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According to ESPN, Charlie Villanueva has agreed to a non-guaranteed contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas already has 15 players on a guaranteed contract, the NBA maximum, so Villanueva will have trouble making the roster. At 30 years old, Charlie Villanueva is on the downslide of his career. Last season, in just 20 games, he averaged 4.6 points and 1.8 rebounds per game with the Detroit Pistons. It was the final season in his five year, $38 million deal.
Over his nine season NBA career, Villanueva has averages of 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The Mavericks are taking a gamble that he can find a role as a back-up stretch forward. They tried filling that role with Rashard Lewis, but injuries forced them into voiding his deal.
Villanueva was at UConn from 2003 to 2005 and was a member of the 2004 National Championship team. He was a star while with the Huskies, averaging 13.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. He was drafted with the 7th overall pick in the 2005 Draft by the Toronto Raptors. He then went to the Milwaukee Bucks before signing with the Pistons.