Samuel Dalembert and Dallas Mavericks Officially Agree to Terms

The Dallas Mavericks lost out on both Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum this offseason, and with a glaring hole at the center position, they turned their attention to a veteran free agent who can augment a thin frontcourt still in need of another major contributor.

UPDATE: Friday, July 19, at 8:12 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

Star-Telegram reporter Dwain Price announced that Dalembert's deal is official:

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UPDATE: Thursday, July 18, at 3:05 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowksi reports the terms of Dalembert's deal with the Mavericks:

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Original Text

According to Marc Stein of ESPN, Dallas has agreed to terms with 32-year-old former Milwaukee Bucks center Samuel Dalembert to help fill that void:

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The Dallas Mavericks have reached a verbal agreement with free-agent big man Samuel Dalembert to be their new starting center, according to sources close to the process.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Dalembert has agreed to sign with the Mavericks as they continue to work on the final points of a contract.

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As Stein also noted in his report, the Mavericks were long said to be in pursuit of Dalembert, even entertaining the idea of trading for him last season. While he has only averaged double-digit points and rebounds in one NBA season (2007-08), he also hasn’t averaged more than 25.9 minutes per game since that season.

But Stein indicates the 32-year-old is expected to be the team’s starting center, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see those numbers increase in 2013-14 as a result.

Dallas may not be finished addressing the position, however. According to Stein’s report, the Mavericks are still in pursuit of former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden as he attempts a return to the NBA following numerous knee injuries.

Several other teams are also in pursuit of Oden, however, including the Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs. As Stein pointed out, other teams interested in Oden will likely be able to offer the oft-injured seven-footer more money, meaning locking up Dalembert was a much-needed maneuver.

Last season with the Bucks, Dalembert averaged 6.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in just 16.3 minutes per contest.

The terms of the contract have yet to be announced.