Mavs Notes: Rondo, Chandler, Ellis

The Mavericks are now four seasons removed from winning an NBA title, and this offseason will be one of the most important of owner Mark Cuban’s tenure with the team, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News writes. The franchise could have as many as 11 free agents this offseason, and Chandler Parsons may not be recovered from his upcoming knee surgery in time for the beginning of the 2015/16 campaign, Townsend adds. With the reports of mutual interest between the team and DeAndre Jordan, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, center Tyson Chandler‘s future with the team is in doubt. When asked if he would return to Dallas next season, Chandler responded, “I don’t know. That’s up to management,” Townsend relays.

Here’s more out of Dallas:

• The Mavs players voted to deny disgruntled point guard Rajon Rondo his playoff share, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. Rondo and the Mavs mutually decided to part ways after the second game of the Rockets series, and the team agreed to cite a back injury for his absence to help the point guard avoid embarrassment.
• Despite the trade for Rondo backfiring, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said of the deal, “If we had to do it all over again, we definitely would,” Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com notes (Twitter link).
• Monta Ellis needs to make a decision regarding his $8,720,000 player option for 2015/16, but the veteran guard isn’t necessarily looking to leave Dallas, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. Ellis may elect to opt out of his deal in order to ink a long-term deal with the Mavs, but it still remains to be seen if the team wishes to retain the 29-year-old, Stein adds.
• Veteran forward Dirk Nowitzki said he would be willing to come off the bench for the team next season if it would aid the team, Townsend writes in a separate article. “Yeah, I mean, the problem is there would some stiffness coming off the bench,” Nowitzki said. “I’m usually not the most mobile, agile player, but there are bikes and stuff in the back that you can ride and get loose. Yeah, I mean, whatever it takes; I’ve always said that. My last two years I want to enjoy. I want to be a good team. I want to be on a winning team. Playoffs. Hopefully deep runs. So, yeah, anything I’ve got to do to help is obviously no question.”