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2018 Offseason In Review: Dallas Mavericks

September 22nd, 2018 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

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:

Standard contracts:
- DeAndre Jordan: One year, $22.9MM. Signed using cap space.
- Dirk Nowitzki: One year, $5MM. Signed using cap space.
- Ryan Broekhoff: Two years, minimum salary. Second year non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Devin Harris: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Salah Mejri: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Daryl Macon
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Jalen Jones: One year, minimum salary.
- Codi Miller-McIntyre: One year, minimum salary.
- Ding Yanyuhang: One year, minimum salary.
- Notes: Terry Larrier signed camp deal and was later waived; Donte Ingram has reportedly agreed to camp deal.

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Luka Doncic (No. 3 pick) from the Hawks in exchange for the draft rights to Trae Young (No. 5 pick) and the Mavericks’ 2019 first-round pick (top-5 protected).
Acquired the draft rights to Ray Spalding (No. 56 pick) and Kostas Antetokounmpo (No. 60 pick) from the Sixers in exchange for the draft rights to Shake Milton (No. 54 pick).
Acquired the draft rights to Maarty Leunen and cash ($50K) from the Clippers in exchange for Johnathan Motley and the draft rights to Renaldas Seibutis.
Acquired Chinanu Onuaku, cash ($1,544,951), and the right to swap the Warriors’ 2020 second-round pick for the Rockets’ 2020 second-round pick from the Rockets in exchange for the draft rights to Maarty Leunen.
- Note: Onuaku later waived.

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.

Key offseason losses:

Dallas had to rebuild its bench after four free agents left the team this summer. Yogi Ferrell, who developed into an important rotation player during his year and a half with the organization, originally committed to re-sign with the Mavs, but backed out when the Kings offered a better deal. Ferrell got $6.2MM over two seasons in Sacramento, although the second year is non-guaranteed. He would have had the same arrangement in Dallas, but only for $5.3MM.

Dallas also lost Doug McDermott to the Pacers, Seth Curry to the Trail Blazers and Nerlens Noel to the Thunder. McDermott was a reliable bench scorer during half a season in Dallas, averaging 9.0 PPG and shooting .494 from 3-point range. Curry was a part-time starter who nearly doubled his career-best scoring average during his lone season with the Mavericks, posting 12.8 PPG. Noel never showed the potential the coaching staff was hoping for when he was acquired from the Sixers and will be most remembered for grabbing a hot dog in the media room during halftime of a game during a stretch of DNPs.

Key offseason additions:

One of the most bizarre chapters in team history was rewritten this summer as free agent center DeAndre Jordan finally donned a Mavericks uniform, three years after originally committing to the team. The 2015 incident featured an intervention by Clippers teammates who virtually held Jordan hostage in his own home until he agreed to back out of a verbal commitment to Dallas and remain in L.A. There was nothing close to that this summer as Jordan, the last remaining link to the Lob City era, quietly accepted a one-year, $22.9MM deal to finally join the Mavericks.

Dallas also brought back veteran guard Devin Harris, who is now in his third stint with the organization. Harris was sent to Denver as part of a three-team trade at the February deadline to help the Nuggets with their push for the playoffs. Harris, 35, will join J.J. Barea as veteran influences for the young backcourt.

Outlook for 2018/19:

Two of the Mavericks’ most glaring problems last year were interior defense and rebounding, and Jordan provides an instant solution to both. He averaged a career-best 15.2 rebounds last season and has been among the league’s best shot blockers for a decade. Jordan also provides a dangerous pick and roll partner for both Doncic and Smith.

Dirk Nowitzki hasn’t confirmed that this will be his final NBA season, but that possibility looms over everything else that will happen in Dallas this season. Owner Mark Cuban would love to send Nowitzki out with a return to the playoffs, but a lot will have to go right for the Mavericks, who are coming off a 24-win season. The addition of Jordan should help, but Dallas will need its young backcourt to grow up quickly to challenge some of the more established teams in the West. The future in Dallas appears bright, but it may take a while to get there.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

A Look At Several Key Figures In The Workplace Misconduct Case

September 19th, 2018 at 6:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News takes a look at some of the key figures in the Mavericks‘ workplace misconduct case, which resulted in a settlement that was announced today.

NBA Concludes Investigation Into Mavs’ Workplace Misconduct

September 19th, 2018 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Maverick Notes: Playoffs, Jordan, Frontcourt Minutes

September 18th, 2018 at 8:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The additions of rookie Luka Doncic and DeAndre Jordan have the Mavericks thinking about the playoffs in a crowded Western Conference, Dwain Price of Mavs.com writes.

“I think we have a good team, but the West is loaded,” said Dirk Nowitzki. “Now LeBron came over to the West as well, so there are a lot of great, great players in the West. It’s going to be a fight every game, but I think we’re up for it.”

Here’s more from Dallas:

The team isn’t holding Jordan’s infamous 2015 decision to not sign with the Mavs against him, as Price relays in the same piece. “I think we’re going to all make him feel welcome,” Nowitzki said of Jordan. “He’s from Texas, so he’s going to love the community. I think he’s going to be great, I think he’s going to fit in great with coach’s system. The [center] is always running and rolling and protecting the rim, so we’re looking forward to him really fitting in.”
Jordan will start at center and likely average around 32 minutes per game, but the frontcourt rotation outside the former Clipper is up in the air, Eddie Sefko of Sports Day explains. Nowitzki will likely see slightly over 20 minutes per contest, though it’s uncertain as to how many of those will come alongside Jordan. The Mavericks have Dwight Powell, Salah Mejri, and Harrison Barnes among their options for the remaining frontcourt minutes.
Wesley Matthews, who will be a free agent after the season, wants to deliver a playoff run to the Mavs‘ fan base, as he tells Sefko in a separate piece. “I don’t want another long offseason,” Matthews said. “I don’t. I want a postseason [after the 2018/19 season]. We deserve it – this organization, these fans, us players – we deserve to be in the postseason competing.”

Categories:
Dallas Mavericks

Harris Returns To Crowded Backcourt; Expectations For Barnes

September 16th, 2018 at 9:45pm CST by Austin Kent

There will be a crowded backcourt in Dallas this season but that won’t matter to veteran Devin Harris after deciding to return to the Mavs. Per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, Harris will serve as the backup at both guard positions, along with J.J. Barea, Wesley Matthews and Jalen Brunson.
One of the key questions that Mavs fans await answers to is whether or not they’ll see yet more progress out of Harrison Barnes in 2018/19. Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes that he doesn’t see the forward slipping offensively, despite the fresh faces he’ll share the court with.
A number of NBA players will enter the 2018/19 campaign with trade kickers built into their contracts, so be sure to check out our list of those included. Among the 18 noted are Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge, Rockets star James Harden and Mavs forward Harrison Barnes.

Luka Doncic Faces Pressure But Will Have Support

September 16th, 2018 at 2:13pm CST by Austin Kent

It’s not fair to saddle a 19-year-old rookie with the responsibility of turning the Mavs‘ franchise around. Fortunately, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes, Luka Doncic won’t have to.

Although Doncic will face pressure as a highly touted European charged with the task of at least symbolically replacing Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki, he’ll get substantial help from incoming veteran DeAndre Jordan.

Jordan, along with young players like Dennis Smith Jr. and Harrison Barnes, should give the Mavs considerably more bite in 2018/19 after a down season last year.

Sefko writes that he thinks Mavs fans can expect the Doncic trade to pay dividends but they may not come for a year or two.

Mavericks Notes: Jordan, Smith, Doncic

September 16th, 2018 at 10:26am CST by Arthur Hill

The success of the DeAndre Jordan signing will be determined by how well he can work in the pick and roll with Dennis Smith and Luka Doncic, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Adding Jordan on a one-year, $22.9MM contract and moving up in the draft to take Doncic were the major offseason moves for a team that finished 23 games out of the playoff race.

Jordan not only solves the Mavericks’ rebounding problem — he’s led the league twice in that category and averaged a career best 15.2 boards per game last season — he adds an extra dimension to coach Rick Carlisle’s offense. Jordan has shot better than 60% from the field in each of his 10 NBA seasons and mastered the pick and roll with Chris Paul in Los Angeles.

There’ more today out of Dallas:

Improving his 3-point shot is the best way for Smith to avoid a sophomore slump, Sefko writes in a separate player profile. Smith shot just 31% from long distance last season, and defenders figure to give him more space as they try to cut off his drives to the basket. Sefko notes that Smith didn’t wear down during his first season in the league, with his scoring, assists and shooting percentages over the final 15 games all rating better than his season averages.
The Mavericks insist Doncic can be a difference maker, but it’s going to be a while before we know for sure, Sefko writes in another profile. Dallas made a bold move to trade up to the No. 3 spot in the draft to acquire Doncic and team him with Smith in its backcourt of the future. Although he cautions it will take at least another year, Sefko expects Doncic and Smith to develop into the foundation of a playoff team.
Doncic will be a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year honors, though he’ll get noticed more for his passing than scoring, writes Matt Mosley of The Dallas Morning News. He compares Doncic to Sixers guard Ben Simmons and suggests that the Knicks’ Kevin Knox may be a surprise winner of this year’s ROY honors.

Latest On Dirk Nowitzki: Role, Ankle Injury

September 13th, 2018 at 4:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dirk Nowitzki isn’t sure if he’ll start or become the Mavericks’ sixth man during his 21st season in the league, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.

The free agent addition of DeAndre Jordan would logically push Nowitzki to the bench but he isn’t sure if that will be the case. He could play power forward alongside Jordan if coach Rick Carlisle goes with a biggest lineup.

“Obviously, DeAndre’s going to be our starter at the five position and the rest will just kind of fall in place after that,” Nowitzki said. “If (Harrison Barnes) goes back to the four or we start other ways, I have no idea as of yet. But it’s a great problem to have. We want to be a franchise that is back in the playoffs and plays well and has fun again and doesn’t lose 60 games again.”

Coming off the bench would force Nowitzki to make an adjustment. He’d have to take steps to be ready once his number is called.

“I have no problem with that. I already told (the training staff) if that’s the case, they better keep me loose,” Nowitzki said. “We better get a (stationary) bike ready somewhere because if I warm up and sit somewhere for 15, 20 minutes, that’s going to be an issue. But no, hey, if that’s the role, and we’ll play great with it, then I’m all for it.”

Nowitzki came off the bench six times during the 2012/13 season but has since started every game in which he’s played. He appeared in 77 games last season as Carlisle carefully managed his minutes. He averaged 24.7 MPG last season, the fewest since his rookie campaign in 1998/99.

Nowitzki’s recovery from left ankle surgery has gone well and he’s confident he’ll be 100 percent by opening night, Sefko reports in a separate story. He began scrimmaging last week and felt some discomfort in the ankle but attributes that to the normal recovery process. He underwent the procedure in April.

“There were two bone spurs that kind of blocked me from doing (forward push and lateral movement) things. So they took those bone spurs out and now there’s a lot more movement in the ankle,” Nowitzki told Sefko about the surgery. “But all the tendons in the ankle aren’t used to moving that much now. Every now and then, it’s a little stiff. I scrimmaged a little last week and on Monday and it hasn’t really reacted amazing to it. But we’re positive that it’ll be fine.”

Mavs Notes: Jordan, Marion, Doncic, Mejri, Barea

September 12th, 2018 at 5:26pm CST by clarkcrum

As part of an ongoing series in anticipation of Mavericks training camp starting later this month, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News asks whether newly-acquired All-Star big man DeAndre Jordan is on the downslope of his career.

Now a 10-year veteran, Jordan actually averaged 12.0 points and a career-best 15.2 rebounds per game last season for the Clippers, but the team did not perform well, finishing 10th in the always tough Western Conference. Moreover, Jordan’s field goal percentage of .645, while still excellent, was his lowest output since the the 2012/13 season.

While it remains to be seen if Jordan’s game is on the decline, the Mavericks at least somewhat hedged their bet by only signing Jordan to a one-year contract for the 2018/19 season, which will allow the club opportunity to see how Jordan meshes with relative youngsters Dennis Smith Jr., Luka Doncic and Harrison Barnes.

If Jordan ends up descending into the twilight of his career, the Mavs can simply let him go next summer. But if he can continue to average a double-double and be near the top of the NBA in rebounds and field goal percentage again this season, Sefko opines that the Mavericks will gladly re-sign Jordan next summer at whatever price tag is needed.

There’s more from Dallas:

Now that the 2018 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class has been enshrined in Springfield, Joe Nguyen of The Denver Post takes a look at some candidates for election next year. Among the first time candidates is do-it-all forward Shawn Marion, who helped the Mavericks win an NBA Championship in 2011.
In an appearance on KRLD-FM, Dirk Nowitzki (per Sportando) presented a glowing endorsement of Doncic, admitting that the Slovenian rookie is better than Dirk was at the same age. “Oh yeah (he’s better). I could shoot a little bit but I never had the court vision … the savviness that he brings to the game… He’s going to be fun to watch especially with bigs like DeAndre (Jordan) and Dwight (Powell) rolling to the rim … He’s going to pick defenses apart and it’s going to be fun to watch.”
In another piece for The Dallas Morning News, Sefko profiles big man Salah Mejri and his role on the Mavs this upcoming season. Mejri, 32, signed a one-year contract for the veteran’s minimum this offseason. And even though the addition of Jordan won’t do any favors for Mejri’s playing time, the Tunisian big man will be ready to play when needed, as always.
In yet another player profile piece, Sefko opines that backup point guard J.J. Barea may be one of the most underrated Mavericks of all time. Barring injury, Barea will later this season become the seventh player in Mavs history to play in 600 games with the franchise.

Maverick Notes: Summer 2019, Nowitzki, Roster Spots

September 11th, 2018 at 12:14pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Heading into the summer, the Mavericks appeared to have one of the worst long-term situations in the league, with ESPN ranking them 22nd in their future rankings. The list is compiled by Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton as they project how each team will perform over the next three season.

Dallas made one of the biggest leaps in their latest edition of the power rankings, rising to 17th, fueled by the arrival of Luka Doncic and the signing of DeAndre Jordan, a pair of moves that should make them competitive this season. Marks notes that the team is projected to have $55MM in cap space next summer, so the team could ostensibly move even further up the rankings with a big signing in free agency.

Here’s more from Dallas:

Dirk Nowitzki plays well with Devin Harris and J.J. Barea, so a move to the second-unit makes sense for the Mavericks, Eddie Sefko of Sports Day opines. Sefko notes that Nowitzki is all but certain to start Game 2 and 81 of the season. Those are the Mavericks’ first and last home games of the season.
In the same piece, Sefko notes that the Mavs could elect to keep a roster spot open heading into the season. Dallas could be a candidate for a player that gets unexpectedly waived by a rival team.
The Mavericks‘ reserves are excited to get more playing time with Nowitzki this season, Sefko passes along in a separate piece. “I told him, ‘You’re coming buddy. You’re with us.’ I’ll take him,” Barea said of the future Hall-of-Famer. “He’s all about pick and pop and shoot it. He’s working his butt off, too. Hopefully he stays healthy and can come in and help a little bit. The guys know how to play with him.”