Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyler’s Latest: Jordan, Kings, Mirotic, Whiteside

January 18th, 2018 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

The streaky Clippers, who lost nine straight games back in November, have now won a season-high six consecutive contests, re-inserting themselves in the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Even though DeAndre Jordan has been sidelined with an ankle injury for the Clips’ last three wins, the streak seems to bode well for his chances of sticking in Los Angeles through the trade deadline.

As Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes, Clippers ownership and management doesn’t seem at all eager to blow up the roster. For now, the club is focused on seeing if it’s capable of competing in the West, preferring to wait until a bit closer to the deadline to evaluate all of its options.

If the Clippers do change course by February 8, the Bucks and Rockets figure to be among the teams with interest in Jordan, whose contract situation is worth monitoring. According to Kyler, there’s a belief that the veteran center won’t be able to top his $24.12MM player option as a free agent, meaning it’s possible he could decide to opt in for 2018/19. That possibility may affect how the Clippers and potential trade partners view Jordan at the deadline.

Here’s more from Kyler:

The Kings‘ veteran players are all potential trade candidates at the deadline, though some are more likely to be moved than others. George Hill, for example, won’t have much value, given his contract situation, his injury history, and his underwhelming play this season. Sources close to the situation tell Kyler that Sacramento seems to be trying to help its veterans find better situations as those players fall out of the team’s regular rotation.
Kyler hears that Nikola Mirotic‘s camp is pushing for the Bulls to pick up the forward’s $12.5MM team option for 2018/19. Until that team option is exercised, Mirotic has the ability to block a trade, giving him some leverage if Chicago wants to complete a deal. League sources tell Kyler that the Bulls have “gotten pretty far down the road” in talks with the Jazz and Pistons about Mirotic.
There’s “growing talk” around the NBA that the Heat would be open to the idea of moving Hassan Whiteside for the right mix of contracts and young players, Kyler writes. The Bucks and Cavaliers, both on the lookout for a center, would be obvious suitors, but it would tough for either team to make a deal, given Whiteside’s large cap hit ($23.78MM). John Henson, Mirza Teletovic, Tristan Thompson, and Iman Shumpert are among the players whose contracts might have to be included for Milwaukee or Cleveland to make a deal work, which doesn’t sound overly appealing for Miami.
The Mavericks are “dangling” some expiring contracts and appear to be seeking a promising prospect on a rookie scale deal, along with future picks, says Kyler. Dallas also has cap flexibility to take on a contract or two.

Mavs May Use Cap Room To Accommodate Trades

January 17th, 2018 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

With about $85.6MM in team salary on their 2017/18 books, the Mavericks are one of the few teams with the cap flexibility to take on contracts this season, and they intend to take advantage of that flexibility if they can, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. “I would say we are looking to use our cap space actively,” owner Mark Cuban said this week. “We will take back salary to get picks or guys we think can play.”

Mavs, Lakers To Pursue DeMarcus Cousins In Free Agency?

January 16th, 2018 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Not many NBA teams currently project to have maximum-salary cap room this offseason, but for those teams with space, DeMarcus Cousins figures to be a top target. Appearing on Nate Duncan’s Dunc’d On Podcast this week, Marc Stein of The New York Times identified the Mavericks and Lakers as two teams expected to push the Pelicans for Cousins, though he cautioned that New Orleans still looks like the frontrunner.

“I think most teams around the league believe that the Pelicans will re-sign Cousins unless he doesn’t want to stay there,” Stein said, according to RealGM. “I think the Pelicans are the clear favorites. Now, I would say there’s an expectation – and maybe it’s even speculation on the part of rival teams – but I’ve heard Dallas and the Lakers mentioned most frequently. Those are teams that are expected, whatever ‘expected’ means, to make a run at him.”

The Lakers figure to have enough room for at least one max player, if not two, but as Stein acknowledges, LeBron James and/or Paul George may rank higher than Cousins on L.A.’s list of potential targets. As for the Mavs, options for Wesley Matthews and Dirk Nowitzki would cut into their space significantly, but the team may still have enough flexibility to put a max offer on the table. Noting that there has been Cousins-related chatter for a while in Dallas, Stein suggests that a pursuit of the big man “would be a very Mark Cuban move.”

While it’s worth surveying the potential free agency landscape for Cousins, it’s probably still too early to get a real sense of which teams will pursue him most aggressively and where he could realistically land. The Pelicans’ success – or lack thereof – during the rest of the 2017/18 season figures to play a major part in the 27-year-old’s summer decision. New Orleans will also be able to offer more years and more money than any other team.

Cousins is currently in the midst of perhaps his best all-around season, averaging an impressive 25.5 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.6 BPG, and 1.5 SPG to go along with a .474/.356/.749 shooting line.

Mavs Sign Kyle Collinsworth To 10-Day Deal

January 13th, 2018 at 12:38pm CST by clarkcrum

Just three days after waiving him from his two-way contract, the Mavericks have signed Kyle Collinsworth to a 10-day deal, according to an official press release from the team.

Collinsworth, 26, appeared in only four games for Dallas while on his two-way contract, averaging 1.0 points and 0.5 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per game. Nevertheless, the deal was somewhat expected, as head coach Rick Carlisle said that Collinsworth could potentially be back on a 10-day contract after he was waived earlier this week.

The signing of Collinsworth will give Dallas a full 17-man roster, with Johnathan Motley and Collinsworth’s replacement, Jalen Jones, holding the team’s two-way spots.

Dallas, who is currently below the cap floor, will incur a modest cap hit of $46,080 for Collinsworth’s deal.

Mavs Should Not Be Targeting Julius Randle

January 11th, 2018 at 7:53pm CST by Austin Kent

Rumors that the Mavs could be in pursuit of Texas native Julius Randle were shot down by Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News. His reason? Acquiring a good player ahead of the trade deadline this season is the last thing the presumably lottery-bound club should be doing.

Mavs Claim Jalen Jones, Waive Kyle Collinsworth

January 10th, 2018 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have claimed two-way player Jalen Jones, waiving two-way player Kyle Collinsworth in a corresponding move, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The Jones transaction earns a place in NBA history as the first time that a player on a two-way contract has been claimed off waivers.

Jones, 24, had been on a two-way contract with the Pelicans before being cut on Monday. Since New Orleans doesn’t have a G League affiliate of its own, the young forward split time between the Greensboro Swarm and Texas Legends this season, giving Dallas’ brass a first-hand look at him. Jones, who also briefly appeared in four NBA games for the Pelicans, averaged 19.1 PPG in 17 G League games, but saw his three-point percentage slip to just 27.5%.

As for Collinsworth, his two-way stint with the Mavericks lasted less than a month after he signed his deal on December 19. The 26-year-old swingman had been playing for the Legends prior to earning that two-way contract, and may very well return to the Mavs’ affiliate if and when he clears waivers. He could also be back in Dallas on a 10-day contract at some point, head coach Rick Carlisle said today (Twitter link via Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com).

Because Jones was claimed off waivers, the Mavs will assume the terms of his two-way deal with the Pelicans, as they would for a standard NBA waiver claim. That means that Jones’ days of NBA service won’t reset, and his contract – a two-year pact – will continue to run through 2018/19, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.

Pistons Notes: Van Gundy, Jackson, Leuer, Moreland

January 9th, 2018 at 1:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy addressed trade rumors surrounding his team during a session with reporters today. Detroit is among several teams linked to Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic as the Pistons try to remain in the playoff race with a roster weakened by injuries.

“We have a roster spot available and there’s people calling,” Van Gundy said in comments tweeted by Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “We’re just seeing if there’s anything that makes sense for us. When you’re down a starting point guard, there’s not a lot of people shopping their starting point guard to you.” (Twitter link).

Reggie Jackson is out until at least the All-Star break with a sprained right ankle. Forward Jon Leuer hasn’t played since October 31 because of a sprained left ankle and may be headed for surgery. After a fast start, the Pistons have fallen into a sixth-place tie in the East at 21-18 and are barely holding on to a playoff spot.

“We’ve got [Leuer] down and [Jackson] down,” Van Gundy added. “There’s a lot of need and we’re looking around. We don’t have anything going on right now, but we’re looking around for people to fill holes.”

There’s more today out of Detroit:

The Pistons have plenty of options to target before the February 8 deadline, writes Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. He lists Orlando’s Evan Fournier, Brooklyn’s Joe Harris, Miami’s Wayne Ellington, Dallas’ Wesley Matthews and Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore as players to watch.
Pistons center Eric Moreland has a bit of security for the first time in his career, notes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Moreland had his $1,739,333 contract guaranteed this week, providing him with some stability after four years of trying to earn a steady NBA job. Moreland went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2014 and signed with the Kings, but played just 11 games at the NBA level in two seasons. He signed a partially guaranteed three-year deal with the Pistons over the offseason, but says he hasn’t been focused on this week’s guarantee deadline. “I play the same way, money or no money,” he said. “I don’t even play basketball for money. I just want to go out there and keep learning. This is my first year playing. I can’t get involved in that. That’s just not my mentality. I’m not trying to survive like that.”

Two Cavaliers Trade Exceptions Expire

January 9th, 2018 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

Two traded player exceptions created by the Cavaliers in last January’s acquisition of Kyle Korver expired this week, as expected. One of those two trade exceptions was already utilized by the Cavs in the offseason, and the amount left on it made it virtually impossible to use again. However, the other one, worth about $4.84MM, wasn’t used at all.

[RELATED: Outstanding NBA Trade Exceptions]

Despite letting those two trade exceptions expire, the Cavs remain well-stocked with TPEs in the event that they need one to make a deal at next month’s deadline. Most notably, they hold one worth approximately $5.81MM, which will be available until late August.

The following trade exceptions around the NBA will also expire if they’re not used by the February 8 trade deadline:

Milwaukee Bucks: $5,000,000
New Orleans Pelicans: $3,517,200
Chicago Bulls: $1,589,480
Dallas Mavericks: $1,514,160
Milwaukee Bucks: $1,151,241 (expires on February 2)
Cleveland Cavaliers: $980,431
Dallas Mavericks: $621,362
Washington Wizards: $425,973
Portland Trail Blazers: $407,210
Toronto Raptors: $328,000

While they won’t expire until sometime in the offseason, the Trail Blazers ($12.97MM), Raptors ($11.8MM), and Clippers ($7.27MM) also have sizable trade exceptions worth keeping an eye on. Still, all three of those clubs have potential luxury tax concerns, so they’re unlikely to take on big salaries at the deadline without sending out any money.

For more information on how trade exceptions work, be sure to check out our glossary entry on the subject.

Mavs Could Benefit From Tanking But It's Not That Simple

January 7th, 2018 at 8:17pm CST by Austin Kent

The Mavs are one team that could potentially benefit from “competitively tanking” but doing so may be easier said than done, Matt Mosley of the Dallas Morning News implies. The scribe says that Rick Carlisle isn’t a great coach for tanking and adds that Dennis Smith Jr. may have other plans following a losing year at N.C. State.

Knicks Notes: Hardaway, Ntilikina, Smith, Kanter

January 6th, 2018 at 7:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tim Hardaway Jr. was a limited participant in practice today and is optimistic about returning during a six-game road trip that starts January 18, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Hardaway has been sidelined for five weeks by a stress reaction in his left leg, and the Knicks have fallen below .500 without him as an outside scoring threat.

“I was itching to get back for Christmas, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen,” Hardaway said. “I was itching to go home against Miami [Friday], my hometown. It was painful not to be there. I had those two games circled on the calendar.’’

Hardaway was New York’s top free agent addition of the offseason, signing a $71MM deal over four years. He was an important contributor to the team’s fast start, averaging 17.8 points over 21 games before the injury.

There’s more tonight out of New York:

Point guards Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith may be linked throughout their careers because of their proximity in the draft, but they are different types of players, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Ntilikina is a defensive standout who has struggled with his shot and ballhandling, and some scouts believe he will eventually be moved to off guard. Smith is outstanding on offense, but has shortcomings on defense. They will meet for the first time Sunday when the Mavericks host the Knicks. “That part of him being aggressive, that’s always interesting to watch,” Ntilikina said of Smith. “That’s the part I have to explore in my game. Something I can learn and take [from him], as I said he’s a great player offensively.”
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is denying a New York Times report that his professed interest in Ntilikina before the draft was a ruse to get the Knicks to pass on Smith, Bondy adds in a separate story. “Not a stunt at all,” Cuban wrote in an email. “We like Frank quite a bit. If Dennis had been selected there was a very good chance we would have taken Frank.” Smith had an awkward pre-draft meeting with the Knicks, Bondy recalls, and he refused to hold an individual workout or share his medical records with the team.
After a few months in New York, Enes Kanter feels like he wants to retire as a Knick, relays Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Kanter has excelled since being acquired from the Thunder in the Carmelo Anthony trade, but he has an $18.4MM player option that could determine his future with the team. He said he hasn’t decided if he will exercise it.