Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Aaron Harrison Won’t Play In Turkey After All

August 13th, 2018 at 4:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Hornets and Mavericks guard Aaron Harrison has backed out of his agreement to play with Galatasaray in the Turkish league, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando tweets. The reasons behind Harrison’s decision are unknown, though the economic crisis in the country could have played a role, Cauchi adds.

Harrison was not tendered a qualifying offer this summer by Dallas and became a unrestricted free agent. He joined the Wizards’ summer league team but shot poorly in five Las Vegas games, making just 19% of his attempts while averaging 5.8 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 15.4 MPG.

The former Kentucky Wildcat appeared in nine games, including three starts, with Dallas last season after signing a 10-day deal and then a rest-of-the-season contract in early April. The 6’6” Harrison averaged 6.7 PPG in 25.9 MPG but shot just 27.5% from the field. He saw action in a combined 26 games with Charlotte the previous two seasons.

The Turkish team also has an agreement with forward Nigel Hayes, who played for three different NBA franchises last season.

Dwight Powell Must Be Rebounding Force

August 12th, 2018 at 7:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dwight Powell needs to continue to grab rebounds in bunches, as he did toward the end of last season, in order to solidify his spot in the Mavericks’ rotation, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. It’s unlikely he’ll start, so he needs to be tough around the boards to stand out among a frontcourt reserve corps that includes Salah Mejri, Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith, Sefko adds.

Detalis On Onuaku Trade; Latest On Workplace Misconduct Investigation

August 10th, 2018 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chinanu Onuaku trade between the Mavericks and Rockets was a minor deal on the surface, but included some interesting details, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter links). Dallas will have the right to swap the Warriors’ 2020 second-round pick for the Rockets’ 2020 second-rounder, but that Houston pick is top-39 protected. If it ends up falling within the protected range, the Mavs will instead receive $500K from the Rockets. Additionally, the $1,544,951 in cash Houston is sending the Mavs in the trade to cover Onuaku’s salary will be paid out in 17 installments over the next year.

The Chinanu Onuaku trade between the Mavericks and Rockets was a minor deal on the surface, but included some interesting details, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter links). Dallas will have the right to swap the Warriors’ 2020 second-round pick for the Rockets’ 2020 second-rounder, but that Houston pick is top-39 protected. If it ends up falling within the protected range, the Mavs will instead receive $500K from the Rockets. Additionally, the $1,544,951 in cash Houston is sending the Mavs in the trade to cover Onuaku’s salary will be paid out in 17 installments over the next year.
After Tom Ziller of SBNation.com wondered earlier this week why we haven’t heard any news on the investigation into workplace misconduct allegations within the Mavericks‘ organization, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News provides an update. According to Townsend, the process is taking longer than initially anticipated because the investigators are “being as thorough as humanly possible, dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s.”

Mavs Re-Sign Jalen Jones, Waive Terry Larrier

August 10th, 2018 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 10, 12:20pm: The Mavericks have formally re-signed Jones, according to a press release issued by the club. Both moves are now official, increasing the team’s roster count back up to 20 players.

AUGUST 9, 6:00pm: The Mavs have formally waived Larrier, the team announced in a press release.

1:13pm: The Mavericks‘ offseason roster continues to undergo charges, with Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News reporting that the club will waive camp invitee Terry Larrier and bring back Jalen Jones, who was released by the club last month.

Larrier, who signed with the Mavs at the end of July, will have his stint with the club cut short due to a major knee injury. According to Sefko, the former UConn forward suffered a torn ACL in a workout and will miss the entire 2018/19 season.

Because Larrier had only been on a “make-good” summer contract, he won’t receive his full-season salary. However, the Mavericks will pay him for training camp and will monitor his rehab — he’ll undergo ACL surgery in Dallas and will rehab with the Mavs and their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends.

As for Jones, he opened the 2017/18 season on a two-way contract with the Pelicans before being cut in January. The Mavericks claimed him off waivers and he finished the year with Dallas. Jones’ two-way deal was for two years, but the Mavs opted to go in another direction with their two-way slots this summer, waiving him in July. Jones, a 6’7″ forward, appeared in 16 overall NBA games last season, including 12 with Dallas.

By swapping in Jones for Larrier, the Mavs will keep their offseason roster at 20 players, the maximum allowed. Dallas reportedly reached a contract agreement with Donte Ingram as well, but it’s not clear when the club intends to finalize that deal.

Nowitzki Unsure If 2018/19 Season Will Be His Last

August 9th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Dirk Nowitzki will set a new NBA record this fall when he officially enters his 21th season with a single franchise. But even after making history as a Maverick, Nowitzki isn’t ready to assume he’ll call it a career after the 2018/19 campaign. Speaking at a kids’ summer camp event on Wednesday, Nowitzki said he remains unsure whether next season will be his last, as Dwain Price of Mavs.com details.

“I’m going to make that decision (about retirement), I guess, once obviously I see how the season goes,” Nowitzki said.

As the veteran big man points out, he had a very healthy year in 2017/18, appearing in 77 games and remaining productive for the Mavericks. As he enters his age-40 season, there’s no guarantee he’ll continue to be able to stay on the court that often going forward, but if he stays injury-free again, he’ll want to consider all his options in the summer of 2019.

“If next year is going to go sort of the same (in terms of health), then hey, maybe, and we’ll leave the door open and I’m going to play another (season),” Nowitzki said, per Price. “But I want to approach this as if there is no tomorrow and then just hopefully have a great year. I’m going to try to be efficient again as I’ve often tried my entire career. We’ll just go from there, but hopefully it’s going to be a lot more fun than last year.”

The Mavericks’ win totals have slipped from 50 to 42 to 33 to 24 over the last four seasons, but Nowitzki is confident that this year’s roster has the talent necessary to reverse that trend. The longtime Mav called DeAndre Jordan one of the NBA’s most effective two-way centers and said that No. 3 overall pick Luka Doncic has “all the tools” to succeed in the NBA.

“I think we should be a lot better than last year,” Nowitzki said. “That’s not a secret.”

Mavericks Sign Devin Harris

August 8th, 2018 at 9:34am CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 8: The Mavericks have made their deal with Harris official, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed the veteran guard. Dallas now has a full 20-man roster, so a move will be required at some point to accommodate Donte Ingram‘s reported agreement with the club.

JULY 26: The Mavericks and veteran guard Devin Harris have reached an agreement on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports was the first to report the news.

Harris, who will receive $2.4MM, was the beneficiary of Yogi Ferrell‘s change of heart. Ferrell backed out of an agreement with Dallas to sign with the Kings. That opened up a backcourt spot for the 35-year-old combo guard.

This will mark his third stint with the franchise. The Mavericks acquired him in a draft-night trade with the Wizards in 2004 and kept him until 2008, when they traded him to the Nets. Harris returned to Dallas as a free agent in 2013 and spent five more years with the Mavs before they traded him to the Nuggets in February.

The 35-year-old combo guard appeared in 44 games with Dallas and 27 with Denver last season, averaging 8.4 PPG and 2.1 APG. His addition will give the Mavericks 16 players under contract.

Nets, Mavs, Pelicans Eyeing Mario Chalmers

August 7th, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets, Mavericks, and Pelicans are among the teams that have shown some interest in unrestricted free agent point guard Mario Chalmers, a source tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link).

Chalmers, 32, suffered a torn Achilles in 2016 and sat out the entire 2016/17 season, but appeared in 66 games for the Grizzlies in 2017/18. His numbers (7.7 PPG, 3.0 APG) were modest and his shooting rates (.379 FG%, .277 3PT%) were well below his career averages, as he gradually made his way back to full speed. However, Spears says that Chalmers is “completely healthy” now.

Addressing his free agency a couple weeks ago, Chalmers said he believed it was “just a matter of time” until he secured an NBA contract. “They [NBA teams] are getting all the young guys, all the big free agents out of the way now,” Chalmers said at the time. “I’m just waiting my turn.”

While Chalmers’ assessment of the market may be accurate, 15-man roster spots around the NBA are drying up, so the veteran isn’t necessarily a lock to receive a guaranteed contract, even at the minimum. He has shown in the past that he’s willing to roll the dice on the right opportunity though — when Chalmers signed with Memphis last July, his contract only featured a partial guarantee of $25K. He earned his full guarantee by making the team’s regular season roster in October.

And-Ones: ROY Predictions, Offseason Rankings, NBAGL

August 6th, 2018 at 4:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has the best chance to win the Rookie of the Year award, according to an ESPN panel. Doncic will fill up the stat sheet and might wind up with the ball more often than second-year guard Dennis Smith Jr., according to Mike Schmitz. Top overall pick Deandre Ayton ranks second on the poll, with Schmitz noting that the Suns big man likely to get more playing time than any other rookie. Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Cavaliers point guard Collin Sexton and Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. round out the top five.

We have more from around the league:

Retaining Paul George in free agency and dumping Carmelo Anthony‘s contract while receiving projected sixth man Dennis Schroder in return earned the Thunder the top spot on NBA.com’s David Aldridge’s offseason rankings. The rankings are based upon what teams have done during the offseason. The Lakers ranked No. 2 by virtue of signing LeBron James and handing out one-year contracts to other players, thus allowing them to be a force again in next year’s free agent market. The Nuggets gained the No. 3 spot by locking up Nikola Jokic and making trades that cleared roster spots and eased their luxury-tax situation.
Forwards DJ Hogg (Texas A&M) and Malik Pope (San Diego State) and swingman BJ Johnson (LaSalle) are among the top 10 prospects at the G League Invitational, according to Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. The invitational takes place Sunday in Chicago and over a dozen of last year’s prospects received training camp invites afterward.
The Warriors’ over-under odds for wins next season is 62.5, according to Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. The Celtics ranked second overall with a 57.5 over-under win total with the Rockets third at 54.5. The Hawks have the lowest projected win total at 23.5. The odds for each NBA team were passed along by ESPN’s Ben Fawkes.

Mavericks Waive Chinanu Onuaku

August 6th, 2018 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 6: The Mavs have officially waived Onuaku, according to a team press release.

AUGUST 2: The Mavericks will waive newly-acquired center Chinanu Onuaku, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). After completing the move, Dallas will be able to move forward with other signings, such as the club’s new deal with free agent guard Devin Harris.

Onuaku, 21, appeared in just six NBA regular season games in two NBA seasons with the Rockets. The former Louisville big man has spent most of his two professional seasons in the G League, playing in 83 total games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and averaging 12.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG to go along with 2.5 APG, 1.4 BPG, and 1.1 SPG. He also has a .617 FG% in the NBAGL.

While the Mavs’ acquisition of Onuaku may look pointless now that he’s being released, it essentially represented a no-cost opportunity to move up a few spots in the second round of the 2020 draft. The Rockets are reportedly covering Onuaku’s salary with cash as part of the trade, with the Mavs giving up the rights to a player who will likely never play in the NBA. Dallas will get the chance to swap the Warriors’ 2020 second-round pick for Houston’s second-rounder.

As we noted earlier today, the Mavs had already committed to free agent deals with 21 players this offseason, so it’s not a surprise that they’re cutting Onuaku to help make room for those signings. They’ll need to release or trade one more player to finalize all their reported deals.

As for Onuaku, once he’s officially waived, he’ll spent two days on waivers. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent, eligible to sign with any team except the Rockets.

Mavericks Sign Ryan Broekhoff

August 6th, 2018 at 12:25pm CST by Austin Kent

AUGUST 6: The signing is official, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

JULY 5: The Mavericks have agreed to a two-year deal with swingman Ryan Broekhoff, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. The first year of the deal is guaranteed.

According to Michael Scotto of The Athletic, the two-year pact will be worth $2.4MM.

While Broekhoff played four seasons at Valparaiso, he’s spent the past five campaigns plying his trade abroad. The 27-year-old Austrailian most recently played 16 EuroCup games with Lokomotiv Kuban of Russia’s VTB United League, averaging 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the process.

The 50.6% three-point shooter will give the Mavs extra depth on the perimeter as they gear up for a season of competitive basketball after bolstering their lineup this offseason. Team owner Mark Cuban calls him “the best shooter in Europe” (Twitter link via Dwain Price of Mavs.com).