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Mavericks Notes: Smith Jr., Trades, Doncic

January 17th, 2019 at 5:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The struggle between Dennis Smith Jr. and Rick Carlisle continues, though the Mavericks still hold hope that they can reconcile the situation. Smith is reportedly unhappy with his in-season role change and the push for appears to be coming from DSJ’s camp.

The Mavs want the former No. 9 overall pick, who hasn’t played in over a week because of back issues and an “illness,” to return to the court on their terms but it’s not as if the team is making DSJ sit in the corner on every play. Carlisle has attempted to call specific plays with the intent of getting Smith in rhythm and the combo guard would break off the play and improvise, a scout tells Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Both sides are clearly frustrated. Luka Doncic has certainly outshined Smith and there isn’t room for both of them to be the primary play-maker. As we wait to see if a resolution occurs, let’s take a look at more notes from Dallas:

Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com examines what the market would look like for Smith. Pelton believes a high lottery pick would be too much to give up for a point guard with years of progress to go before becoming a top player.
Doncic has been a more effective scorer this season when spending more time off the ball and next to Smith, Pelton explains in the same piece. Doncic has a higher true shooting percentage in those situations and with Carlisle’s propensity to play multiple point guards at the same time, concerns about the two fitting together may be overblown. Pelton argues that if the Mavericks trade Smith and use the Doncic-Smith fit as a scapegoat, it could in fact simply be a cover for a decision that the Mavericks would have made regardless of how the two meshed.
In the same piece, Pelton takes a look at all the former top-10 picks since 2012 that have switched teams before the end of their second season. Outside of Buddy Hield in Sacramento, it’s easy to argue that no team was thrilled with the production it received when trading for a former top-10 pick. Thomas Robinson, Anthony Bennett, Nik Stauskas, Noah Vonleh, and Kris Dunn conclude the list.

Mavs Hope To Reconcile With Dennis Smith Jr.

January 17th, 2019 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

2:51pm: The trade issue is being pushed from Smith’s side rather than the Mavs’ side, multiple sources tell Townsend, who confirms (via Twitter) that DSJ isn’t thrilled by the change in his role this season.

2:36pm: After reports earlier this week suggested that the Mavericks were ramping up their efforts to trade Dennis Smith Jr., the team is now hoping to reconcile with its frustrated second-year guard and move forward with Smith on its roster, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com.

As MacMahon details, the Mavs have explored the trade market for Smith for much of the season, and still sound open to making a move if they get good value for him. However, the team believes the 2017 lottery pick can develop into a star and won’t move him without getting a significant return, sources tell MacMahon.

“Plan A is still to fix this,” one Mavs source told ESPN.

Those reports from earlier in the week indicated that Smith’s uncertain fit alongside Luka Doncic and his relationship with head coach Rick Carlisle were among the reasons why the Mavericks were pursuing a trade. In his latest report, MacMahon confirms that both of those issues have been frustrating for Smith, who has “recently expressed that he hopes to be traded.”

Multiple team sources downplayed the friction between Smith and Carlisle, according to MacMahon, who writes that the club chalks it up to typical growing pains for a young player. Carlisle would welcome the opportunity to continue coaching the 21-year-old, MacMahon adds. Still, Tim Cato of The Athletic notes (via Twitter) that the Mavs want to retain Smith on their own terms, playing the role Carlisle envisions for him.

If Smith’s camp isn’t on board with that plan or if the Mavs receive a favorable offer, the trade chatter surrounding the guard could increase once again. In fact, one league source suggests to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) that the club isn’t necessarily convinced that fences can be mended with Smith.

Nonetheless, the Mavs don’t want to be forced into a bad deal, so for now it looks like the franchise will try its best to make things work with one of its top young prospects.

Latest Dennis Smith Jr. Trade Rumors

January 15th, 2019 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

Trade discussions involving Dennis Smith Jr. have “accelerated” to the point that it would be surprising if the Mavericks don’t make a deal, a team source tells Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Monday that the Mavs’ trade talks for Smith had ramped up.

According to Townsend’s source, neither Smith nor his agent has requested a trade out of Dallas. “[But] if something is out there, they wouldn’t be opposed to it,” the source said of Smith’s camp. “I think this is kind of figuring out what the win-win is.”

Townsend writes that three primary factors are contributing to the Mavericks’ efforts to find a possible new home for Smith. Luka Doncic‘s rapid ascension is an important factor, as is the fact that trade offers for Smith have “escalated” recently, per Townsend. The third factor is Smith’s relationship with head coach Rick Carlisle. In his Monday report, Wojnarowski wrote that Carlisle and Smith “have struggled to find a common ground,” adding that the head coach has “often been frustrated” with the second-year guard’s decision-making.

“On a scale of one-to-10, it’s certainly not a zero,” one Mavericks source told Townsend, referring to the Carlisle-Smith relationship. “It not a zero with any player. But I wouldn’t say it’s a 10, either. It’s a factor, but it’s not something that can’t be figured out if we end up moving forward with what we have, which is honestly what we want to do.”

Wojnarowski’s initial report cited the Magic and Suns as two teams in the mix for Smith. Townsend agrees that Orlando is “heavily” involved, but suggests Phoenix is not. That echoes a report from John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who said on Monday night that the Suns don’t have any real interest in Smith.

A subsequent report identified the Pistons as another potential suitor for Smith, and Rod Beard of The Detroit News confirms (via Twitter) that there’s at least some “mild” interest from Detroit. However, Beard notes that the cost may be a first-round pick, plus other assets, and it’s not clear if the Pistons would be willing to surrender their 2019 first-rounder and more in a deal for the 2017 lottery pick.

Brunson, Harris To Pick Up Barea's Minutes

January 14th, 2019 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks rookie Jalen Brunson and veteran Devin Harris will pick up the minutes vacated by backup point guard J.J. Barea, who suffered a torn Achilles on Friday, according to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News. Brunson played 30 minutes against the Warriors on Sunday but Harris will see his role expand as well. “He’s going to be ready and he’s going to be there for us,” coach Rick Carlisle said of Harris.

Pistons, Suns, Magic Pursuing Dennis Smith Jr.?

January 14th, 2019 at 9:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

9:19pm: The Mavericks are also searching for deals that would include veteran shooting guard Wes Matthews, who is making $18.6MM in the final year of his contract, Wojnarowski reports in a follow-up story. Also within that story, sources tell Woj that Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle has “often been frustrated with Smith’s decision-making.”

Meanwhile, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 says that Phoenix has no interest in Smith, despite Woj’s report that the Suns have been active in talks with Dallas.

9:00pm: The Pistons have also talked to the Mavs about Smith Jr., longtime NBA columnist Mitch Lawrence tweets.

8:30 pm: The Mavericks are ramping up trade discussions for point guard Dennis Smith Jr., ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The Suns and Magic are involved in talks with the Mavs, Wojnarowski adds.

Smith Jr. has missed the last three games with a sore back.

There’s tons of buzz regarding Smith Jr., ESPN’s Zach Lowe confirms in a tweet. However, it’s unclear what kind of package the Mavs are seeking for the 21-year-old.

The ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft seemed like a star in the making during his rookie campaign. He averaged 15.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 5.2 APG in 69 games. The North Carolina State is shooting at a more efficient rate this season, improving his overall field goal percentage from 39.5% to 44.3% and his 3-point success from 31.3% to 37.5%. Still, his slash line of 12.6/2.6/3.9 reflects how he’s struggled to find chemistry alongside rookie sensation Luka Doncic.

Smith has also been turnover prone, coughing it up at a rate of 3.1 per game compared to 2.8 last season despite averaging two fewer minutes.

Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Free Agency, Porter

January 14th, 2019 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks haven’t had much luck recruiting star free agents to Dallas over the last several years, but it’s possible that Luka Doncic could help change that, Sean Deveney writes in his latest Sporting News article. With longtime star Dirk Nowitzki on his last legs, Doncic looks like the Mavs’ next franchise player, and the idea of playing alongside the young star could appeal to players considering Dallas in free agency.

“It’s always hard to make that pitch and get over the hump with free agents,” a league source said to Deveney. “But they (the Mavericks) didn’t really have a chance with those guys. Players mostly like (owner Mark) Cuban, and they were always a compelling enough franchise to get in the room with LeBron (James) and Dwight Howard and other stars. But they could not present themselves as a team with a great future.

“They can do that now,” the source continued. “Not sure they can push a star to put his name on the line, but ‘Come play with Luka,’ it’s a better message.”

As that source hints, it still seems unlikely that the Mavs will be a serious player this summer for elite free agents like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, or Klay Thompson. However, Deveney believes that it might be worth the effort for the team to make an offer to one or more of those players. The franchise will have significant cap room this summer and it would serve as a reminder that Dallas can still be an appealing destination for top players. Khris Middleton and DeMarcus Cousins could also be targets, Deveney adds.

Here’s more out of Dallas:

Michael Scotto of The Athletic previously reported that the Mavericks have interest in Otto Porter, which Deveney confirms. According to Deveney though, the Wizards seem uninterested in moving Porter as a pure salary dump, and Dallas likely wouldn’t want to include draft picks or Dennis Smith Jr. as part of an offer to Washington.
Count Dirk Nowitzki among those optimistic about the Mavericks’ future, as Deveney relays. “We’ve been through some tough years — a lot after the championship — but the last couple, extremely tough,” Nowitzki said. “But we feel like we have got some great young guys. We drafted Dennis last year and we drafted Luka this year. Those are some great young guys we can build around. They’re both only 20 years old or so. We have some cornerstones we can build on. Hopefully this franchise is going in the right direction.”
Jalen Brunson and Devin Harris are among the guards who could see increased workloads with J.J. Barea sidelined for the rest of the season, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. As Caplan details, head coach Rick Carlisle called Barea’s torn Achilles a “gut-wrenching” injury.
The Mavericks applied for a disabled player exception as a result of Barea’s injury. Here’s our full story on what exactly that means.

Mavericks Apply For Disabled Player Exception

January 14th, 2019 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have applied for a disabled player exception after J.J. Barea underwent season-ending surgery on his torn right Achilles, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

If a player is seriously injured, his team can request a disabled player exception to replace him. In order for the exception to be granted, an NBA-designated physician must determine that the player is “substantially more likely than not” to be sidelined through at least June 15. If granted, the disabled player exception allows a club to sign a replacement player for 50% of the injured player’s salary, or for the amount of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, whichever is lesser.

In Barea’s case, the exception would be modest — 50% of his $3,710,850 salary works out to just $1,855,425. Still, their request will likely be approved and the exception would provide Dallas with one more possible path to upgrading its roster in the second half.

Unlike mid-level, bi-annual, or trade exceptions, the disabled player exception can only be used on a single player. However, a team can use it in a variety of ways — the DPE can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade. Because it’s designed to replace an injured player for a single season, a DPE can only be used to sign or acquire a player on a rest-of-season contract.

A disabled player exception doesn’t provide a team with an extra roster spot, so the Mavericks – who are carrying a full 15-man roster – would have to create an opening in order to use it.

The deadline for teams to apply for disabled player exceptions is January 15. The Wizards, who lost John Wall for the season, appear to be the only other team with a DPE request pending. The Suns applied for one for Darrell Arthur back in the fall, but waived him a few days later, rendering them ineligible for a DPE — their request seemed unlikely to be approved anyway.

J.J. Barea Suffers Torn Right Achilles Tendon

January 14th, 2019 at 8:59am CST by marksuleymanov

JANUARY 14, 8:59am: Barea has undergone surgery to repair his right Achilles, the Mavs announced today in a press release. No timeline for the guard’s recovery has been established, but it’s safe to assume he won’t be back before the end of the 2018/19 season.

JANUARY 12, 1:44pm: An MRI has revealed that Barea did indeed suffer a torn right Achilles, per a tweet from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. Doctors and the team are still evaluating the severity of the injury.

JANUARY 12, 10:56am: The Mavericks fear that sixth-man J.J. Barea suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles in the team’s 119-115 win over the Timberwolves on Friday, a source told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

Barea suffered the injury with 6:28 left in regulation as he cut to the basket for a layup. The point guard hit the hardwood and immediately grabbed his right Achilles before being helped to the locker room. Barea finished the win with 16 points and seven assists.

Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed that Barea would undergo an MRI on Saturday to determine the severity of the injury. While the Mavericks reportedly fear a torn Achilles, the team categorized Barea’s injury as a “lower right leg injury.”

The 34-year-old is in his 13th NBA season, averaging 10.9 PPG and 5.6 APG for Dallas. Barea has become a fan favorite with the Mavericks having spent 1o of his 13 seasons with the team after he signed as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He was part of Dallas’ 2011 NBA championship-winning team.

MacMahon noted that Barea, whose contract expires at season’s end, wants to play at least two more years after the current campaign. A torn Achilles would likely delay his start to the 2019/20 season.

Texas Notes: Nowitzki, Barea, Carter-Williams, Forbes

January 12th, 2019 at 7:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dirk Nowitzki will see limited minutes for the rest of the season and may not play at all in some games, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Nowitzki hasn’t made much of an impact in his 21st NBA season. He missed the first 26 games because of surgery on his left ankle and has played 10.3 minutes per night since his return, averaging 3.6 points and 1.8 rebounds.

Rick Carlisle, who has coached Nowitzki for the past 11 seasons, broke the news to the long-time Mavericks star during Friday’s shootaround.

“We talked about it and handled it like grown men,” Nowitzki said. “Just keeping open communication. No hurt feelings. Just play it by ear and see how the games are going, see how the flow is going.”

There’s more NBA news from the Lone Star State:

Mavericks guard J.J. Barea is considering his surgery options after suffering a season-ending injury last night, relays Dwain Price of Mavs.com. An MRI showed that Barea ruptured his right Achilles tendon after hitting a layup in the fourth quarter of a victory in Minnesota. The team plans further updates once surgery plans are finalized. With a prolonged recovery time, the injury will limit free agency options this summer for the 13-year veteran, who is making $3.71MM this season.
The Rockets traded Michael Carter-Williams to the Bulls for an inevitable trip to the waiver wire this week, and he had two backcourt partners who could sympathize, writes Hunter Atkins of The Houston Chronicle. Austin Rivers and Brandon Knight went through similar experiences, appearing headed for stardom as lottery picks, but eventually changing teams multiple times. “Your career, or where you end up, a lot of times we don’t dictate those things, right?” Knight said. “Things can change very quickly. We’ve all been on different teams, different situations, and we just happened to land here.”
Spurs guard Bryn Forbes took a long, unusual road to becoming an NBA starter, notes Dan Feldman of NBC Sports. He is one of six undrafted players currently occupying starting roles, as teams overlooked him in 2016 following his senior season at Michigan State. He also spent most of his first year in the G League before earning an opportunity, but nothing shook his confidence. “I think, one way or another,” he said, “I would have found a way.”

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Southwest Division

January 11th, 2019 at 9:57pm 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:

DeAndre Jordan, Mavericks, 30, C (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $24.1MM deal in 2018
Jordan has pretty much done his usual thing in his first season with Dallas, ranking second in the league in rebounding and anchoring the defense. One troubling development is his penchant for turnovers — he’s averaging a career-worst 2.4 per game. The one other surprising development is a plus — the career 45.9% free throw shooter has drained 70.3% of his attempts. The always durable Jordan has also answered the bell every game. Early concerns about about “selfish” play have somewhat dissipated. Dallas may not re-sign him but someone will give him another big contract this summer.

Austin Rivers, Rockets, 26, SG (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $1.15MM deal in 2018
The above salary number doesn’t reflect what Rivers is actually making this season, as the Suns bought out his contract after he was traded from the Wizards. He had a $12.6MM salary in the final year of a four-season contract and only gave back $650K. The decision to hook on with the Rockets after he cleared waivers has been good for both parties. With Chris Paul sidelined, Rivers has averaged 12.3 PPG and 3.1 APG in 38.5 MPG in his first eight outings with a championship contender. Still in his prime, Rivers should be able to land a multi-year deal this summer.

Ivan Rabb, Grizzlies, 21, PF (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $2.3MM deal in 2017
An early second-rounder in 2017, Rabb has been a force in a handful of G League games, averaging 23.4 PPG and 10.2 RPG. That hasn’t translated into NBA playing time. He hasn’t played meaningful minutes in 14 games with the Grizzlies. Interior defensive issues and the lack of 3-point shot are the main reason why the athletic big man hasn’t carved out a role. Unless they’re convinced he can improve those areas, the Grizzlies will likely cut ties with him after the season.

Darius Miller, Pelicans, 28, SF (Down) — Signed to a two-year, $4.3MM deal in 2017
Miller receives lots of playing time but his offensive contributions boil down to an occasional 3-point attempt. To be fair, Miller is the No. 5 option when he’s on the floor and he’s an above-average long-range shooter (38.7 percent). His defensive metrics are subpar, which partially explains his paltry 8.42 PER, so the 3-and-D tag doesn’t necessarily fit. Miller’s 3-point shooting could be enough to land him a veteran’s minimum deal or something slightly higher next summer but there’s no big payday ahead.

Quincy Pondexter, Spurs, 30, SF (Down)– Signed to a one-year, $2.16MM deal in 2018
Pondexter remained on the roster past January 10th, fully guaranteeing his salary for this season. Pondexter, whose career has been sidetracked by knee injuries, has been praised as a positive locker room influence but he hasn’t contributed much on the court. He’s appeared in 31 games but averaged just 5.9 MPG with a majority of his playing time coming in blowouts. Pondexter will likely struggle to find another veteran’s minimum deal in the summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.