South Carolina Basketball: Gamecock teammates reunited with Dallas Mavericks

Chris Silva and AJ Lawson are two of the best players to come through the South Carolina basketball program in recent memory. Silva was a key contributor on the Final Four team in the 2016-2017 season and was a senior when a skinny kid named AJ Lawson graduated high school early and joined the Gamecocks.

The two international-born players (Silva is from Gabon, while Lawson is Canadian) played just one season together in Columbia, but the Gamecocks were a good squad. A bad out-of-conference showing had USC thinking they would be on the outside looking in come NCAA Tournament time, but a great record in SEC play had Gamecock fans thinking about going dancing.

Unfortunately, Lawson injured his ankle down the stretch, and the Gamecocks lost 4 of their final 6 games to shut them out of the postseason.

After the 2018-2019 season, Chris Silva began his NBA journey, while Lawson spent two more seasons with the Gamecocks. Silva has bounced around the league with stops with the Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat (again), and Atlanta Hawks. Most of that time was spent in the G League, but he did play a fair amount for the Heat.

Lawson has played with several of the same franchises as he has gotten opportunities with the Hawks, Timberwolves, and Dallas Mavericks. His most extensive NBA run came at the end of this past season with the Dallas Mavericks.

Now, this summer, the two players are reunited. Chris Silva has been selected to join the Dallas Mavericks Summer League roster, a group that already included Lawson.

Silva, Lawson, and the Mavs will get their first Summer League action on Saturday, July 8th as they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Lawson is expected to make the Mavericks’ roster, but he could end up with their G League affiliate. Silva is fighting for a spot on any roster moving forward.

Former Gamecock GG Jackson has been very good so far in NBA Summer League play for the Memphis Grizzlies.