to his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, after signing a one-year veteran's minimum deal worth $1.4 million, as reported by ESPN.

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The 34-year-old vet played for the New York Knicks last season, averaging 4.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in exactly 17 minutes a night. He only appeared in 32 games for head coach Derek Fisher, starting 21 of them, before he was waived by the Knicks in January.

Dallas head bench tactician Rick Carlisle reportedly plans to place Dalembert as the primary backup of starting center Zaza Pachulia, who was recently traded by the Milwaukee Bucks to the Mavs in exchange for a future second-round draft pick.

The former Seton Hall standout was the team's starting center two years ago and have had decent averages of 6.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, and 1.2 bpg in 20.2 mpg on a career-high 56.8 percent field goal shooting beside superstar power forward Dirk Nowitzki. He bannered the team's frontcourt in the 2014 playoffs, shoving Tim Duncan and eventual NBA champs San Antonio Spurs to a Game 7 in the first round before they were eliminated.

Bleacher Report noted that Dalembert's best contribution to teams he had been with was always his ability to block shots and protect the rim. This is something that the Mavs sorely needs at present even with Pachulia and especially after DeAndre Jordan double-crossed them in free-agency this summer.

Meanwhile, CBS Sports' James Herbert indicated that Mark Cuban is still interested in acquiring another veteran center, JaVale McGee, if the latter can prove that he is clear from his past recurring injuries. 

Herbert also said that the Mavericks are close to signing Turkish center Salah Mejri from Spain's Real Madrid basketball team to add more depth in the no. 5 position. Cuban's penchant for centers this offseason was displayed even more after he also acquired summer league standout Maurice NDour.

Although not all of these pivot men are expected to make Dallas' final roster in the regular season, Cuban appeared to be trying to show the public that his team had already moved on from the Jordan-Clippers' fiasco and that the Mavs are an attractive spot for veteran and young centers alike.

TagsNBA 2015, NBA news, NBA News 2015, NBA rumors, NBA Rumors 2015, Samuel Dalembert