Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Mavericks Rumors

Mavs Notes: Noel, Curry, Trades, Draft

February 13th, 2018 at 10:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Center Nerlens Noel is expected to return to action shortly after the All-Star break and Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle plans to give him steady playing time, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports. Noel has appeared in just 18 games this season, mainly due to a torn thumb ligament which required surgery in early December. “We want to get him healthy, get him back and try to get him a good 20 or so games, if we can,” Carlisle told Sefko. Noel will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after signing his qualifying offer last summer when he couldn’t find a satisfactory offer in restricted free agency.

In other news regarding the Mavs:

  • Seth Curry probably won’t get offered a mid-level exception during free agency following an injury-plagued season, Sefko speculates in his live chat excerpts. A contract with a modest raise over the $3MM he’s making this season might be the best he’ll do, Sefko adds.
  • The most likely trade the Mavs would make this offseason is absorbing a contract from a team looking to shed salary to sign a top-level free agent, Sefko opines. He uses the example of the Lakers perhaps looking to dump Julius Randle in order to sign LeBron James or Paul George.
  • Who might the Mavs be looking at in the draft lottery? Saad Yousuf of the Dallas Morning News sizes up 10 prospects on the team’s radar, including Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton and Duke’s Marvin Bagley Jr.
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

February 13th, 2018 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the dust has settled on last Thursday’s trade-deadline deals and the first round of veteran buyouts and cuts has been completed, it’s worth taking stock of which NBA teams have the flexibility to add a player or two without waivers anyone else.

With the help of our roster counts page, which we update all season, here are the NBA teams with open spots on their 15-man rosters. Open two-way contract slots aren’t included here, since teams are ineligible to sign new two-way contracts at this point in the season.

Teams with a player on a 10-day contract filling their open spot:

  • Phoenix Suns
  • Utah Jazz

Both the Suns and Jazz have 14 players on fully guaranteed NBA contracts, leaving one potential opening. For now, Josh Gray is filling that 15th spot in Phoenix and Naz Mitrou-Long is doing the same in Utah. However, they’re only on 10-day contracts, so both of these teams could soon create an open spot if necessary.

Teams with one open spot:

  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • New York Knicks
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Orlando Magic
  • Sacramento Kings
  • Toronto Raptors

The teams listed above represent a mix of playoff-bound squads and rebuilding non-contenders. Teams like the Bulls, Mavericks, and Knicks could use their open roster spots to take fliers on young players via 10-day contracts, while clubs like the Timberwolves, Thunder, and Raptors may be eyeing the buyout market for veterans who could fortify their respective benches.

Teams with two open spots:

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Washington Wizards

NBA rules generally prohibit teams from carrying fewer than 14 players on their 15-man squads. However, clubs are permitted to dip to 13 – or even 12 – in special circumstances, as long as they get back up to 14 within two weeks. Roster moves made last week by the Hawks, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, and Wizards left them below the limit, so they’ll each have to add at least one player by the end of the All-Star break.

Note: Roster info current as of Tuesday, February 13 at 2:00pm CT.

Retweet 7 Share 0 Send via email0

Mavericks See Untapped Potential In McDermott

February 11th, 2018 at 7:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies‘ desire for a first-round pick and their insistence on not taking back unwanted salary were behind the failure to trade Tyreke Evans before the deadline, according to Chris Herrington of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Memphis is counting on using its $8.6MM mid-level exception to sign a free agent this summer and doesn’t want to get close to the luxury tax threshold. The team already has more than $101MM in committed salary for next season.

Herrington adds that GM Chris Wallace wanted a quality first-rounder in exchange for Evans, rather than multiple second-rounders, because the roster is already stuffed with young players. The Grizzlies were disappointed that the offers they got for Evans were no better than what they received for Courtney Lee two years ago.

Memphis won’t be able to offer Evans more than the MLE this offseason, but he may find that enticing as a way to build up Bird rights, which allow teams to exceed the cap to re-sign their own players. He doesn’t have them now because he joined the Grizzlies on a one-year contract, but he can get Early Bird rights if signs with Memphis for one more season or full Bird rights if he stays two more.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • The Mavericks see plenty of potential in Doug McDermott, who was acquired from the Knicks in a three-team trade Thursday, relays Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Coach Rick Carlisle wants to give McDermott more time at power forward, which was his position in college, rather than small forward, where he has mostly been used in the NBA. “I like what he was doing,” Carlisle said. “Offensively, he really is a guy you’ve got to pay attention to. Moves great off the ball. Really one of the quickest releases on his shot I’ve seen. There’s just a few guys who get rid of it that quick. I think he’s just a good mix with the guys that we have here.”
  • Lakers forward Julius Randle impressed Dallas fans with 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in Saturday’s game, Townsend notes in the same story. Randle, a Dallas native, will be a restricted free agent this summer and is reportedly on the Mavericks‘ radar. “I don’t care where it is,” Randle said about playing well in Dallas. “I’m just going to try to bring it every night, just be as consistent as possible.”
  • Carlisle is impressed with the collection of talent in Houston, where the Rockets are about to add Joe Johnson and Brandan Wright once they clear waivers, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “Two really potent signings this time of year,” Carlisle said. “Houston, they’re loading up. They’re right there. It’s an exciting time for them.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Mavericks Waive Josh McRoberts

February 10th, 2018 at 6:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks have waived veteran center/power forward Josh McRoberts, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The move is likely a buyout agreement, although terms were not released.

McRoberts played just two games in Dallas after being acquired from Miami in an offseason trade. The Mavericks also received $5.1M in cash and a 2023 second-round draft pick in the deal, so they don’t walk away empty handed.

McRoberts was hampered by a left foot injury early in the season, but he has been active for every game since December 31. He was trapped in a logjam at center that will only get more crowded once Nerlens Noel returns from thumb surgery. McRoberts, who was making a little more than $6MM in the final year of his contract, will try to sign with a contender once he clears waivers Monday.

Coach Rick Carlisle said the team will monitor the waiver wire and future buyouts to fill its open roster spot, tweets Mavericks insider Earl K. Sneed.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

2017/18 Buyout Market Summary

February 9th, 2018 at 10:51pm CST by Austin Kent

With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, much attention is being paid to what is expected to be several weeks of busy buyout market activity. The last day that a player can be waived from their current team and still be eligible to play in the postseason with a new team is March 1.

Below are a series of lists breaking down the veterans who have already been bought out – or simply waived – by their respective teams since the trade deadline, along with those who are expected to be, and several more who really ought to be considered possible buyout candidates even if no reports have come out explicitly stating as much.

As the weeks unfold, we may see new names surface as buyout candidates, in such cases (and whenever a player is formally bought out) we’ll update the list.

Potential buyout candidates:

Expected to be bought out or released:

  • None

Veterans who have been bought out or released:

Retweet 10 Share 0 Send via email0

Mavs Intend To Re-Sign Doug McDermott As RFA

February 9th, 2018 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams
  • Having acquired Doug McDermott from the Knicks on Thursday, the Mavericks plan to re-sign the fourth-year sharpshooter in restricted free agency this summer, sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post. Dallas will have the right of first refusal on McDermott, allowing the team to match any offer sheet he signs.
Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

Traded Player Exceptions Created In Deadline Deals

February 9th, 2018 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Before NBA teams started reaching trade agreements on Thursday, we published the latest entry in our Hoops Rumors Glossary, focusing on the traded player exception. As we explain in our breakdown, the traded player exception can allow over-the-cap teams to receive more salary than they send out in “simultaneous” trades.

The more common form of traded player exception is the one generated in a “non-simultaneous” trade, when a team send out a single player and takes back less salary – or none at all – in return. The team then has one calendar year to use that newly-created exception to acquire one or more players whose salaries fit into that exception.

For instance, the Raptors created a $11,800,000 trade exception in last July’s DeMarre Carroll trade with the Nets, meaning that on Thursday they could have acquired a player earning, say, $11MM without sending out any salary in return.

Not many teams took advantage of their outstanding trade exceptions on Thursday, but at least a couple teams appear to have completed trades with previously existing trade exceptions, or with disabled player exceptions. Nearly every trade completed on Thursday also generated at least one new trade exception, so we’ll round up those newly-created TPEs below.

With the help of tweets from cap experts Albert Nahmad and Bobby Marks, along with information from RealGM’s official transactions log, here’s a breakdown of the new TPEs, sorted by value. Not all of these exceptions have been confirmed with 100% certainty, but this is what we believe they’ll look like. These TPEs will expire if they’re not used by February 8, 2019:

Our list of outstanding traded player exceptions has been updated, and will be adjusted if necessary once we’re able to confirm all the TPEs listed above.

If you have any corrections or questions, please let us know in the comment section.

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

Mavs Don’t Plan To Buy Out Nerlens Noel

February 9th, 2018 at 8:34am CST by Luke Adams

After keeping him on their roster through the trade deadline, the Mavericks have no plans to buy out Nerlens Noel in the coming weeks, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (via Twitter).

So far, Noel’s stint in Dallas hasn’t worked out like he or the team had hoped. Acquired in a deadline deal a year ago, the 23-year-old was solid down the stretch last season for the Mavs, but had a frustrating free agency in which he turned down a lucrative multiyear deal and ended up signing his one-year qualifying offer, worth $4.19MM.

Noel hoped a big 2017/18 season would allow him to cash in as an unrestricted free agent in 2018, but he has been slowed by injuries, and has played sparingly even when healthy, averaging 4.0 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 18 games (12.5 MPG).

While a buyout would make some sense, given Noel’s struggles in Dallas and his expiring contract, it doesn’t appear to be in the cards. A thumb injury continues to keep Noel on the shelf for now, but according to Stein, the Mavs are hopeful that the young center will be able to get back on the court after the All-Star break. At that point, the club will take another shot at getting him regular minutes and establishing a role for him, Stein adds.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Knicks Acquire Emmanuel Mudiay In Three-Team Trade

February 8th, 2018 at 7:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:51pm: The three-way trade is now official, according to press releases issued by the Knicks and Nuggets.Emmanuel Mudiay vertical

1:09pm: Denver, New York and Dallas have reached agreement on a three-team trade that will send Emmanuel Mudiay to the Knicks, Devin Harris to the Nuggets and Doug McDermott to the Mavericks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The deal also includes a swap of second-round picks, Woj adds, with Denver receiving the Clippers’ 2018 second-rounder from the Knicks. The Mavericks will be getting the Trail Blazers’ 2018 second-round pick from the Nuggets.

The Knicks are adding to their options at point guard by taking on Mudiay, who was the seventh player selected in the 2015 draft. He was given the starting spot as a rookie, but has drifted into a reserve role as shooting problems have slowed his progress. He joins 2017 first-rounder Frank Ntilikina in New York’s backcourt, along with veteran Jarrett Jack and Trey Burke. Mudiay is owed nearly $4.3MM for next season and is eligible for a rookie contract extension in the summer of 2019.

Harris, who will turn 35 later this month, brings a veteran presence to Denver’s backcourt for the rest of the season. He is averaging 8.5 points in 44 games and has an expiring contract worth a little more than $4.4MM.

McDermott, part of the package the Knicks received in exchange for Carmelo Anthony, averaged 7.2 points and shot .387 from 3-point range in 55 games for New York. This is the third trade in the past 12 months for McDermott, who will be a restricted free agent this summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Seth Curry Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

February 8th, 2018 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 8: The Mavs confirmed today that Curry has undergone surgery to address his left tibia injury. He’s expected to return to full activity in about 10 to 12 weeks, according to the team.

FEBRUARY 6: The leg problems that have kept Seth Curry out of action for the entire 2017/18 campaign so far will sideline him for the rest of the season, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, the Mavericks guard will undergo surgery on his left tibia and won’t return before season’s end.

The recovery timetable for Curry’s season-ending procedure is expected to be about 12 to 14 weeks, per Wojnarowski. That would put the 27-year-old on track to be fully healthy in time for July 1, when he’ll reach the open market as an unrestricted free agent.

Curry, who signed a two-year deal with Dallas during the 2016 offseason, had a breakout season in 2016/17, averaging 12.8 PPG and 2.7 APG with a .481/.425/.850 shooting line in 70 games (42 starts). The Mavs were looking forward to seeing him pair with rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. in their backcourt this season, but after being diagnosed with a tibia stress reaction in the fall, Curry has been unable to get back on the court.

Based on his play last season, Curry – who is earning just over $3MM in 2017/18 – appeared likely to be in line for a raise on his next contract. However, this leg surgery will complicate that equation — potential suitors figure to be keeping a close eye on his recovery process this spring.

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts