Tim Hardaway Jr. re-signed with the Mavericks this summer on a four-year, $75MM contract. He was given the option by head coach Jason Kidd of being a starter or sixth man. Hardaway chose the former, Dwain Price of the team’s website writes.
“I asked him in the summer what he wanted to do, and he wanted to think about it,” Kidd said. “So when he came back – that was enough time for him to think – and I asked for the answer, and he wants to start.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Guard Trey Burke has a sketchy future with the Mavericks, as Marc Stein of Substack details. The Mavericks explored the trade market for Burke during the offseason before signing Frank Ntilikina. With 15 fully guaranteed contracts and one partially guaranteed deal, the team has a decision to make. Waiving Burke would cost the team $6.45MM, since his contract runs through next season, which includes a player option for 2022/23. Dallas is expected to explore more trade scenarios before waiving a player with guaranteed money, Stein adds.
- The Pelicans hope to be fully vaccinated by opening night, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune relays. “The league has done a really, really good job of making it almost unanimous that almost everyone is fully vaccinated,” executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin said. “I would say that by the time the regular season rolls around, we get to that point.”
- The Pelicans have received numerous offers from interested buyers but owner Gayle Benson isn’t selling, Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune reports. Despite disadvantages such as having one of the lowest TV revenue deals in the league, Benson is intent on keeping the franchise and leaving it in New Orleans. “There is no way, as long as I’m going to be alive, that I would sell the Pelicans,” Benson said.
Hey Benson,
How about renaming the team something
MORE imposing than the PELICANS ??
That name is for the birds !!
Pelicans sometimes eat other birds. There was a video on the news in the UK showing a pelican in a park and it scooped up a pigeon and ate it whole.
As far as the team name goes, when they changed the Bobcats back to the Hornets they should have done the same thing in New Orleans and changed their name back to the Jazz. Utah should be the Pelicans or whatever.
AGREE !!
The Utah Jazz makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE !!
The New Orleans Jazz DOES!!
This change S/B MANDATED by the NBA !!
Dallas has way to many point guards and centres, and not enough talent in between.
Point guards: Luka (if you count him as a point), Derek Brunson, Trey Burke, Frank Ntilikina and Tyrell Terry.
Centres: Dwight Powell, Moses Brown, Boban Marjanovic and Willy Cayley-Stein.
That’s 10 players in 2 positions, ofcourse some of those points can play at the 2, but none of those centres can play the 4.
They need to really get more active in the trade market quickly.
I’d go Dwight Powell, Josh Green and a second round pick for Goran Dragic.
Then T. Terry and T. Burke for Kevin Knox
This also opens up 2 extra roster spots which you fill with Wesley Mathews and DeMarcus Cousins.
1. Dragic. Brunson. Ntilikina
2. Doncic. Bullock. Mathews
3. Hardaway. Finney-Smith. Knox
4. KP. Kleber
5. Brown. Cousins. Marjanovic. WCS
Now you have Doncic along with Dragic who will provide veteran leadership and help in the backcourt. You keep the shooting of Hardaway and KP and at centre have multiple options. Brown is the young guys with huge potential, Cousins if he can stay healthy and fit could be huge, and impact of Boban. Off the bench you have Brunson running the second unit which has Bullock/Mathews, DFS and Kleber.
Ntilikina and Knox are both from NY and both have huge potential and could do well in Dallas.
This team would represent a playoff team, trying to contend, with some talented youngsters, solid veterans and a couple projects.
Too many PG’s & C’s… so you trade for a PG & then sign another C… seems the way to go!
BTW… DAL is a lock as a playoff team, & a team that needs a lot less luck than PHO last year to make it to the finals, is the most possible surprise of the year, I think they can very well make it to the WCF!
With Luka all is possible!
Also helps that finally this year they have a really good HC that will play KP6 properly, which basically means DAL has traded a role player for a star player by just getting a proper HC!
I think Luka wins MVP, but the Mavs still lose in the playoffs before the WCF.
To many average/below average PGs and Centres.
This team is basically the same team as last year meaning they won’t do any better. Considering the both the warriors and Lakers also got stronger. Doncic is in the MVP debate for sure but I can’t see this team winning 2 or more series. KP is to often injured, no experienced leaders, just to many average talents in a league full of teams with multiple all stars
They need to trade for Dragic and then look to add depth at SG, PF and upgrade at centre
Luka has all the winning experience you need, he has been winning everything for the last 5-6 years… way ahead of his age, I will take him in clutch time ahead of any other NBA player every day of the week & twice on Sundays!
Luka has all the experience okay okay yeah sure. 3 years in the league, 2 playoff trips both times couldn’t make it out of the first round.
Cmon man no one expects him to be the GOAT, everyone needs some help. What Doncic needs is Dragic. Former all nba third team, former all star, 15 years in the NBA of experience, from the same country as Doncic. Capable as a playmaker or as an off ball shooter, has high IQ, and would take the pressure of Doncic making him a better player.
You also forgot about Bullock
Who is Derek Brunson?