Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Updates: Milton, McCoy, Roach, Ball, More

March 27th, 2018 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

SMU guard Shake Milton has decided to test the 2018 NBA draft waters, a source tells Patrick Engel of Pony Stampede. A junior, Milton would have the opportunity to return to school for his senior year if he enters the draft without hiring an agent.

Milton, who is currently ranked 34th on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, is coming off a strong season at SMU, averaging 18.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 4.4 APG with a shooting line of .449/.434/.847. In Givony’s most recent mock draft, he has Milton coming off the board at No. 36 to the Mavericks.

Here are more of the latest draft updates from around the basketball world:

UNLV center Brandon McCoy, who averaged 16.9 PPG and 10.3 RPG as a freshman and ranks 58th on ESPN’s big board, announced he’ll forgo his remaining years of NCAA eligibility to enter the draft, according to the school. “This is probably one of the toughest decisions I have ever made,” McCoy said in a statement. “I will always be a Rebel, but when weighing all the factors, with the support of my family I have decided it is in my best interest to forgo my collegiate eligibility and pursue my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA.”
The 65th-ranked prospect on ESPN’s top 100, Texas junior guard Kerwin Roach II will test the draft waters without hiring an agent, the school announced in a press release. “We want to see where I may stand in this year’s draft, but we’re also keeping all options open,” Roach said. “We want to get the most accurate feedback directly from the NBA, so we can make the best decision for my future.”
Marshall junior guard Jon Elmore and Eastern Michigan junior forward Elijah Minnie are each expected to declare for the 2018 draft without hiring an agent, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN (Twitter links).
Washington State’s basketball program announced on Monday that junior forward Robert Franks is declaring for the NBA draft without hiring an agent. An earlier report from Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports suggested that Franks would hire an agent rather than simply testing the waters, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Lonzo Ball‘s younger brother LiAngelo Ball has declared for the 2018 NBA draft after spending the last few months playing for Lithuanian team Vytautas Prienu, agent Harrison Gaines tells Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. The former UCLA swingman isn’t expected to be drafted.

Why Finney-Smith Started At Shooting Guard

March 25th, 2018 at 6:06pm CST by marksuleymanov

Dorian Finney-Smith served as a starting shooting guard for the Mavericks in order to get both him and Doug McDermott into the lineup, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes.“If you don’t start [Finney-Smith] at 2 or McDermott at 2, then somebody’s going to get really screwed on minutes,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “And we need to see both of those guys play because they’re both good players.

Barnes Back At Small Forward; Finney-Smith Looking To Future; Harrison Signing

March 23rd, 2018 at 5:11pm CST by clarkcrum

Dorian Finney-Smith is one of a handful or more of Mavericks‘ players who aren’t guaranteed a spot of the Dallas roster next season, with his 2018/19 contract of $1.54MM currently non-guaranteed. But luckily for Finney-Smith and the others, the Mavs’ down year has given them an opportunity to showcase their talents for potential suitors. “It’s tough, losing like this, (but) they’re doing a good job playing hard,” says veteran J.J. Barea. “You never know who’s looking. They’re getting opportunities to play, to show themselves to everybody, to get better at what they do.”

The experiment of Harrison Barnes at power forward is over, and Barnes couldn’t be happier about it. Since the Mavericks returned Barnes to small forward four games ago, he has averaged 24.3 points per game and when asked about the move back, simply said, “I love it.” Barnes goal for the remainder of the season is to continue to work on his playmaking, which makes sense considering Barnes only averages 2.0 assists per game, which doesn’t even crack the top-20 for small forwards.
Dorian Finney-Smith is one of a handful or more of Mavericks‘ players who aren’t guaranteed a spot of the Dallas roster next season, with his 2018/19 contract of $1.54MM currently non-guaranteed. But luckily for Finney-Smith and the others, the Mavs’ down year has given them an opportunity to showcase their talents for potential suitors. “It’s tough, losing like this, (but) they’re doing a good job playing hard,” says veteran J.J. Barea. “You never know who’s looking. They’re getting opportunities to play, to show themselves to everybody, to get better at what they do.”
Faced with a glut of big men on their roster, the Mavericks signed former Kentucky stand-out Aaron Harrison to a 10-day contract yesterday, electing to let Jameel Warney return to the G League. Whereas Warney clogged an already crowded position, Harrison is now only the second healthy player on the team’s entire roster who could reasonably be classified as a shooting guard.

Mavericks Sign Aaron Harrison To 10-Day Deal

March 22nd, 2018 at 10:24am CST by clarkcrum

MARCH 22: The Mavericks have officially signed Harrison to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through next Saturday, March 31.

MARCH 20: As we noted yesterday, the 10-day contract of Mavericks forward Jameel Warney expires today, and league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times that Dallas will sign former NBA player and current member of the G League’s Reno Bighorns, Aaron Harrison, to the open roster spot vacated by Warney.

Harrison, 23, went undrafted out of Kentucky in 2015 before signing with the Hornets, where he played for two seasons until being waived towards the middle of the 2016/17 season. In 26 career NBA games, he has averaged 0.7 points and 0.7 rebounds in only 4.2 minutes per game.

Since then, Harrison has bounced around the G League, playing for the Greensboro Swarm, Delaware 76ers, and aforementioned Bighorns. This season, he has averaged 18.7 PPG and 4.3 RPG while shooting 42.5% from long range in 41 G League games.

The signing of Harrison will continue somewhat of a trend for the Mavs, who have now parted ways with two players – Warney and Scotty Hopson – after giving them only one 10-day deal.

Because Harrison played in the NBA in both the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons, his 10-day contract will count as $83,129 against Dallas’ cap.

Smith Jr. Out With Sprained Ankle

March 19th, 2018 at 8:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavs guard Dennis Smith Jr. will miss at least the next two games with an ankle sprain, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. The team will play it safe with its star rookie but have no plans to shut him down. “He’s going to be out for a while, but it’s not serious,” coach Rick Carlisle said.

Smith Jr. Hurts Ankle, Vows To Return

March 18th, 2018 at 7:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks rookie Dennis Smith Jr. is wearing a walking boot after turning his left ankle in Saturday’s game, but he’s confident about playing again this season, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said the team “dodged a bullet” because Smith’s injury wasn’t more serious, but he has already been ruled out for Tuesday’s game.

Yogi Ferrell Reaches Starter Criteria For Free Agency

March 17th, 2018 at 9:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks guard Yogi Ferrell passed the 2,000-minute threshold this week, pushing him into the starter criteria for free agency, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Ferrell, who will be a restricted free agent, will have his qualifying offer and cap hold rise from $1.7MM to $2.9MM. He is averaging 10.1 points per game in his first full season in Dallas.

Mavericks Notes: Noel, Carlisle, Matthews, Tanking

March 15th, 2018 at 9:12pm CST by marksuleymanov

Injuries have limited Nerlens Noel to just 24 games and six starts this season, leaving his impending unrestricted free agency as a major question mark. The former sixth overall pick will be able to sign with any team this upcoming offseason and he intends to approach the process in the best shape of his life, Isaac Harris of NBA.com writes.

“Once this summer ends I’ll be working harder than I’ve ever worked,” Noel said. “Just growing in this league and being older. Getting the priorities right and evolving. My mindset has only grown stronger in what I really want in life and want from this game. Right when the season ends I will strictly be working on my game and staying to myself and just letting things play out.”

Noel is still just 23 years old and his status as a former lottery pick with upside on defense and rebounding will likely attract a fair amount of suitors. Noel said he is open to a reunion with the Mavericks but will enter the summer with an “open mind” when it comes to signing his next deal.

Check out more Mavericks notes below:

The Mavericks’ recent win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden was proof that head coach Rick Carlisle is still taking his job seriously, despite the team’s poor record, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. Carlisle is owed a sizeable $7MM annual salary and has job security through 2022 but he does not want to concede in any way. “Competing just takes on a different form in our situation,” Carlisle said. “I have chosen to be here. I have a long deal. I knew we were probably going to hit a lower point. It’s just part of the cycle of the NBA.”
With Wesley Matthews out for the remainder of the season with a stress fracture, several Mavericks players stand to see increased minutes. Sefko writes that players such as Dorian Finney-Smith, Doug McDermott, and Jalen Jones will likely see the most increased minutes.
After the Mavericks’ win over the Knicks, Harrison Barnes and Dirk Nowitzki addressed the topic of tanking in the NBA. Nowitzki said it’s clear which teams are purposely trying to lose and which ones are trying to win despite their record. “We keep playing hard,” Nowitzki said, per Sefko. “There obviously are some teams that are going for some losses now. We’re one of the teams that still wants to win and see where we end up in the draft.”

Wesley Matthews Likely Out For Season

March 12th, 2018 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks forward Wesley Matthews has suffered a stress fracture in his right leg, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). According to Charania, Matthews will likely miss the rest of the 2017/18 season as he rests and rehabs that injury.

Matthews, in his third season in Dallas, averaged a modest 12.7 PPG in 63 games (33.8 MPG). While his scoring numbers with the Mavs haven’t matched the ones he put up in Portland before his Achilles tear, Matthews’ ’17/18 shooting numbers were an improvement over last year’s marks — he was a .406/.381/.822 shooter this season.

Technically, Matthews could become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he’s a virtual lock to exercise his player option for 2018/19. That option is worth $18,622,514, a figure Matthews wouldn’t match on the open market. The veteran sharpshooter was the subject of a few trade rumors leading up to this season’s deadline, and his expiring contract should make him easier to move once the new league year begins, so there’s no guarantee he’ll spend next season in Dallas.

In Matthews’ absence, Doug McDermott and Kyle Collinsworth are among the Mavs who could see a bump in playing time.

Wesley Matthews Undergoing MRI On Knee Injury

March 12th, 2018 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

A right knee injury may sideline Mavericks swingman Wesley Matthews for at least the next handful of games. According to Dwain Price of Mavs.com, head coach Rick Carlisle said Matthews won’t travel with the club on its upcoming four-game road trip, though Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News suggests Matthews could join the team on the trip if a Monday MRI comes back clean.