Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Holiday, Covington, Doncic, Lyles

February 9th, 2020 at 2:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pelicans shooting guard Jrue Holiday was excited to remain in New Orleans through the trade deadline this season, as he explained to The Athletic’s William Guillory. The 29-year-old Holiday, considered one of the best defensive guards in the league, is on the third year of a fairly reasonable five-year, $126MM contract.

Holiday held appeal for several contending teams looking to shore up their backcourt ahead of a playoff push, including the Heat and Nuggets. The Pelicans themselves are just 4.5 games out of the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. With 2019 No. 1 draft pick Zion Williamson finally debuting on January 22, New Orleans valued Holiday too much to make a deal just yet.

“I feel like what we’re doing here is something promising,” Holiday told Guillory of his season with the new-look Pelicans. “Obviously with the new management and the new guys coming in, we’re fairly young but we’re all very, very hungry. What we have here, we can build together.”

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

New Rockets forward Robert Covington and his very reasonable four-year, $47MM contract took him from overlooked role player to highly coveted glue guy very quickly ahead of this season’s trade deadline, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle details.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle is optimistic that All-Star guard Luka Doncic will return to the court ahead of the All-Star break, according to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “That’s not definite, but that’s the hope,” Carlisle said.
The future of Spurs bench big man Trey Lyles in San Antonio is appraised by the San Antonio Express-News’ Jeff McDonald. Lyles is averaging a robust 5.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in just 18 minutes per game for the club. He has suited up 51 games, including 41 starts. The 6’9″ Kentucky alum signed a two-year, $11MM contract with San Antonio this summer. Only $1MM of his $5.5MM salary next year is guaranteed.

Hornets Waive Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

February 8th, 2020 at 1:15pm CST by marksuleymanov

1:15pm: The Hornets have officially waived Kidd-Gilchrist, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

Charlotte now has two open roster spots and $5.2MM of its mid-level exception for the 2019/20 season left to spend, which the team could use to add G-League prospects, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter).

11:50pm: The Hornets are finalizing a buyout with forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon (Twitter link). The Mavericks have emerged as a favorite to sign Kidd-Gilchrist once he clears waivers, Wojnarowski adds.

We relayed earlier this week with the trade deadline looming that Dallas had “kicked the tires” on Kidd-Gilchrist, among others. The veteran forward was once a reliable starter for the Hornets, with whom he has spent his entire career after being the second overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

This season, however, the 26-year-old has appeared in just 12 games and is averaging 4.0 PPG and 2.9 PPG. Kidd-Gilchrist opted in to his $13MM option over the summer and entered camp this past fall without a defined role.

As he heads for free agency this summer, Kidd-Gilchrist could set himself up for a decent payday by playing well with a contending team down the stretch.

Western Notes: Wiggins, Collison, Warriors

February 6th, 2020 at 11:09pm CST by ChrisCrouse

While Andrew Wiggins‘ contract, which has over $94MM left on it after this season, may seem like it is a negative mark on his trade value, that perception is no longer the reality around the league.

The Timberwolves knew they likely had to move Wiggins (for salary-matching purposes) and reached out to other teams about taking on the 24-year-old prior to agreeing to terms with the Warriors.

The former No. 1 pick has improved his value considerably since last season — part of that is him buying into the plan set forth by Minnesota’s player development staff. Wiggins is finding better looks and taking a more cerebral approach to the game this year after putting in substantial work during the offseason.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Timberwolves had spoken to the Mavericks about a Wiggins deal prior to trading him to the Warriors, per a source. It’s unclear how far those talks went.
Former NBA wing Matt Barnes remains close with Darren Collison and says the point guard is “50/50” on returning to the league, as ESPN’s Rachel Nichols tweets. It was previously reported that if Collison returns, he’d prefer to go to the Lakers or Clippers.
The Warriors trading Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III caught the locker room by surprise. “So this was a blindside,” one member of the team told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Prior to the team’s matchup on Wednesday night, the front office pulled Burks and Robinson from pre-game shootaround, signaling that the duo was going to be traded.

Mavericks Attempted To Acquire Danny Green

February 6th, 2020 at 5:19pm CST by ChrisCrouse

As the trade deadline approached, it seemed Marcus Morris was heading to Los Angeles one way or another; it was just a matter of if it was going to be the Lakers or the Clippers. It ended up being the latter in a deal that saw Maurice Harkless and a 2020 first-round pick, among other pieces, head to New York.

Had the Lakers found success with obtaining Morris, the Mavericks would have attempted to take Danny Green off their hands, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter links).

As Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets, New York was looking to acquire both Kyle Kuzma and Green in talks with the Lakers, who would have had to salary-match Morris’ $15M contract. The Knicks would’ve then flipped Green to Dallas. However, the Lakers were unwilling to part with both Kuzma and Green.

Dallas pursued Green over the summer. The shooting guard decided to sign with the Lakers over Mark Cuban‘s squad. He’s making $14.6M this season and will take home $15.4M next year.

To trade for Green, the Mavericks would have had to give up Courtney Lee‘s expiring contract and Golden State’s 2020 second-round draft pick, a source tells Townsend (Twitter link). That pick currently projects to be 31st overall.

Warriors Expected To Trade Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III

February 5th, 2020 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III won’t play for the Warriors in tonight’s game at Brooklyn in anticipation of possible trades before tomorrow’s deadline, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.

A trade involving Burks is “imminent,” according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), who hears the team is closing in on a Robinson deal as well (Twitter link).

Both players have been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks, with the Mavericks among the teams interested in Burks. Both signed one-year, minimum-salary ($1,620,564) contracts in free agency last summer, so salary matching won’t be a concern.

Burks has provided a scoring boost for the injury-depleted Warriors, averaging a career-best 16.1 PPG through 48 games while shooting 37.5% from beyond the arc. Robinson has been a full-time starter and is averaging 12.9 points per night.

Golden State guard D’Angelo Russell, who has also been mentioned prominently in trade rumors, is playing tonight, Stein tweets.

Trade Rumors: Wolves, Wizards, Kennard, Valentine, Burks, More

February 4th, 2020 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves forward Robert Covington has been one of the most-discussed trade candidates leading up to this year’s deadline, and looks like one of the likeliest players to be on the move. While star teammate Karl-Anthony Towns will understand if Covington is dealt, he admitted in a conversation with Sam Amick of The Athletic and Chris Hine of The Star Tribune that he’s not thrilled by the idea.

“I think it’s very obvious he’s my best friend on the team, so it would be very difficult if something like that was going to happen,” Towns said of Covington. “But like with Zach LaVine (traded from the Timberwolves to Chicago in 2017) , you know this is a business. So like I said, I’m the one who just plays the game. I don’t get paid to make rosters and stuff like that.”

As Amick and Hine note, Towns said it’s not his job to make roster decisions and expressed confidence in Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas to make those calls. Still, given how aggressively the front office has pursued D’Angelo Russell, one of Towns’ best friends, it’ll be interesting to see if the team is willing to part with Covington – another one of KAT’s good friends – if there’s no guarantee that doing so will land D-Lo in Minnesota.

“I don’t get paid to make those decisions,” the Timberwolves’ franchise player said. “Those are tough decisions, but here’s to hoping that I see Cov on Friday, I guess. … He’s a great guy, a great dude. He’s a great player. He’s helped me tremendously and he’s continuing to help me every day. He just gives me such comfort out there.”

Here are more trade rumors from around the NBA:

As first referenced by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Wizards have expressed interest in Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson, confirms Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (via Twitter). If the Wizards were to make a move for Thompson, it would be with an eye toward the future, since they’d hold his Bird rights, Buckner notes.
Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press confirms that that the Pistons are open to moving Luke Kennard if the price is right. However, in the wake of rumors that the Suns are discussing a trade for the third-year sharpshooter, Ellis reports that no deal appears imminent and that Detroit isn’t worried about the possible price tag on a Kennard extension if he remains with the Pistons.
Two rival executives view the Sixers and Grizzlies as possible landing spots for Bulls trade candidate Denzel Valentine, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
The Mavericks have real interest in Warriors guard Alec Burks, a source tells Chris Crouse of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link). Dallas and Golden State have already made one trade this season, with Willie Cauley-Stein sent to the Mavs last month.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski takes a look at the trade talks involving the Timberwolves, Warriors, Rockets, and Hawks, with the Wolves trying to orchestrate a multi-team deal that would send D’Angelo Russell to Minnesota. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer had details earlier on those discussions, with both Woj and O’Connor agreeing that there’s still a gulf between Minnesota and Golden State.

Charania’s Latest: Kuzma, Love, Russell, Covington, Rose, Drummond

February 3rd, 2020 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While forward Kyle Kuzma has been mentioned prominently in trade rumors, the Lakers are reluctant to make a deal that would negatively impact their team chemistry, The Athletic’s Shams Charania told Alex Kennedy on a HoopsHype podcast (Twitter link). The Lakers would only consider moving the offensive-skilled power forward if they received a “high-end rotation player” in return. “Those guys really get along on and off the floor,” Charania said.

The Athletic’s top NBA writer also commented on a number of other players on the trade market:

It’s unlikely the Cavaliers will be able to find a taker for Kevin Love and his big multi-year contract. “I don’t see a logical landing spot,” he said.
The Knicks are willing to give up their 2018 first-round pick, forward Kevin Knox, as part of a package for the Warriors’ D’Angelo Russell. However, that doesn’t hold much appeal to the Warriors. Golden State, as Charania reported earlier, is seeking multiple unprotected first-round picks for Russell. The Timberwolves looking to acquire first-round picks for forward Robert Covington, which it would then flip in a Russell deal.
The Rockets, Bucks and Mavericks are among the suitors for Covington, with Houston showing “a lot of interest.”
The Pistons are seeking a great asset — a quality first-round pick — for Derrick Rose. But Rose, who missed Monday’s game at Memphis with an adductor strain, doesn’t want to be dealt. “He wants to be in Detroit,” Charania said. “Derrick feels at home and Detroit has embraced him with open arms.”
The market for the Pistons’ Andre Drummond is “stagnant.” Drummond’s high salary and ability to opt out in the summer makes it difficult to find a suitable trade, Charania notes.

Trade Rumors: Covington, Mavs, Morris, Clippers, DSJ, More

February 3rd, 2020 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

As we noted earlier this morning, the Timberwolves‘ asking price for Robert Covington is believed to be high, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be moved before this week’s deadline. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested during a podcast with Bobby Marks that he’s “very confident” Covington will be dealt, while ESPN’s Zach Lowe cited sources who said Covington is “as good a bet as any high-wattage player to move this week.”

That doesn’t mean the Timberwolves’ asking price will be met, but there are multiple teams interested in the veteran wing. Besides Houston and Philadelphia, Covington’s list of suitors includes the Bucks and Mavericks, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who report that the Mavs and Rockets both discussed potential trades for Covington during the 2019 offseason.

Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) agrees that the Mavericks are in the market for a wing, but disputes the idea that Dallas is “actively” bidding on Covington, and again suggests the team is reluctant to pursue Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala, as he reported in December.

Meanwhile, Charania provides another interesting note on Covington, suggesting that some rival executives are wary of the veteran’s injury history and the two years and $25MM left on his contract. The injury concerns are fair, but Covington’s team-friendly contract is believed to be one of the reasons why he’s so sought-after — perhaps there are some potential suitors who are nervous about cutting into their cap room for 2021.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Marcus Morris (Knicks) and Davis Bertans (Wizards) may cost a lottery-level first-round pick and appear unlikely to be dealt, according to Charania and Krawczynski. Still, New York will remain open to the idea of moving Morris if offers improve this week, tweets Wojnarowski.
The Kings are among the teams that have spoken to the Rockets about Clint Capela, league sources tell Charania and Krawczynski. Capela is said to be on the block as Houston seeks a wing.
Marc Stein of The New York Times, who reported last month that the Clippers are exploring the market for a wing and/or a big man, tweets that many rival teams expect the Clips to make at least one trade this week.
The Magic have inquired on Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr., an NBA source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. With Markelle Fultz in place as a building block in Orlando, it doesn’t seem like an ideal fit for Smith, another play-making point guard who struggles with his shot. The Knicks’ guard has reportedly drawn interest from Minnesota as well.
Several teams have had recent conversations with the Knicks about possible deals involving Bobby Portis, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Portis has no guaranteed money beyond this season, as his $15.75MM salary for 2020/21 is a team option.

Mavericks Notes: MKG, RHJ, Porzingis, Broekhoff

February 1st, 2020 at 8:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks are talking about trading for a combo forward by Thursday’s deadline and have “kicked tires” on both Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of the Hornets and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of the Raptors, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. He adds that discussions are still in the exploratory stage.

Both players have expiring contracts, but it would be much tougher to match salary for Kidd-Gilchrist, who is making $13MM this season. The second pick in the 2012 draft, he has spent his entire career in Charlotte, but his numbers have declined drastically in recent seasons. He has gotten into just 12 games this year and is averaging 4.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per night.

Hollis-Jefferson, who has a $2.5MM salary, has appeared in 38 games for Toronto, averaging 7.6 PPG and 5.0 RPG. He signed a one-year deal with the Raptors as a free agent in July.

There’s more Mavericks news to pass along:

Friday marked the one-year anniversary of the franchise-altering trade that brought Kristaps Porzingis from the Knicks, Townsend observes in a full story. Owner Mark Cuban was surprised by how quickly the deal came together, while coach Rick Carlisle says Porzingis has been doing a “great job” in a “transition year” after missing all of last season following a torn ACL in his left knee. After clashing with management in New York, Porzingis is much happier in Dallas. “This organization has treated me incredibly,” he said. “As family. Mark is unbelievable. And everybody who works here, it’s really high-level, high-class. It’s an honor to be part of this.”
The Mavericks are considering a stricter load management plan for Porzingis, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. He missed 10 straight games last month with soreness in his right knee.
Second-year shooting guard Ryan Broekhoff made the first start of his NBA career last night in Houston, Townsend relays in a separate story. Carlisle said parts of the starting lineup will be filled based on a “game-to-game situation,” but the decision was surprising because it was only Broekhoff’s second game back after being injured on December 29. “I was actually nervous,” he said. “I haven’t been nervous for a game in a long time, maybe since my first NBA game last year in Phoenix. There was a little nervous energy throughout the day. These things, you never know when they might come, so I just tried to put my best foot forward to help the team.”

Luka Doncic Diagnosed With Moderate Ankle Sprain

January 31st, 2020 at 4:21pm CST by Luke Adams

4:21pm: Coach Rick Carlisle said in an ESPN 103.3-FM interview that Doncic will miss at least six games, frequent ESPN contributor Tim Cowlishaw tweets.

12:17pm: Following an MRI today, Mavericks star Luka Doncic has been diagnosed with a moderate right ankle sprain, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Charania and Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) each cite a source who describes the injury as “manageable.”

As we relayed on Thursday, Doncic turned the ankle in a practice, and there was a belief that it was similar to the injury he suffered earlier in the season, which sidelined him for four games. A source confirms to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link) that today’s MRI confirmed this is in fact a similar sprain.

According to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter links), the Mavs are relieved the injury isn’t any more serious, viewing the diagnosis as a best-case scenario. One source estimates to Townsend that Doncic could miss about two weeks, “give or take.”

With Doncic expected to miss some time, Dallas will lean more heavily on the likes of Jalen Brunson, J.J. Barea, and Delon Wright for ball-handling and play-making purposes. The Mavs have a firm hold on a playoff position but will want to get Doncic back soon to help them jockey for seeding.

The injury may also jeopardize Doncic’s availability for All-Star weekend. He was voted an All-Star starter and named to the Rising Stars game, but with the festivities in Chicago set to get underway two weeks from tonight, the second-year star may end up playing it safe and pulling out. That’s yet to be determined.