Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Connelly, Walker, Lamb, Briscoe

April 7th, 2019 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Asked about the possibility that he might leave to run the Wizards‘ front office, Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly passed on the chance to issue a denial, relays Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. Washington has reportedly targeted Connelly as its top candidate after firing Ernie Grunfeld this week.

“To be honest with you, I was hoping not to have to answer that question on a night when we win the Northwest Division,” Connelly responded Friday as the team celebrated its title.

Connelly grew up in Baltimore and had his first NBA job as an intern with the Wizards. He signed an extension with the Nuggets in February, but Kiszla notes that the organization doesn’t have a history of paying executives especially well, which led to the departure of Masai Ujiri in 2013. Kiszla suggests that Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, should refuse any request from the Wizards to interview Connelly.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

With the Hornets as a long shot to reach the playoffs, Shane Rhodes of Basketball Insiders examines some situations that might be better for free agent guard Kemba Walker. Rhodes states that the Suns are intriguing with Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton already in place and a high lottery pick about to join them. Rhodes names the Bulls, Knicks, Lakers and Mavericks as other possibilities.
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer examines whether the Hornets can afford to bring back Jeremy Lamb if they re-sign Walker. Lamb has established himself as a legitimate scorer and another crunch-time option, but the team would be well into luxury tax territory if it brings back both free agents. Bonnell speculates that it will probably take a max offer to keep Walker ($190MM over five seasons or up to $221MM if he makes an All-NBA team and qualifies for a super-max contract), plus something in the range of $10-$13MM annually for Lamb.
The Magic are interested in working out a new deal with Isaiah Briscoe this summer, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. Briscoe, who is sidelined by a torn meniscus, was waived this week to open a roster spot for Michael Carter-Williams. He cleared waivers yesterday and is an unrestricted free agent.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Southwest Division

April 5th, 2019 at 8:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Southwest Division:

Dorian Finney-Smith, Mavericks, 25, SF (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $3.4MM deal in 2016
The Mavericks can make Finney-Smith a restricted free agent by extending $1.93MM qualifying offer. That’s small change by NBA standards but there’s no guarantee they’ll do it. Finney-Smith has been a rotation player throughout his third season in the NBA with trades and injuries opening up playing time. He’s averaging 7.4 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 24.4 MPG and still hasn’t developed a 3-point shot (31.9%), though his defensive ratings are on the plus side. Finney-Smith seems like a second-unit player going forward, whether it’s with the Mavs or elsewhere.

Jonas Valanciunas, Grizzlies, 26, C (Up) — Signed to a four-year, $64MM deal in 2016
Valanciunas was putting up silly numbers with Memphis before a Grade 2 ankle sprain sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He was averaging 19.9 PPG, 10.7 RPG and 1.6 BPG in just 27.7 MPG in 19 games since being traded by the Raptors. Of course, it’s easier to do that on a bad team, but it certainly added an element of mystery to Valanciunas’ offseason plans. It seemed a safe bet that Valanciunas would exercise his player option for a guaranteed $17.6MM. He might choose now to test the market and gain long-term security, even if he makes a few million less next season.

Iman Shumpert, Rockets, 28, SG (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $40MM deal in 2015
Shumpert made his money with his current contract. He won’t be receiving any $11MM-per-year offers this summer. His 2017/18 season was a washout due to knee and foot injuries. He’s managed to stay on the court this season but his impact has been minimal. The Kings dealt him to Houston in a three-team trade in February and Shumpert has shot 29% from long range in 18 games with the Rockets. Shumpert’s 34% career average from deep is subpar and he’s never posted a PER above 12 in any season. He’ll likely be looking at veteran’s minimum offers this summer.

Stanley Johnson, Pelicans, 22, SF (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $12.85MM deal in 2015
Johnson was a colossal disappointment with the Pistons after a promising rookie campaign. A change of scenery, via a deadline trade, offered Johnson a fresh start. But he hasn’t been much better with New Orleans than he was in Detroit. Johnson’s strength is his perimeter defense and ability to guard a variety of positions, but he’s got to become more of an offensive threat for his career to blossom. The Pelicans can make him a restricted free agent by extending a $4.5MM qualify offer. One of the things their new GM must decide is whether to give the 22-year-old Johnson another year to improve his game.

Rudy Gay, Spurs, 32, PF (Up)– Signed to a one-year, $10.1MM deal in 2018
Quietly, Gay has delivered one of the best seasons of his career. His field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage are career highs. His rebounding average (6.8) is second only to his 7.4 mark in 2013/14, when he played 8.7 more minutes per game. His PER is a rock-solid 17.8. All the more impressive is that Gay tore his Achilles two seasons ago at age 30, an injury from which many players never fully recover. Gay may attract some interest from a contender seeking another veteran piece but the likely scenario is San Antonio rewarding him with a two- or three-year deal.

Southwest Notes: Porzingis, Mavericks, Davis, Capela

April 4th, 2019 at 9:15pm CST by JD Shaw

The NBA would have rejected February’s trade between the Knicks and Mavericks centered around Kristaps Porzingis if the league believed the newly announced rape claim against Porzingis was strong, according to Marc Stein and Kevin Draper of the New York Times.

Porzingis, who was dealt to Dallas alongside Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke and Courtney Lee in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and two first-round picks, is being accused of sexually assaulting a woman in New York City last February.

“We have been aware of these allegations for some time, have evaluated the accuser’s claims and, based on what is presently before us, stand with Kristaps,” National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts said.

The Knicks made the Mavericks aware of a potential “extortion” issue with Porzingis, but it’s unclear whether Dallas was ever informed of the impending rape case. Mavs officials have been advised by federal authorities not to comment further on the matter.

“I’ve got nothing to say — n-o-t-h-i-n-g,” Mavs owner Mark Cuban said, spelling out the word. “When I said federal authorities said for us not to comment, they were being serious.”

From a basketball standpoint, Porzingis has a $4.5MM qualifying offer for the 2019/20 season. The Mavericks envision him to be a strong part of their future alongside young star Luka Doncic, and the team could explore signing a third star in free agency this summer.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division tonight:

The court of public opinion is beginning to sway in the favor of Porzingis in this case, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes. The accuser stayed in Porzingis’ home for nine hours after the alleged assault, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, appearing to enjoy the rest of her time with Porzingis. Porzingis has yet to play in a single game for the Mavericks.
Pelicans star Anthony Davis has been fined $15K for directing an obscene gesture toward a fan, the NBA announced on Thursday. The incident occurred while Davis was exiting the court after New Orleans’ 115-109 road loss to the Hornets on Wednesday night. Davis showed his middle finger toward the heckling fan, with his actions being captured on video and quickly circulating on social media.
A notable free throw bonus is still in play for Rockets center Clint Capela, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Capela needs to shoot 65% or higher from the charity stripe this season to obtain $500K, and the 24-year-old is holding a 63.4% mark with three games left on the season. The bonus could help push Houston into the tax if Capela reaches it and also earns a $1MM incentive for the Rockets making it back to the Western Conference Finals.

Mavs Offered Barea, Second-Rounder For Tolliver At Deadline

April 4th, 2019 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

When the Timberwolves faced the Mavericks last night, Anthony Tolliver could have been playing against the Wolves rather than for them, notes Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, who tweets that he thinks Minnesota should have accepted Dallas’ trade offer of J.J. Barea and a second-round pick. Wolfson has previously reported that the Thunder and Raptors offered second-round picks attached to Patrick Patterson and C.J. Miles, respectively, for Tolliver, but those deals would’ve taken the Wolves into the tax.

Dirk Nowitzki Talks Health, 21st Season, Doncic

April 2nd, 2019 at 9:37pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Dirk Nowitzki has yet to make a definitive decision on whether he will retire at the end of this season. The Mavericks may not know what No. 41 is going to do but they are preparing a massive party for their final home game of the season, which is next Tuesday against the Suns.

“It’s going to be a special night whether he likes it or wants it or not,” Mavs owner Mark Cuban said (via the latest newsletter from Marc Stein of The New York Times, which you can subscribe to here).

Stein sat down with Nowitzki to talk about his 21st season in the league. Here are some highlights from the conversation:

On how he’s feeling now compared to the middle of the season:

“It’s been a lot better. It was so hard to try to fight back in the middle of the season — for seven weeks I pretty much did nothing. I couldn’t really enjoy myself for most of December and January. If I don’t get that inflamed tendon in my foot, maybe I’m actually having a decent year. I worked hard to get back to a decent level where I could play and compete with the guys. The last few weeks, I’m moving better, I’m feeling better, I’m playing more minutes, so I’ve been able to enjoy my time again on the court.”

On getting to compete in the 2019 All-Star Game:

“I really enjoyed myself. Amazing weekend, and I’m really thankful to the league and the Commish for making that happen and having me and Dwyane in it. I said before that the All-Star Game is for the players who really deserve to be there and carry their teams and their franchises, so I went there with the mindset that I really don’t want to play that much…I just thought that if I go there and make one 3 that’ll be awesome. But obviously [Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer] subbed me in and the first look was kind of deep, and I shot it and it went in. The second one was even deeper and I thought: “Whynot? This will be your last time on this stage.” So I shot it and that one went in, too. It was definitely a moment I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”

On the relationship he’s built with rookie Luka Doncic:

“He’s just such a confident young man that there’s not much you can really tell him. He’s got the experience, he’s got the confidence in crunchtime already — all that I had to work for…But off the floor, man, he is a kid. He’s never serious off the floor and obviously I’m not, either. He loves to have fun. We joke about everything and anything at all times. He’s just a funny dude. We enjoy our time together — I guess he took me under his wing.”

Nowitzki also talks to Stein about passing Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time scoring list and reflects on his 2018/19 numbers among other topics. The entire newsletter is worth a read.

Carlisle Hopeful Doncic Will Return This Season

April 2nd, 2019 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic has missed the team’s last two games with a right leg injury, but head coach Rick Carlisle remains hopeful that Doncic will get back on the court before the end of the season, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News.

Mavs Were Told Porzingis Incident Involved Extortion

April 1st, 2019 at 9:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks were told that the Kristaps Porzingis situation was a case of extortion rather than a rape allegation before they acquired him from the Knicks, sources told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reports.

A woman who lived in the same New York City apartment complex as Porzingis made the accusation to police last week. The alleged incident occurred in February 2018.

Knicks officials made Dallas executives aware of the pending allegation during a conference call to finalize the trade. However, the incident was not described that way. “The word that was used was ‘extortion,'” according to one of Townsend’s sources.

Knicks officials also told the Mavericks they felt Porzingis was truthful in his denials. The Mavericks were further informed that the FBI was investigating, Townsend adds.

A report from Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic also asserts the Mavericks were notified of the FBI investigation of the extortion claim before the trade but didn’t know about a sexual assault allegation.

NBA Players Association executive director Michele Roberts issued a statement supporting Porzingis: “We have been aware of these allegations for some time, have evaluated the accuser’s claims and, based on what is presently before us, stand with Kristaps.”

The woman contacted the Knicks‘ legal department approximately eight months after the alleged incident in an effort to “mediate in private” a payment of $68K. The accuser claimed that Porzingis agreed to co-sign a statement with her that promised her a payment toward her brother’s education. However, Porzingis’ attorney told ESPN that he believes the document is “a forgery.”

An investigation conducted by the same lawyer was sent to the Knicks, the NBA, the Players Association, and later the Mavericks, as well as the FBI, according to Vorkunov.

Riopelle claimed all of those parties agreed the analysis showed Porzingis was the target of an extortion attempt. However, a source told Vorkunov that the NBA has not come to that conclusion but instead decided to let the federal investigation proceed without coming to any judgment.

Porzingis opted to remain with the Mavericks and support them from the bench when they played the Sixers on Monday night. Coach Rick Carlisle said it was “business as usual from a basketball perspective” regarding Porzingis’ status with the club, Michael Lee of The Athletic tweets.

Some of his former Knicks teammates expressed empathy for Porzingis, as Marc Berman of the New York Post details.

Latest On Kristaps Porzingis Allegations

April 1st, 2019 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

11:09am: Porzingis’ accuser told police that Porzingis hit her in the face several times and spit on her during the alleged incident, according to a TMZ report. She says he eventually stopped assaulting her, as she was putting up a fight.

Wojarowski’s report notes that the woman shared a photograph with the Knicks that she said showed hair loss and broken nose cartilage “from when he repeatedly hit me.” The woman said she had to pay approximately $10K for corrective surgery after the encounter.

Per Wojnarowski, the woman wrote the following in an email to the Knicks last October:

“After the extremely aggressive encounter, he was very apologetic, loving and caring … hence, the offer he made to pay my (little) bro’s tuition + more. … Although how he treated me was horrendous, as a Knicks fan, I do not want him to get him in any trouble with the law. I stayed back and enjoyed the rest of the time I spent with him. It’s crucial to note the fun times I had with him doesn’t negate the fact that he offered to compensate me as a soothing gift even though I didn’t ask him to.”

10:13am: The woman who has accused Kristaps Porzingis of rape contacted the Knicks‘ legal department approximately eight months after the alleged incident in an effort to “mediate in private” a payment of $68K, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. She told the team that she would “litigate this matter” if the Knicks failed to properly mediate it.

The communication between Porzingis’ accuser and the Knicks’ legal staff took place in October and November, at which time no criminal complaint had been filed with the NYPD, according to Wojnarowski, who says the club ultimately referred her to Porzingis’ personal legal representation.

The accuser, who described the alleged assault as an “extremely aggressive encounter,” claims that Porzingis subsequently agreed to co-sign a statement with her that promised her a payment of $68K toward her brother’s education. However, Porzingis’ attorney tells ESPN that he believes the document is “a forgery.”

What the accuser describes as a contractual agreement between her and Porzingis is a handwritten letter in which Porzingis’ name is repeatedly misspelled as “Kristap.” The alleged agreement includes two signatures, but Porzingis’ attorney doesn’t believe one of the signatures belongs to his client.

“Mr. Porzingis denies signing the alleged contract, which we believe is a forgery,” attorney Roland G. Riopelle said in a statement to Wojnarowski. “When asked to produce the original contract for handwriting analysis, the complainant declined to do so.”

The National Basketball Players Association has issued a statement saying that it stands with Porzingis as the case plays out in the legal system. As Wojnarowski notes, Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle has also said that KP would be permitted to take take time away from the team if he needs to.

Woj’s report includes many more details on the situation, and is worth checking out in full.

Mavericks Notes: Porzingis, Doncic, Dragic, Barea

March 30th, 2019 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks informed the Mavericks about the pending rape allegation against Kristaps Porzingis before completing the January trade that sent him to Dallas, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The league office was also told about the situation. Porzingis has denied the accusation through his attorney.

Dallas’ decision to go through with the deal is especially significant in light of a workplace misconduct scandal that the organization dealt with last year. The Mavericks overhauled their front office in response to response to numerous claims of sexual misconduct and received a glowing report from commissioner Adam Silver when he visited the team last month.

There’s more tonight from Dallas:

Luka Doncic‘s remarkable rookie season might be finished because of a right thigh contusion he suffered Thursday, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Coach Rick Carlisle confirmed that Doncic won’t play tomorrow at Oklahoma City and may be held out much longer. “We’re going to be very prudent with this and make sure that he’s 100% before even thinking about him getting back out there,” Carlisle said, adding that Doncic was fortunate to take the brunt of the collision on his thigh rather than his knee. Doncic is a heavy favorite to be named Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 70 games.
A league source says Miami’s Goran Dragic is unlikely to sign with Dallas this summer even though the Mavericks’ front office seems him as an ideal backcourt partner for Doncic, Townsend reports in a separate story. Dragic has to make a decision on a $19.2MM player option and won’t take less than than from another team, Townsend adds. Dallas will have about $30MM in cap space, but seems unlikely to spend most of it on a 32-year-old player coming off arthroscopic surgery. The source identified the Clippers’ Patrick Beverley, who is making just $5MM this season, as a more realistic target if the Mavs can’t land a top-flight option such as Kemba Walker or Klay Thompson.
Apart from Dirk Nowitzki if he decides to keep playing, J.J. Barea may be the only impending free agent that the Mavericks try to re-sign, according to Jordan Hicks of Basketball Insiders. Barea may not be able to provide immediate help next season because of a torn right Achilles tendon he suffered in January.

Kristaps Porzingis Accused Of Rape, Issues Denial

March 30th, 2019 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:32pm: Porzingis is denying the accusations through his attorney, Roland G. Riopelle, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post. “We made a formal referral to federal law enforcement based on the accuser’s extortionate demands,” Riopelle said.

7:11pm: New York police have received what they consider to be a credible rape accusation against former Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis, according to Tina Moore of The New York Post.

The incident reportedly happened on February 7, 2018, hours after Porzingis suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. An unidentified woman who lived in the same building alleges that Porzingis visited her around 2 a.m. and invited her to come to his apartment. She claims that when she got there, he held her down and raped her. The case is being investigated by the NYPD’s Special Victims Division.

The woman said she waited more than a year to come forward because Porzingis promised to pay $68K to cover her brother’s college tuition if she agreed to keep quiet. She said he eventually reneged on that agreement, and police aren’t sure if she ever received any money.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who traded for Porzingis in late January, confirmed that police informed him about the accusation.

“We have been instructed by federal authorities not to comment,” Cuban wrote in an email. Representatives for Porzingis also declined comment, saying they have not seen the police report. Contacted about the case, a Knicks spokesman replied, “This is Kristaps’ personal matter and not related to the Knicks.”

Beyond any legal repercussions Porzingis might face, he could also be subject to a league suspension if he is convicted of a crime.