Mavericks Rumors

Injury Updates On Yanyuhang, Nowitzki

The Rockets hope Marquese Chriss will develop into the type of backup center they thought they acquired when they signed Brandan Wright late last season, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Wright got hurt quickly and only played one game for Houston, but the team sees Chriss as the same style of player, a mobile big man who can attack the rim on pick-and-rolls.

Chriss was acquired from the Suns at the end of August in the trade that sent Ryan Anderson to Phoenix. The former eighth overall pick had a solid debut for the Rockets on Tuesday with 11 points and four rebounds and welcomes a more defined role.

“The difference is they know what they want me to do,” Chriss said of the Rockets. “They’re asking me to do a specific job. I’m trying to do it to the best of my ability. There really is no question about what they want my role to be. They made it straightforward to me when I first got traded here. I embraced it, and I’m working to do it as best as I can. Being on the Suns, it was kind of touch and go what we were capable of doing or I was able to show.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Jahlil Okafor‘s ankle injury won’t prevent him from making the Pelicans‘ roster, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate. Okafor is expected to miss a week or two after spraining his right ankle late in Sunday’s game, but coach Alvin Gentry said that won’t affect his decision on Okafor’s status.
  • The Grizzlies should have plenty of minutes for both rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. and JaMychal Green, the returning starter at power forward, writes Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. Jackson attracted more attention at media day, but Green is entering the final year of his contract at nearly $7.7MM and has incentive to put up big numbers heading into free agency.
  • Mavericks‘ forward Ding Yanyuhang hasn’t practiced yet because of knee tendinitis, but may be able to make his preseason debut in his home nation of China, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Coach Rick Carlisle said Ding has been ruled out for the team’s game in Shanghai, but he may practice and play in Shenzhen. Carlisle also said the next update on Dirk Nowitzki‘s condition will come October 12 (Twitter link).

NBA GMs Weigh In On 2018/19 Season

NBA.com has completed its annual survey of NBA general managers, with John Schuhmann of NBA.com asking each of the league’s 30 GMs to answer an array of questions about the league’s top teams, players, and coaches. Unsurprisingly, the Warriors are once again viewed by the NBA’s general managers as the overwhelming favorites to be the last team standing, with 26 of 30 GMs (87%) picking Golden State to win the NBA championship for the fourth time in five years.

While there are many responses in the GM survey worth checking out, we’ll focus on rounding up some of the more noteworthy ones related to rosters and player movement. Let’s dive in…

  • LeBron James (30%) and Kevin Durant (27%) are viewed as the frontrunners for the 2018/19 MVP award, but two younger players led the voting for the player GMs would most want to build a franchise around starting today. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (30%) and Pelicans big man Anthony Davis (23%) led the way in that category. Interestingly, Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t receive a single vote this year after leading the way with 29% of the vote in 2017.
  • The Lakers‘ signing of James helped them earn 70% of the vote for the team that made the best overall moves this offseason. The Raptors, buoyed by their acquisition of Kawhi Leonard, finished second at 20%.
  • A ton of different signings and trade acquisitions received votes for the most underrated addition of the summer, with the Pacers‘ signing of Tyreke Evans barely leading the way with four votes. The Spurs‘ trade for DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls‘ signing of Jabari Parker, the Pelicans‘ addition of Julius Randle, and the Thunder‘s acquisition of Dennis Schroder received three votes apiece.
  • DeMarcus Cousins‘ decision to join the Warriors (35%) was considered the most surprising move of the offseason, followed by the Spurs/Raptors blockbuster trade (29%) and Paul George remaining with the Thunder (19%).
  • While Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is the strong frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, GMs expect Suns center Deandre Ayton and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. to be the best players five years from now. Meanwhile, the Clippers‘ selection of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 11 was viewed by the most GMs as the steal of the draft.
  • The Sixers (47%) and Celtics (33%) dominated voting for the teams with the most promising young cores.

Dirk Nowitzki May Not Be Ready To Start Season

Mavericks big man Dirk Nowitzki suffered a setback in his recovery from left ankle surgery during the week before training camp opened, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. After he felt soreness in his Achilles while playing pickup games at Dallas’ practice facility, Nowitzki’s on-court work has been limited and his availability to start the regular season is up in the air.

“This is weeks, not days, as far as getting on the court for live action,” Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said of Nowitzki’s timetable, per MacMahon. “He is making gradual progress, but we’re not just at a point where we can talk about a hard timeline or anything like that.”

Nowitzki, who re-signed with the Mavericks in July after turning 40 in June, averaged 12.0 PPG and 5.7 RPG in 77 games (24.7 MPG) last season, with a very respectable shooting line of .456/.409/.898. The longtime Mav has indicated that he’d like to keep playing as long as he remains healthy and productive, as he was last season. It appears this season is off to a more ominous start in terms of his health, however.

As MacMahon details, Nowitzki has yet to practice with Dallas this preseason and won’t do so during the club’s week-long trip in China. Carlisle suggests that the 40-year-old likely won’t need “a lot of full, live workouts” before getting into a game, but he’ll need to be able to go all-out and feel good afterwards.

“He’s making gradual progress,” Carlisle said. “We need to have him make some real significant progress, get him on the court, and then we can talk about it.”

Rockets Making Strong Effort To Land Jimmy Butler

The Rockets are making a “strong effort” to acquire Jimmy Butler in a trade with the Timberwolves, sources tell Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link). Berman’s report comes after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated on Wednesday that Houston was pursuing Butler.

Wojnarowski, who suggested that the Rockets were “trying to be creative” as they explored trade possibilities for Butler, wrote that it would be tricky for the club to pull off a deal for the All-NBA wing without involving a third team. Berman, meanwhile, doesn’t offer much in the way of specifics.

It’s hard to imagine Houston being able to trade for Butler without giving up Eric Gordon, whose $13MM+ salary would make for a good salary-matching piece and whose ability to make an immediate impact might appeal to Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau. The Rockets also have full control over their future first-round picks, though the value of their 2019 selection would be limited, since it’s likely to fall in the late-20s.

Although the Rockets are apparently pushing to land Butler, they’re not the only team involved. Wojnarowski’s report on Thursday named the Clippers and Cavaliers as other clubs in the mix, with the Heat still considered the most aggressive suitors. The Wizards and Mavericks have also gauged the asking price on Butler, while the Nets have interest but haven’t engaged Minnesota recently, per Woj.

Here’s more on Butler:

  • The Heat are open to the idea of taking on Gorgui Dieng‘s contract from the Timberwolves “under the right circumstances,” according to Wojnarowski.
  • Wojnarowski indicates that potential trade partners are skeptical of Thibodeau’s willingness to move Butler, since he’s making counter-offers he knows would never be accepted. In an appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided an example, reporting that the Timberwolves asked for Ben Simmons when they made a counter-offer to the Sixers (hat tip to Dane Delgado of NBC Sports). We passed along a report earlier today suggesting that Philadelphia has since pulled out of the Butler sweepstakes.
  • The Nuggets were mentioned several days ago as a potential dark horse for Butler, but T.J. McBride of Mile High Sports hears that Denver views Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Gary Harris as “untouchable” (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). A trade for an All-Star like Butler is probably a long shot without any of those players involved.
  • Earlier today, we relayed an update on the Kings‘ potential involvement in the Butler talks — Sacramento is still interested in getting involved as a facilitator, but will be cautious about adding too much multiyear money to its cap.

Harrison Barnes May Miss Preseason

A hamstring injury could force Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes to sit out the entire preseason, tweets Tim Cato of The Athletic. Barnes tweaked the hamstring in practice and will be sidelined “for a while,” head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed.

Barnes definitely won’t play in Saturday’s preseason opener or on the upcoming trip to China, adds Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). His condition will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days, adds Dwain Price of Mavs.com (Twitter link).

Barnes was among the Mavericks’ most important players last season, posting 18.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 2.0 assists in 77 games. He can become a free agent next summer by opting out of a $25.1MM salary for 2019/20.

Jimmy Butler Rumors: Taylor, Thibodeau, Mavs

As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier today, there has been some confusion among potential Jimmy Butler suitors who have spoken to the Timberwolves, since it’s not clear if Minnesota’s ownership and management groups are on the same page when it comes to a Butler trade. Over at The Athletic, Jon Krawczynski’s latest report on the Butler situation touches many of the same bases that Wojnarowski’s did, with a few new details included.

After Tom Thibodeau met with Butler in the hopes of convincing him to report to the Timberwolves, Butler sought out owner Glen Taylor to receive assurances that the club was actually making “good faith efforts” to trade him, sources tell Krawczynski.

According to Krawczynski’s report, Butler’s camp has conveyed his dissatisfaction with the situation in Minnesota throughout the offseason — his representatives talked to Thibodeau in July about the 29-year-old’s unwillingness to re-sign long-term with the franchise, and Butler conveyed that same message to the head coach in August when Thibodeau visited him in California. However, there’s no indication that Butler requested a trade until last week.

Here are a few more of the latest items on Butler:

  • Asked again today about Butler, Thibodeau sounded more open than ever to the idea of moving on from his All-NBA swingman. “We’re going to honor his request,” Thibodeau said, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (video link). “But we’re not going to do a bad deal. … We’re trying to make the best deal for the Timberwolves. … That’s what my job is. That’s what [GM] Scott [Layden]‘s job is. Obviously, a move of this magnitude, Glen’s involved in it too.”
  • Despite Thibodeau saying the right things about Butler publicly, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune hears from a source that the Timberwolves‘ head coach and president of basketball operations remains reluctant to make a deal.
  • It’s probably safe to cross the Mavericks off the list of possible suitors for Butler, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News, who hears from a high-ranking Mavs official that “he’s not coming here.”
  • Thibodeau took a risk on Butler and got burned, writes Chip Scoggins of The Star Tribune, noting that the “clock is ticking” on Thibs to prove that he can make Plan B work for the Timberwolves.

Dirk Nowitzki's Role In Potential Last Season

  • While Mavericks big man Dirk Nowitzki has made no clear indications that this upcoming season will be his last, Rick Carlisle told Dwain Price of Mavs.com (Twitter link) that he believes there’s a real chance Nowitzki will call it quits after this campaign. If Nowitzki does indeed retire after the 2018/19 season, he will join another future Hall-of-Famer in Dwyane Wade, who announced that this upcoming season will be his last.

2018 Offseason In Review: Dallas Mavericks

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Dallas Mavericks.

Signings:

Trades:

Draft picks:

  • 1-3: Luka Doncic — Signed to rookie contract.
  • 2-33: Jalen Brunson — Signed to four-year, $6.11MM contract. First three years guaranteed. Signed using cap space.
  • 2-56: Ray Spalding — Signed to four-year, minimum salary contract. First year guaranteed. Signed using cap space.
  • 2-60: Kostas Antetokounmpo — Signed to two-way contract.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

  • Sanctioned by NBA for workplace misconduct by former and current employees.

Salary cap situation:

  • Used cap space; now over the cap.
  • Carrying approximately $104.8MM in guaranteed salaries.
  • Full room exception ($4.45MM) still available.

Check out the Dallas Mavericks’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.


Story of the summer:

The future has arrived in Dallas, and the Mavericks were willing to be aggressive on draft night to make it happen. The team traded up to the No. 3 spot to nab European star Luka Doncic, who is the reigning EuroLeague MVP at age 19. It cost Dallas the No. 5 pick plus next year’s first-rounder [top five protected], but the price will be well worth it if Doncic develops into what the Mavericks expect.

Team officials, including normally reserved coach Rick Carlisle, are already raving about Doncic’s potential as both a scorer and a creator for the offense. He will team with last year’s star rookie, Dennis Smith, to create one of the NBA’s best young backcourts and provide a foundation for the Mavericks to rebuild around.

The Dallas media expect Doncic to become a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year honors, comparing him to last year’s winner, Ben Simmons, but with a better shooting touch. Doncic tied for third in a Rookie of the Year poll among his fellow draftees and is the current favorite to win the award in odds set by the sportsbook company Bovada.

Read more

NBA Concludes Investigation Into Mavs’ Workplace Misconduct

The investigation into alleged workplace misconduct within the Mavericks‘ business offices, which began seven months ago, has concluded. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the Mavs and the NBA have come to an agreement that team owner Mark Cuban will donate $10MM to organizations that “promote women in leadership roles and combat domestic violence.”

As Wojnarowski observes, the maximum fine that the NBA could have levied upon Cuban and the Mavs was $2.5MM. The agreement between the two sides will ensure that four times that amount will go to organizations dedicated to preventing what happened in the Mavs’ business offices from happening elsewhere.

In addition to the $10MM in donations from Cuban, the Mavericks will also be required to provide the NBA office with quarterly updates, report any significant employee misconduct to the NBA, and implement more extensive training programs related to sexual harassment and misconduct, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Investigators also recommend the Mavs increase the number of women on their staff, expand their HR department, and institute clear protocols for investigating workplace misconduct.

As for the investigation’s actual findings, Wojnarowski says (via Twitter) that the Mavs were found to have “serious workplace misconduct by former and current employees,” along with “improper or ineffective management.”

Claims that former Mavs president and CEO Terdema Ussery was responsible for inappropriate comments and/or touching were substantiated by 15 current or former employees, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter). Ussery was described in SI.com’s initial report as having earned a reputation as a “serial sexual harasser.”

According to Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link), investigators found no evidence that Cuban was aware of Ussery’s misconduct, as none of the 215 witnesses interviewed during the probe said they informed Cuban of Ussery’s behavior.

The NBA’s statement on the investigation is available here, while the full report can be found here.