Mavs' Carlisle: Clippers are very lucky to have Felton

By no means was Raymond Felton an All-Star for the Dallas Mavericks last year, but the veteran proved his value in 80 games - more than anyone else on the 2015-16 roster - and his former coach misses him.

"(Raymond) Felton played great for us and I wish we would have brought him back," Rick Carlisle said Tuesday, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "The Clippers are very lucky to have him."

Felton, who started 31 games for the Mavs, came to an agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers on a reported one-year, $1.5-million veteran's minimum contract over the summer to backup Chris Paul.

Though the 32-year-old averaged 9.5 points and 3.6 assists over the course of the season, he shone during the Mavs' playoff run against the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 15 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 34.4 minutes.

Carlisle attributed one of the main reasons Dallas made the playoffs last year to the play of Felton. The previous season, Felton played in 29 games, starting just three.

As a Clipper, Felton returns to Dallas for Wednesday's contest against the Mavs and Carlisle hopes the reception is a positive one.

"I hope our fans acknowledge him tonight. I think that they will. I will certainly acknowledge him," the coach said, according to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "He's a winner."