Done Deal: Unbelievable,A.J. Lawson signs a huge contract with the…

On Sunday, the second-year Maverick secured a multiyear contract, marking yet another advancement in a career that is unquestionably not short on steps.

He’s taking it one game at a time, and his gradual ascent up the NBA ladder has been interspersed with new contract negotiations and an upbeat, new public address announcement by Sean Heath before American Airlines Center games.

“I like when I come on the court and they say that,” Lawson said Monday. “It’s actually funny to me. I love that (intro). It’s my first time hearing it. It’s still kind of new to me. And I like it.

“Respect the Law-son.”

That’s earned Lawson the nickname of “The Sheriff.”

And his new contract is something that shows not only his work, but the faith that the Mavericks have in him as an up-and-coming player who could be a significant contributor in the not-too-distant future.

“It’s something I’ve been preparing for my whole life,” Lawson said. “I have this saying of mine: beat the odds. I’ve been doing that ever since I was in high school – proving myself right and proving the doubters wrong. This is like another milestone in my career and I’m super-blessed to be here as a Dallas Maverick, as a roster player.

“My next goal is to try to get in the rotation, try to help my team win. I went from a two-way to a roster spot and now the next goal is to keep building, keep grinding and get better and showing the team I’m ready when my time is called.”

When Lawson found out that he was getting a full contract, he said he tried to keep his composure.

But it wasn’t easy.

“Super-excited. Super-blessed,” he said. “I was trying to keep my emotions down at the gym. I didn’t want anybody to see me super-excited or tear up or anything.

“But I got to the crib and I just said “Thank God.” And I screamed off my balcony. Probably the whole uptown area heard it. It was a great feeling and definitely something I’m going to remember the rest of my life.”

The Mavericks have invested a lot of time in Lawson and he’s had his moments.

He’s averaging just 3.8 points in 28 games this season, but in the eight games he’s played at least 10 minutes, he’s averaged 8.4 points, including a 17-point showing against San Antonio on Dec. 23.

“It’s great for A.J., but it’s great for the Mavs to be able to develop (players) internally,” coach Jason Kidd said. “A.J.’s done everything we’ve asked. He’s been great for us. He works on his game every day. It’s a great compliment for what he’s done the last two years.

“It’s a compliment to the staff, it’s a compliment to the Mavs internally to develop not just A.J. but other players.”

The sun rose on Monday: The Mavericks had a lousy Sunday, losing 120-116 to Philadelphia at AAC, but Monday was a new day and things remained upbeat.

“We had a great film session, being able to talk about different situations we saw (Sunday) and also different defensive possessions on this last road trip. It was a really good film session,” Kidd said.

And it wasn’t all gloom and doom.

“When you look at the group, mentally, they’re in a good place,” he said. “It’s not easy to win in this league. We just (have to) understand some of the things we have to clean up, not just defensively, but offensively. Since the All-Star break, we’re fifth offensively and then defensively, we’re 30th. So we have room for improvement.”

Clearly, particularly on the defensive end.

But the Mavericks still are 34-27 and have home games coming up against Indiana and Miami, both of which are important. Two wins would put them back in a position to avoid the play-in tournament.

“We had a meeting, watched some film and people’s spirits are still feeling yesterday’s loss, but we’ve moved on from that and we’re ready for tomorrow,” Lawson said.

Briefly: The Mavericks’ injury report was all-clear – for only a couple of games. On Monday, Kidd had to run down a few concerns. Luka Dončić (right ankle soreness), Maxi Kleber (left knee soreness) and Derrick Jones Jr. (left shoulder strain) all are questionable.