Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Fischer’s Latest: Collins, Schröder, Lowry, Green, Tucker, Dinwiddie, Oubre

July 14th, 2021 at 12:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sign-and-trade deals are expected to be plentiful this summer and the largest one could involve Hawks forward John Collins, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Most contenders have limited cap flexibility, so league insiders are expecting the sign-and-trade option to be used with several of the top free agents.

Collins, a restricted free agent, could be on the move because of the perception that Atlanta doesn’t view him as a max player. Team owner Tony Ressler said last week that the team is hoping to reach a “fair agreement” with Collins, which raises questions about how high the Hawks would be willing to go to match an offer.

League sources tell Fischer there will be a “sizable market” for Collins once free agency begins next month. The Mavericks have been considered a possible destination for some time, and the Timberwolves are another team to watch, according to Fischer.

He shares some more rumors involving potential sign-and-trades:

Dennis Schröder turned down a four-year, $84MM extension offer from the Lakers and is expected to be on the move this summer. Fischer notes that Schröder wants a bigger salary and a larger role in the offense, but he’s not likely to get either in L.A. The Bulls and Knicks are expected to have interest in the veteran point guard, according to league sources, and a sign-and-trade is the Lakers’ best opportunity to add talent this offseason. L.A. will also continue to see what it can get in return for Kyle Kuzma, Fischer adds.
The Sixers remain interested in Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and he’s believed to welcome the chance to play for his hometown team. Several contenders will have their eyes on Philadelphia guard Danny Green, who represents another sign-and-trade opportunity.
Giving P.J. Tucker a new deal with the $12MM average salary he asked for in Houston would push the Bucks over the tax apron. Fischer states that the Nets have been interested in Tucker since they started negotiating the James Harden trade, and the Heat expressed interest as well when they talked to the Rockets about Victor Oladipo. Fischer identifies the Lakers, Warriors, Nuggets and Jazz as other teams to watch, along with the Timberwolves, who are led by former Houston executive Gersson Rosas and have been trying to acquire Tucker since the 2020 draft.
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Warriors forward Kelly Oubre are two other potential names on the sign-and-trade market, according to Fischer. Sources say Brooklyn kept Dinwiddie past the trade deadline so he could be a potential sign-and-trade asset, while Oubre offers a chance for tax-strapped Golden State to pick up talent. Fischer names the Mavericks, Knicks and Heat as teams that would be interested in both players.

2021 NBA Offseason Preview: Dallas Mavericks

July 13th, 2021 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Mavericks acquired Kristaps Porzingis from New York in 2019, they envisioned him as half of a superstar duo alongside Luka Doncic for the next decade. But Porzingis, who flashed star potential in his early years with the Knicks, has plateaued in recent years as ongoing injury problems and his lack of defensive versatility have limited his ability to make a huge on-court impact.

Without a reliable go-to second option in the playoffs – where Porzingis averaged just 13.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG – the Mavs have been unable to break through so far, despite Doncic giving the Clippers all they could handle in the first round for two straight years (including 35.7 PPG and 10.3 APG in Dallas’ seven-game series loss this spring).

Strengthening the supporting cast around Doncic will be the primary goal going forward for the new-look front office, which includes longtime Nike executive Nico Harrison as Dallas’ new general manager. Harrison stepped in following the departure of veteran executive Donnie Nelson.

Meanwhile, it’ll be up to new head coach Jason Kidd to get the most of out the Mavs’ roster. Kidd’s two previous stints running the show in Brooklyn and Milwaukee were up and down, and he’ll have big shoes to fill in replacing Rick Carlisle, who was the NBA’s third longest-tenured head coach. But there’s optimism that Kidd has learned from past mistakes and – as a Hall-of-Fame point guard himself – will be a good mentor for Doncic.

The Mavericks’ Offseason Plan:

The 2021/22 season will likely be the last time for the next 10 or 15 years that Doncic is earning less than the maximum salary, so it would be a good time for the Mavericks to take advantage of their financial flexibility. Besides Porzingis, no one on the roster is currently on the books for more than about $11MM next season.

Unfortunately, the Porzingis contract is an issue. He’ll earn $31.65MM in ’21/22 and a total of $101.5MM over the next three seasons, and he hasn’t lived up to that salary so far. Trading him is an option, but the Mavs will be loath to sell low on the 25-year-old rather than hoping for better injury luck going forward, which might allow Porzingis to rebuild his value.

The contract situations of Josh Richardson and Tim Hardaway Jr. will also compromise the Mavs’ offseason flexibility. Richardson had a somewhat underwhelming first year in Dallas and now seems like a good bet to pick up his $11.6MM player option, cutting into the team’s potential cap room. And if the Mavs want to re-sign Hardaway, an unrestricted free agent, they may end up without any cap room at all, instead operating over the cap and gaining access to the full mid-level exception.

Even if the Mavs, who have traded away both of their 2021 draft picks, can add a solid rotation player with the MLE, they likely won’t be satisfied with simply running back a similar group next season, so I’d expect them to be active on the trade market. Even if a favorable Porzingis deal doesn’t materialize, other veterans – including Dwight Powell and Trey Burke – could be shopped.

Dorian Finney-Smith and Jalen Brunson are terrific bargains for the time being, but are entering contract years and will get more expensive in 2022. If Dallas isn’t able to lock them up to team-friendly extensions this year and isn’t confident in its ability to re-sign them to reasonable deals in unrestricted free agency, the idea of trading them should at least be considered.

The Mavs will also have to reassess 2020 draftees Josh Green and Tyrell Terry, neither of whom had a great rookie season. Their value has dropped, so they may not be especially useful trade chips, in which case Dallas will have to focus on developing them into useful role players.

Perhaps the simplest move of the Mavs’ offseason will be signing Doncic to a maximum-salary rookie scale extension that projects to pay him north of $200MM over five seasons. Ideally, Dallas would avoid adding a fifth-year player option to that deal, but if Doncic insists on it, the club will have to relent.

Salary Cap Situation

Note: Our salary cap projections are based on a presumed 3% increase, which would result in a $112.4MM cap for 2021/22.

Guaranteed Salary

Kristaps Porzingis ($31,650,600)
Dwight Powell ($11,080,125)
Luka Doncic ($10,174,391)
Maxi Kleber ($8,825,000)
Dorian Finney-Smith ($4,000,000)
Trey Burke ($3,150,000)
Josh Green ($2,957,520)
Tyrell Terry ($1,517,981)
Total: $73,355,617

Player Options

Josh Richardson ($11,615,328): Bird rights
Total: $11,615,328

Team Options

Willie Cauley-Stein ($4,100,000): Early Bird rights
Total: $4,100,000

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Jalen Brunson ($1,802,057) ¹
Total: $1,802,057

Restricted Free Agents

Nicolo Melli ($4,871,795 qualifying offer / $5,066,667 cap hold): Early Bird rights ²
Total (cap holds): $5,066,667

Two-Way Free Agents

Tyler Bey
Nate Hinton

Draft Picks

None

Extension-Eligible Players

Luka Doncic (rookie scale)
Jalen Brunson (veteran)
Dorian Finney-Smith (veteran)
Maxi Kleber (veteran)
Dwight Powell (veteran)

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Tim Hardaway Jr. ($28,462,500): Bird rights
J.J. Redick ($16,917,810): Early Bird rights
Boban Marjanovic ($4,550,000): Early Bird rights
Total: $49,930,310

Offseason Cap Outlook

If we assume Brunson is retained (a safe bet) and Richardson opts in, that increases the Mavs’ guarantees to nearly $87MM for 10 roster spots. Letting everyone else walk would leave Dallas with upwards of $24MM in cap room.

However, if Hardaway re-signs at a number in the neighborhood of his previous salary ($18.98MM), that cap space essentially goes away, and Dallas will be operating over the cap. The team’s outlook could change if it adds or subtracts salary in trades or if Hardaway wants to play elsewhere. For now though, my working assumption is that the team will try to re-sign the free agent wing and will use its full mid-level rather than dipping under the cap.

Cap Exceptions Available

Mid-level exception: $9,536,000 ³
Bi-annual exception: $3,732,000 ³
Trade exception: $1,678,854

Footnotes

Brunson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 2.
Melli has reached a contract agreement with Italian team Olimpia Milano. The Mavericks could still make the procedural move of tendering him a qualifying offer if they want to retain matching rights in the event of his return to the NBA.
These are projected values. If the Mavericks decide to operate under the cap, they’d forfeit these exceptions and their trade exception and would instead gain access to the room exception ($4.9MM).

Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders, RealGM, and ESPN was used in the creation of this post.

Southeast Notes: Mosley, Barnes, Wizards, Gallinari, Hornets

July 13th, 2021 at 12:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jamahl Mosley has interviewed for head coaching jobs before, but he said the experience with the Magic was different because of the relationships involved. In an interview with Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Mosley talks about his prior experience with president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman in Denver and front office official Anthony Parker in Cleveland.

“I started to sense that there was a little bit of a joy to where it was going,” said Mosley, who was officially hired Sunday morning. “That happened after the second or third interview. It felt good. And I met the DeVos family, and you just saw family. That’s when it really kind of set in.”

Mosley chose to sidestep a question about the end of his time in Dallas, where he served as an assistant to Rick Carlisle for the past seven years. There was an expectation that Mosley might become the Mavericks‘ next head coach when Carlisle left for Indiana, but the front office chose Jason Kidd instead.

“It’s me moving forward, and that’s the best thing,” Mosley said. “I’m moving into a situation that allows me to grow, allows me to walk into exactly what I started out doing, and that’s developing and helping young men become better individuals on and off the court.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic, who hold picks No. 5 and 8 in this year’s lottery, brought in Florida State forward Scottie Barnes for a private workout over the weekend, Robbins tweets. Barnes is ranked sixth on ESPN’s big board and is considered a possible top-five pick.
With Bradley Beal eligible for free agency next summer, the Wizards may value veteran help more than the No. 15 pick they hold in the draft, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. He notes that not many teams are willing to part with useful players in exchange for a mid-round draft choice, but he proposes a few trades involving the Knicks, Lakers, Hawks, Grizzlies and Pacers.
Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari has confirmed on Instagram that he will play in the Tokyo Olympics. Gallinari has been representing Italy in international competitions since he was a teenager, but this will be his first Olympic Games.
The Hornets are hosting six players today in a pre-draft workout, according to a tweet from the team. Taking part are West Virginia’s Derek Culver, prep school player Jimma Gatwech, Nikita Mikhailovskii of Avtodor (Russia), UNC-Greensboro’s Isaiah Miller, Georgetown’s Jamorko Pickett and Kentucky’s Olivier Sarr.

Charania’s Latest: Collins, Rockets, E. Gordon, I. Todd, More

July 13th, 2021 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

John Collins‘ playoff averages of 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game (in 32.0 MPG) don’t jump off the page. However, people around the NBA believe the Hawks big man bolstered his case for a maximum-salary type investment this offseason with his postseason performance, says Shams Charania of The Athletic. Collins played a key role in Atlanta winning two series as an underdog and getting to within two games of the NBA Finals.

Since Collins will be a restricted free agent, the Hawks will have the ability to either sign Collins to a new deal themselves or match any offer sheet he signs with another team. Still, the club has projected reluctance to go all the way up to max for the 23-year-old, so a rival suitor could put pressure on Atlanta’s ownership and front office by presenting an aggressive four-year offer. The Mavericks, Heat, Spurs, and Timberwolves are among the teams expected to display interest, sources tell Charania.

Here’s more from Charania:

The Rockets have been actively exploring ways to move up from No. 2 and acquire the Pistons‘ No. 1 pick, sources tell Charania. A report last week suggested Houston has been “fixated” on Cade Cunningham, the top prospect in this year’s draft class, while multiple reports have stated that Detroit likes Jalen Green and Evan Mobley, so it’s possible the two teams could be motivated to work something out.
The Rockets have also been discussing veteran guard Eric Gordon in trade scenarios, according to Charania. Gordon, who still has two guaranteed years left on his contract, would be a better fit on a win-now team than a rebuilding Houston squad.
Isaiah Todd, who played for the G League Ignite in 2020/21, is canceling draft workouts with teams late in the first round, including the Jazz, and is focusing on teams with lottery picks, says Charania. That seems awfully optimistic for a prospect ranked 47th overall on ESPN’s big board.
Villanova’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has been impressing teams, including the Pelicans, during the pre-draft process, per Charania. Robinson-Earl ranks 60th on ESPN’s board.

Magic Hire Jamahl Mosley As Head Coach

July 11th, 2021 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

11:05am: The deal with Mosley has been finalized, the Magic announced on Twitter.

“We would like to welcome Jamahl and his family to the Magic family,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman stated in a press release. “Within the NBA coaching community, Jamahl is considered a rising star. His coaching path is rooted in player development. He is a communicator and connector, and we look forward to him leading our group.”

9:11am: Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley will be the new head coach of the Magic, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Mosley has agreed in principle to a four-year contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

A report on Thursday suggested that Mosley was the frontrunner for the position, which has been vacant since Steve Clifford and the team agreed to part ways in early June. Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr. was the other finalist for the job.

Mosley, 42, has been an assistant to Rick Carlisle in Dallas for the past seven years and has earned a reputation for building relationships and developing young talent. He had been expected to leave the organization after the Mavs hired Jason Kidd as head coach when Carlisle left.

Orlando had been targeting a young coach to oversee the team’s rebuilding effort. The roster is loaded with players in their early 20s after the Magic parted with Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier at the trade deadline in March.

Now that Orlando has hired a head coach, only two teams are still conducting coaching searches. Those teams are New Orleans and Washington.

Tyrell Terry Declines To Discuss Personal Leave

July 9th, 2021 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Tyrell Terry was away from the team for nearly two months during his rookie season for personal reasons. Asked this week about that situation, Terry declined to offer any details, as Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News writes. “I had something to deal with personally that I needed to take care of in order for me to come back and be the best version of myself,” Terry said. “The Mavericks were very helpful and supportive in that time.”

Spencer Dinwiddie Discusses Upcoming Free Agency

July 9th, 2021 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Typically, when an NBA player is asked about his upcoming free agency, he’ll respond in general platitudes rather than speaking openly about how he expects the process to play out. However, appearing on The Crossover with Howard Beck of SI.com (video link) after turning down his 2021/22 player option, Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie didn’t hesitate to get into specifics about his free agency.

“For all the fans that think because I opted out I have to leave or something like that, no, this is very much in the Nets’ hands, you feel me?” Dinwiddie said, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I think my full max is like five (years), $196 (million) or something like that. And nobody’s sitting here saying I’m going to get five, $196MM — so before anybody tries to kill me, nobody’s saying that.

“But the Nets have the ability to do something that other people can’t. If the Nets come to the table like that, and they’re being aggressive and are saying, ‘Hey we got five, $125MM for you,’ I would say there’s a high likelihood that I go back to the Nets, you know what I mean? But if they don’t come to the table (like that), and they’re like ‘Oh, we’re going to give you a three for $60MM,’ well, anybody can do that.”

As Dinwiddie alludes to, the Nets hold his full Bird rights, giving them the ability to offer a fifth year and annual raises of 8%. Rival suitors would be limited to four years and 5% raises, and would need to either sign Dinwiddie using cap room or work out a sign-and-trade to give him a salary in his desired range. No such restrictions face Brooklyn.

Still, the Nets are heavily invested in their three superstars (Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden), two of whom are guards, meaning they may be reluctant to set themselves up for a massive luxury tax bill by signing Dinwiddie to a lucrative new contract.

For what it’s worth, the five-year, $125MM figure Dinwiddie throws out in his conversation with Beck seems overly optimistic on the 28-year-old’s part, particularly since he’s coming off a partial ACL tear that sidelined him for nearly the entire season. As NetsDaily observes, if Dinwiddie can land a four-year contract in the range of the ones signed by point guards Malcolm Brogdon and Fred VanVleet in recent years ($85MM), he’d be doing very well.

The Heat, Knicks, and Bulls are among the teams that will be on the hunt for a point guard this offseason and have the ability to open up cap space, so they could be among the teams competing with Brooklyn for Dinwiddie’s services. Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News says the Mavericks are also expected to express interest in the veteran guard.

Dinwiddie reportedly wouldn’t mind playing in his hometown of Los Angeles, but the Clippers and Lakers will have limited cap flexibility.

Nicolò Melli Signs Three-Year Deal With Olimpia Milano

July 9th, 2021 at 7:52am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, veteran forward Nicolò Melli has officially reached a deal with Olimipa Milano. The Italian club announced today in a press release that Melli has signed a three-year contract with his former team.

Melli, 30, played for Olimpia Milano from 2010-15 and has spent time with a handful of other European clubs since beginning his pro career in 2007. He made his NBA debut in 2019 with the Pelicans and has since appeared in a total of 105 games (15.3 MPG) for New Orleans and Dallas, averaging 5.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 1.2 APG on .392/.316/.745 shooting.

Melli was involved in the March trade that sent J.J. Redick from the Pelicans to the Mavericks and played a part-time role for Dallas down the stretch. However, the 6’9″ Italian, who is expected to play for Italy in the Olympics later this month, will return to his home country for the 2021/22 season and beyond.

“Nicolò has always been at the center of our thoughts,” Olimpia Milano GM Christos Stavropoulos said in a statement. “He is the right player, in his prime, a player we were looking for as the emblem of the team player on top of having unquestionable skills. To be able to bring him back, after six years and a great career abroad, is reason for us to be extremely proud. This is a happy day for all of us.”

Melli had been eligible for restricted free agency with Dallas. If the Mavs want to retain their matching rights in the event that the forward eventually returns to the NBA, they’ll have to issue a qualifying offer.

Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reported earlier this week that Melli was on track to rejoin Olimpia Milano. Carchia also said the team was close to a deal with veteran shooting guard Troy Daniels, but there has been no official announcement yet on that one.

Mosley Emerges As Top Candidate For Magic Head Coaching Job

July 8th, 2021 at 6:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley has emerged as the strong frontrunner for the Magic’s head coaching job, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Negotiations are ongoing between the 42-year-old Mosley and Orlando’s brass, but his reputation in developing players, building relationships and holding them accountable has made him the top choice for the rebuilding Magic, Wojnarowski adds.

Orlando had narrowed its list to Mosley and Wes Unseld Jr., who remains a strong candidate to get the Wizards’ head coaching job. Mosley is also a finalist for that job and was expected to meet with Washington for a second interview on Friday.

Mosley spent the past seven years as an assistant under Rick Carlisle. He also spent four years apiece with the Cavaliers and Nuggets prior to joining Dallas’ staff. He’s currently an assistant coach on the U.S. Select team.

Mosley was expected to leave Dallas after being passed over for the team’s head coaching job in favor of Jason Kidd.

Mavs Close To Hiring Sweeney; Hardaway Sr. Likes Mavs For His Son

July 8th, 2021 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks are in advanced talks to hire Sean Sweeney as an assistant coach on Jason Kidd‘s new staff, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Sweeney, who has been on Dwane Casey‘s staff in Detroit since 2018, was said last month to be in talks with the Pistons on a new deal. However, as Stein points out, Sweeney worked on Kidd’s staff during his time in Brooklyn and Milwaukee. Once Kidd was hired by the Mavericks, it seems Sweeney’s focus shifted to a reunion with the veteran coach.

Tim Hardaway Jr. will make the final decision on his destination in free agency this summer, but his father would vote for him to remain in Dallas. As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News tweets, Tim Hardaway Sr. said on the 1 Star Recruits Podcast that he thinks the Mavericks are “a very good fit for my son” and that the decision to hire Kidd was a good one.