Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Bird, Swift, Draft, Acy, Morant

March 11th, 2019 at 8:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Celtics guard Jabari Bird is awaiting sentencing after entering a plea of sufficient facts to the accusation of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, according to an Associated Press report. The plea is not an admission of guilt but acknowledges a likely conviction at trial.

Bird was released on bail after the hearing and will be sentenced May 28. He faced several charges in the alleged attack on the woman in September, including strangulation or suffocation, kidnapping, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Bird’s contract was traded to the Hawks in February, who quickly waived him.

We have more developments from around the basketball world:

Power forward Stromile Swift has entered his name in the BIG3 draft pool, the league’s PR department tweets. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2000 draft last appeared in the NBA during the 2008/09 season with the Suns and Nets.
NBA executives will scour the country at conference tournaments this week, looking at every possible prospect who might put his name in the draft. It’s a unique opportunity for some players to improve their stock on a big stage, ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony notes. Las Vegas will be a particular hotbed of activity, with the Pac-12, WCC, WAC and Mountain West holding tournaments there. Givony takes a deep dive in the prospects that the scouts will be perusing this week.
Veteran forward Quincy Acy has left the Texas Legends, the G League affiliate of the Mavericks, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Acy, 28, played 10 games with the Suns this season.
Murray State point guard Ja Morant has leapfrogged Duke’s R.J. Barrett as the second-best prospect in the draft behind Zion Williamson, according to Mike Schmitz of ESPN. Morant put on a dazzling display while carrying the Racers through the OVC tournament and into the NCAA Tournament. Givony maintains it’s premature to make that assessment before the draft lottery.

Mavs Expected To Make Big Push For Kemba Walker

March 11th, 2019 at 5:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are the biggest threat to the Hornets for unrestricted free agent Kemba Walker, longtime Hornets beat writer Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Bonnell cites two knowledgeable sources who indicate the Mavs will make the high-scoring point guard their top free agent target. Dallas could plug Walker into its backcourt to create a formidable trio alongside rookie sensation Luka Doncic and recently-acquired big man Kristaps Porzingis. Dallas has ample cap space to offer the max a new team can give a free agent, a four-year deal worth approximately $140.6MM.

Walker is averaging a career-high 24.9 PPG and 5.8 APG in his walk year. Charlotte can offer him a five-year deal worth up to around $189.7MM, but the franchise’s inability to build a quality team around him may convince Walker to seek greener pastures. That five-year, maximum-salary figure could rise to $221MM if Walker is named to the All-NBA team, Bonnell notes.

The Knicks, Lakers and Pacers are some of the other teams expected to contend for Walker’s services, Bonnell adds.

2018/19 Disabled Player Exceptions Set To Expire

March 11th, 2019 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of disabled player exceptions are set to expire, assuming they go unused today. Three teams were granted DPEs this season and two of those teams – the Mavericks and Grizzlies – have yet to use them.

We go into more detail on how exactly disabled player exceptions work in our glossary entry on the subject. But essentially, a DPE gives a team the opportunity to add an injury replacement by either signing a player to a one-year contract, trading for a player in the final year of his contract, or placing a waiver claim on a player in the final year of his contract.

The Wizards, who were granted a disabled player exception worth $8.641MM (the amount of the mid-level exception) after John Wall went down with a season-ending injury, used their exception to acquire Wesley Johnson in a deadline-day trade with the Pelicans.

Using the DPE to accommodate that deal, which saw Markieff Morris sent to New Orleans, allowed Washington to create a trade exception worth Morris’ salary ($8.6MM). That trade exception won’t expire until February 7, 2020, which gives the Wizards some additional flexibility. Their disabled player exception would have expired today, as a team with a DPE has until March 10 (or the next business day) to use it.

As for the Mavericks and Grizzlies, their disabled player exceptions are far more modest than Washington’s. Dallas received one worth $1,855,425 (half of J.J. Barea‘s salary), while Memphis’ is worth just $689,121 (half of Dillon Brooks‘ salary).

With the trade deadline behind us and no player on waivers, the only option for those teams would be to sign a free agent using the DPE, but that seems unlikely at this point — there’s little incentive for either lottery-bound club to sign a player to a one-year contract worth more than the minimum. The more probable outcome is that both exceptions simply expire.

Mavs Notes: Vucevic, Doncic, Powell, Nowitzki

March 10th, 2019 at 4:01pm CST by JD Shaw

Magic center Nikola Vucevic praised Mavericks star Luka Doncic following their game on Friday, noting how impressive it is for Doncic to have such a high basketball IQ at just the age of 20.

Vucevic, who’s in the midst of his best NBA season to date, will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. His close relationship with Doncic could give the Mavericks an edge if they pursue Vucevic in free agency, especially if the Magic were to give an underwhelming offer.

“I got to know him a little bit at the All-Star game and when we played in Dallas – and also at the European championship, that’s where I first met him,” Vucevic said of Doncic, as relayed by Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.

“I’m happy to see him do well. He’s a great kid and a great player and I’m very excited for him. I have to say, I didn’t expect him to play this well, this soon, as a rookie, especially a guy from Europe. But he’s been playing amazing. Obviously I always knew he would eventually get there because he’s very smart and with his skill-set and his I.Q., I know there’s really nothing he can’t do.

“He’s going to be a great player for the Mavs for a long time.”

The Mavericks’ first priority this summer is to re-sign restricted free agent Kristaps Porzingis, but Vucevic has been identified as a possible outside target. The veteran center is averaging a career-best 20.6 points, 12 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 31.3 games with Orlando this year.

There’s more out of Dallas today:

Mavs forward Dwight Powell could be a keeper for the club in the coming years, team play-by-play announcer Chuck Cooperstein said this week on ESPN Dallas 103.3. Powell has improved his three-point shooting and play-making since entering the league, with the 27-year-old holding a $10.2MM player option for the 2019/20 season. He’s averaged a career-high 9.8 points in 61 contests this season.
Tickets for the Mavericks’ final home game this season are noticeably more expensive than most other games, Brad Townsend notes in a different story for the Dallas Morning News. Unless he chooses to return for another season, it would be the final time Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki takes the court after a 21-year career in Dallas. Tickets are ranging from $145 for an upper-deck seat to $7,785 for a VIP courtside seat, according to Townsend. “That is a lot of money,” Nowitzki said. “That’s awesome, though. That means people want to come to that game. It’s amazing to hear about the support.”
Nowitzki isn’t interested in becoming an NBA head coach after his playing career despite having two decades of experience in the league, Dwain Price of Mavs.com writes. “Maybe like individual stuff, working with guys on skills, skill development, player development type stuff,” Nowitzki said. “I think that I would enjoy that, and I think obviously I’ve got some experience there. But head coaching? It’s just something that I’m not real interested in.”

No NBA Teams Below Salary Floor For 2018/19

March 8th, 2019 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The salary cap line and the luxury tax threshold receive far more attention, but there’s another noteworthy level of spending that NBA teams must adhere to each season: the minimum salary floor.

As we explain in our glossary entry on the subject, the league’s salary floor means that a club to spend at least 90% of the salary cap on player salaries. For instance, with the 2018/19 cap set at $101,869,000, the salary floor for this season is $91,682,100.

If a team finishes the regular season below the NBA’s salary floor for that league year, the penalty isn’t harsh — the franchise is simply required to make up the shortfall by paying the difference to its players. For example, if a team finished this season with a team salary of $88,682,100, that team would be required to distribute that $3MM shortfall among its players.

In contrast to most recent NBA seasons though, no teams are currently projected to fall below the league’s salary floor for 2018/19.

The Mavericks appear on the surface to be below the salary floor — Basketball Insiders’ data lists their current team salary as $89,266,661, making them the only team with a payroll below $100MM.

However, when determining whether a team has reached the salary floor, the NBA considers how much the club has actually paid to players over the course of the season, rather than the team’s current cap figure. And when a team makes trades during the season, that team only owes its incoming players their remaining prorated salaries, having already paid its outgoing players a prorated portion of their salaries.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Proration]

In Dallas’ case, the club made a pair of trades prior to last month’s deadline – one with the Knicks and one with the Kings – that reduced team salary considerably.

Because of the prorated money the Mavericks had paid to those outgoing players during the first two-thirds of the season – including nearly $16MM to Harrison Barnes and almost $14MM to DeAndre Jordan – there’s a significant gap between their current team salary (about $89MM) and the salaries they’ve actually paid. By my count, the Mavs are currently on the hook for about $99MM in total player salaries for 2018/19 once all the prorated figures have been calculated.

Conversely, the Kings carried a team salary below the floor for much of the season, but a trio of deadline deals – most notably that one with Dallas involving Barnes – helped pushed them above the floor.

According to Basketball Insiders, Sacramento currently has a team salary of $104,029,182. Based on my math, the Kings will actually only pay about $97MM in player salaries once the prorated figures for the likes of Barnes, Alec Burks, and others are taken into account. Either way, they’ll easily clear the 2018/19 salary floor.

Mavericks Preparing For Long-Term Deal With Porzingis

March 8th, 2019 at 1:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Negotiations can’t begin until July, but the Mavericks are doing everything they can to prepare for a long-term relationship with Kristaps Porzingis, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

Porzingis was acquired from the Knicks at the end of January in a surprising trade that altered the future of both franchises. He continues to rehab his left knee after suffering a torn ACL more than a year ago and won’t play, or probably even practice, before the end of the season.

Dallas recently added Manolo Valdivieso, who serves as Porzingis’ personal trainer, to its training staff. Porzingis has been joining the Mavericks on road trips, which Townsend notes he didn’t do with the Knicks, and Valdivieso has come along with him.

“Nobody has any problem of the territory,” Porzingis said of Valdivieso’s relationship with the other trainers. “It’s all open and we’re all working together. That was something that I wanted to have. And I’m happy that the Dallas Mavericks organization and the people who are here are so open and so willing to help us out with anything.”

It’s similar to the arrangement the Mavs have provided for years with Dirk Nowitzki and his personal trainer, Townsend adds.

At Porzingis’ introductory press conference in Dallas, coach Rick Carlisle made a point to introduce not only Valdivieso, but also Janis Porzingis, Kristaps’ brother and agent, who reportedly upset the front office in New York by seeking jobs for some of Porzingis’ inner circle.

Carlisle offered a health update on Porzingis who has been doing shooting, cutting and dribbling drills after each practice. However, he confirmed that the Latvian star won’t take the court this season.

“They had a plan in place,” Carlisle said of Porzingis and his advisers. “And we’re helping facilitate them executing their plan. And I know our trainer, strength coaches and medical [staff] are adding value to it. It’s a win-win as far as I can see.”

Because the Knicks didn’t reach an extension agreement with Porzingis last fall, the Mavericks can’t start negotiations until July 1. As a restricted free agent, Porzingis could accept a one-year qualifying offer of $4.5MM and become unrestricted next summer or seek a deal with another team that Dallas would have the right to match, but the Mavs’ preference is to lock him up to a five-year, $158MM extension that would start at $27.25MM next season.

“I love it here so far,” Porzingis said. “I’ve been extremely happy here.”

Knicks Notes: Hardaway, Tanking, Draft, Kidd

March 6th, 2019 at 6:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

“Mind blowing” is the phrase Tim Hardaway Jr. used to describe the experience of being traded away from the Knicks twice, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Hardaway, who returned to New York on Monday to face the Nets, said he was surprised and disappointed to learn he had been shipped to Dallas as part of the Kristaps Porzingis deal. Hardway had signed a four-year, $71MM contract with the Knicks 18 months earlier.

Hardaway wishes he and Porzingis had been given more of a chance to succeed in New York. The Knicks were 11-10 last season when Hardaway was sidelined by a stress fracture, and by the time he returned, Porzingis was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

“We definitely had something good going here my first time back with KP and myself in the lineup at the same time. Then I got injured, then he got injured. And then it kind of went downhill from there,” Hardaway said. “I let [Knicks management] know what we had was special and I really think they didn’t give us an opportunity to have KP. That’s what I told them. But it is what it is. We move forward.”

He added that the Knicks never told him about the trade, and he was given the news by his agent.

There’s more Knicks news to pass along:

The bottom spot in the league will be at stake tonight when the Knicks travel to Phoenix, Bondy notes in a separate story. New York holds the top position in our Reverse Standings at 13-51, a half game ahead of the Suns. Although the league’s worst three teams will all have a 14% shot at the No. 1 pick, Bondy states that the top spot is still important because the team that holds it can’t fall below the No. 5 pick. Since 1980, the top five draft positions have produced All-Stars at least 30% of the time, while just 19% of No. 6 picks have achieved that honor.
The draft will get “shaky” for the Knicks if they land outside the top two, a college scout tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. There don’t appear to be any sure-thing prospects outside of the Duke duo of Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett.
Hall-of-Famer and former head coach Jason Kidd spoke to the Knicks at today’s shootaround, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. A long-time friend of head coach David Fizdale, Kidd had plenty of advice to pass along, particularly for the point guards. Kidd has been out of coaching since being fired by the Bucks last season, and has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Luke Walton with the Lakers. “That guy is a basketball genius,” Fizdale said of Kidd. “I just don’t see how at some point he’s not running another team.”

Mavericks Notes: Porzingis, Nowitzki, Doncic

March 6th, 2019 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

Kristaps Porzingis‘ camp contends that a story suggesting that Porzingis didn’t like the idea of playing in New York alongside Kevin Durant is “utter nonsense,” according to Frank Isola of The Athletic. In fact, Isola writes that Porzingis would welcome Durant with “open arms” if the Mavericks were to pursue and land 2019’s top free agent.

While Dallas created additional cap flexibility by trading Harrison Barnes to Sacramento at last month’s trade deadline, the idea of the Mavs signing Durant remains extremely unlikely. It’s possible that Dallas could make a splash in free agency this summer, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the top available players remain a little wary of joining the Mavs until they see Porzingis back on the court — and until Luka Doncic gets a little more NBA experience under his belt.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

Although it’s not clear yet whether this will be Dirk Nowitzki‘s final NBA season, David Aldridge of The Athletic takes a look back at the German’s career and assesses his place in team – and league – history.
Within Aldridge’s story, Nowitzki says he believes the Mavs are set up well for the future: “Luka has obviously exceeded all expectations — we didn’t think he would be this good. We were hoping he would be this good. But he’s been tremendous, and it’s obviously something to build around. And we had a chance to go for a franchise-like talent like KP; you gotta go for it. Most of the league didn’t even know he was available. That was a steal for us. It obviously hurt, trading some of our guys, basically trading four of our five good starters, but with those two around for a long time, hopefully, it will be good for our franchise.”
Doncic has been considered a lock for the 2019 Rookie of the Year award for most of the season, but with Trae Young putting up huge numbers in Atlanta, Zach Harper of The Athletic revisits the race to determine whether Doncic still has it sewn up.
A 30-point home loss to Memphis on Saturday was embarrassing, but the matchup provided a reminder that things could be worse for the Mavericks. As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News observes, well-paid Grizzlies veterans Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons were two of the free agents that the Mavs either missed out on (Conley) or opted not to sign (Parsons) in 2016. If that summer had gone differently in Dallas, there’s a good chance that Doncic and/or Porzingis wouldn’t be on the roster now, Townsend writes.

Nowitzki Not Ruling Out Playing One More Season

February 28th, 2019 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

When Clippers head coach Doc Rivers called a late-game timeout on Monday and encouraged fans to recognize Dirk Nowitzki in what could be his last ever game in Los Angeles, Nowitzki joked after the game, “They’re making the [retirement] decision for me, I guess,” (link via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com).

After all, unlike fellow honorary All-Star Dwyane Wade, Nowitzki has never said that 2018/19 will be his last season. And based on his comments on Wednesday night, it sounds like there’s a real chance it might not be.

As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News relays, the longtime Mavericks big man said on Wednesday that he’s feeling much healthier than he did in the fall and early winter, when he was making his way back from a left foot injury. His production has reflected that — he has started the Mavs’ last three games and scored in the double digits in all three contests. He came off the bench in his 27 games before that, reaching the 10-point mark just three times.

Nowitzki has often said that he wants to keep playing as long as he thinks he can still contribute and if his body allows for it. According to MacMahon, Nowitzki said on Wednesday that he feels he’s contributing now after “struggling just to get up and down” earlier in the season. So, assuming he stays healthy, is he considering the possibility of teaming up with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in Dallas in 2019/20?

“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it,” Nowitzki said, per Townsend. “I would love to be there for the young guys one more year, but I think it depends on how the body feels. I’ve had issues obviously this year. I had some knee swelling here the last few weeks, actually before the All-Star break, so it’s not all great. But like I said I am feeling better. I am feeling stronger. But I think I’m going to make that decision later on.”

While Nowitzki won’t make any decisions on his retirement quite yet, he’s optimistic that the Mavericks are on the right track whether or not he returns.

“I think the future’s bright. I think Luka and KP, if they stay healthy, stay together, they should be a great combo,” Nowitzki said, per MacMahon. “They should play great off each other. Both have an incredible skill set for their size, incredible play-making ability for their size. They should jell well, but we have to see how it goes next year.”

Harrison Barnes: “Bizarre Things Happen”

February 27th, 2019 at 7:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Harrison Barnes, one of the few NBA players to get traded during a game, talked about the experience and life with the Kings during an interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

The image of Barnes remaining on the bench and cheering for his ex-Mavericks teammates after learning about the deal is one of the enduring pictures of this year’s frenzied trade deadline. The seventh-year forward lets fans in on the whirlwind experience that happened after he left the arena.

“I went home that night. I was talking to my wife. Phone is blowing up. All of a sudden, I hear from my agent. Boom. You’re on a flight the next morning at 9 a.m.,” Barnes said. “You land. Boom. You do physicals. Friday morning I’m in the shootaround with the Sacramento Kings. That night, I’m playing the game. I’m playing at the end of the game and I don’t know the plays. I’m just playing hard. I’m running around. That’s just how quick things can change in 48 hours. One night I’m in Dallas and then the next night I’m in a Sacramento Kings uniform.”

Barnes addresses several other topics during the discussion, including:

Being traded into a playoff race: “The biggest takeaway from it is that things happen in this league. Bizarre things happen. The biggest thing that I’m excited about now is that I’m playing for a team that has a chance to make the postseason. The last couple years it’s been difficult not being a part of the postseason. What’s exciting now is that every game there is so much on the line to make the postseason. That’s where my energy is right now.”
What the playoffs would mean for the Kings, who are a game out of eighth place entering tonight: “For the young guys that can see their careers catapulted, just experiencing what that postseason would be like. What it means to really get to that next level and to be an opportunity. The second thing is when an organization like this has been through a lot of turmoil, who hasn’t been to the playoffs since ’06, that would mean a lot, just for all of the sacrifices that the organization and team has made to get to where it is, the coaches. Everyone’s put in the work.”
His memories from two and a half years with the Mavericks: “Dallas was a chance to learn under a championship pedigree. Learning underneath Rick Carlisle, to be around Dirk [Nowitzki] and to learn from him, to have a chance to have a bigger role and to see what I can do on the court to produce at a high level, I’m definitely appreciative of the opportunity that I had there.”