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Mavericks' Felton inactive Monday despite being eligible to return

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Raymond Felton's ankle injury and suspension may have cost him more than just 14 games.

Felton is inactive on Monday despite being eligible to return to the Dallas Mavericks. He had missed the team's first 10 games with a sprained ankle before serving a four-game suspension for pleading guilty to gun possession charges in the offseason, and Monday marked the first time he was eligible to play in a game this season.

Being made inactive indicates that Felton has a bit of a road to travel before earning a spot in head coach Rick Carlisle's rotation. Felton was acquired in a six-player trade in the offseason, but the Mavericks also re-signed Devin Harris, signed Jameer Nelson and, early in the season, signed J.J. Barea.

The point guard rotation is quite deep as a result, and with the Mavericks' offense humming as the league's top outfit, there's little incentive to shake things up. Harris is a better defender than Felton and Nelson a comparable offensive piece, so it's not patently clear what incentive there would be to play Felton over the team's other options.

It appears he may need a few more practices to carve out a role, or could be left waiting on an injury to one of the team's other guards. At some point, Dallas may want to see what they have in him, as Felton owns a $3.95-million player option for next season that he would likely pick up if he couldn't improve his market value through playing time this year.

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