Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Tim Hardaway Jr. Likely To Undergo Surgery

March 29th, 2019 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr., who has already been ruled out for the season, will likely undergo surgery to insert a rod in his leg and repair his stress fracture, owner Mark Cuban said this week (Twitter link via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com). Assuming he goes ahead with that procedure, Hardaway is expected to be recovered well before training camp begins in 2019/20.

Checking In On Protected 2019 First Round Picks

March 25th, 2019 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

With just over two weeks left in the 2018/19 regular season, we’re getting a clearer picture of what this year’s draft order might look like. We’re also getting a pretty clear sense of which of the traded 2019 picks with protections will or won’t change hands this spring.

Using our 2018/19 Reverse Standings as a reference point, here’s our latest check-in on where things stand for those traded 2019 first-rounders, based on their protections.

Locks to change hands:

Kings‘ pick to Celtics (unprotected)
- Current projection: No. 14
- Note: Pick will instead be sent to Sixers if it jumps to No. 1 (current odds: 0.5%)
Clippers‘ pick to Celtics (top-14 protected)
- Current projection: No. 22
Rockets‘ pick to Cavaliers (top-14 protected)
- Current projection: No. 25
Nuggets‘ pick to Nets (top-12 protected)
- Current projection: No. 27
Raptors‘ pick to Spurs (top-20 protected)
- Current projection: No. 29

The Raptors‘ and Nuggets‘ have been sure bets to change hands all season long. The Rockets‘ and Clippers‘ picks have now joined them in that group due to impressive surges by both teams — Houston has won 14 of its last 16 games and clinched a playoff spot last night, while the Clippers have lost just one of their last 11 contests. Both of those picks appear likely to end up in the 20s.

The Kings, meanwhile, will definitely lose their first-round selection, but its eventual destination is the only unresolved question for this group of picks. The Sixers will receive it if it’s No. 1 overall; otherwise it will head to the Celtics. As long as Sacramento remains at No. 14 in the lottery order, the odds of the pick jumping all the way up to No. 1 would be just 0.5%, so it’s probably safe to assume it’ll end up in Boston.

Locks to be protected:

Cavaliers‘ pick to Hawks (top-10 protected)
- Current projection: No. 3
Bucks‘ pick to Suns (top-3 and 17-30 protected)
- Current projection: No. 30

The Cavaliers are unlikely to fall further than No. 4 in the lottery order, which means the furthest that their pick could slip would be to No. 8. They’ll keep their pick, and will owe the Hawks a top-10 protected pick in 2020.

As for the Bucks, they’ll almost certainly convey the first-rounder they owe to the Suns next season, when it’s just top-7 protected.

Still up in the air:

Grizzlies‘ pick to Celtics (top-8 protected)
- Current projection: No. 6/7 (tie)
Mavericks‘ pick to Hawks (top-5 protected)
- Current projection: No. 6/7 (tie)

Currently, the Grizzlies and Mavericks are deadlocked at 29-44, so the final nine games for the two teams could go a long way toward determining whether or not they’ll keep their first-rounders. The Celtics and Hawks could each end up receiving top-10 picks, depending on how things play out.

The Grizzlies would actually prefer to convey that pick this year so that they can move forward with their rebuild without worrying about a future commitment. If they can win some games down the stretch, their odds of giving up that first-rounder should increase drastically — Washington (30-44) and New Orleans (31-44) are both bunched up with Memphis and Dallas in the 6-9 range of the lottery standings.

The difference between finishing sixth and ninth in the lottery order is significant. The No. 6 team will have a 37.2% chance at a top-five pick and a 96.2% chance of remaining in the top eight. The No. 9 team will have just a 20.2% chance of moving up.

This race is one worth keeping a close eye during the final two weeks of the season, though each pick’s owner won’t be officially finalized until lottery night.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.