Lost in the noise surrounding the Lakers’ ascent in the Western Conference standings has been a similar Lazarus act by the Mavericks. Dallas is just three games back of the eighth-place Jazz and four and a half behind the Rockets, who occupy the seventh spot in the West. The Mavs made a surprise move yesterday, waiving Dominique Jones, and we have more on the aftershocks from that transaction, along with some early offseason speculation:
- The Mavs will probably fill their open roster spot with a player from the D-League, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, who hears the team is likely to sign someone today or Monday.
- Reserve center Brandan Wright is one of many soon-to-be unrestricted free agents on the Mavs, but he’d like to return to Dallas for next season, notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Like Jones, fellow Mavs guard Rodrigue Beaubois hasn’t seen much playing time this season, but Price thinks Beaubois’ ability to remain on the bench without complaint is one reason he’s still around. Even so, Price would be surprised to the Mavs re-sign Beaubois this summer (Twitter links).
- Dirk Nowitzki believes Jones could blossom elsewhere in the NBA, as Price documents. “He never really got a real shot at it,’‘ Nowitzki said of his teammate on the Mavs 2011 championship team. “I like his athleticism, I like what he brought, it just wasn’t a good situation to be in.”