Mavericks’ Wes Matthews likely out for the season

Wes Matthews recently returned from a leg injury, and now a setback is set to sideline him for the season.

With a 21-46 record entering Monday, the Dallas Mavericks are clearly preparing to get as many draft lottery balls as possible. Veteran swingman Wes Matthews recently missed two games with a left hip injury, then returned Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies. But according to Shams Charania of Yahoo!, a stress fracture in his right leg is likely to sideline Matthews for the rest of the season.

In 63 games this season Matthews is averaging 12.7 points (third on the team), 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and a team-high 1.2 steals per contest, while making just over 38 percent of his three-pointers. He is also leads the team in three-pointers per game (6.4), and is second on the team in minutes per game (33.8).

In Matthews’ absence, Yogi Ferrell is likely to move into the starting lineup. Doug McDermott, J.J. Barea and Kyle Collinsworth are also in line for more minutes.

Matthews signed a four-year, $70 million deal with the Mavericks in 2015, coming off a torn left Achilles tendon late in the previous season with the Portland Trail Blazers, when the franchise was in a bit of a different place trying to surround Dirk Nowitzki with talent. Next year is in final year of the deal, in the form of a $18.6 million player option. Matthews is sure to exercise that option, but an expiring contract would make him good potential trade bait for the Mavericks once the offseason starts.

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With 15 games to go on their schedule, Dallas has four teams with 1-3 fewer wins to usurp for the league’s worst record and two other teams have the same number of victories. So it will be a tough task to gain the most chances at getting the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, but Matthews being out will only help.