Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Dwight Powell, Yogi Ferrell Make Impact On Mavs

December 15th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Austin Kent

The Mavs have benefited from the across the board contributions of role players Dwight Powell and Yogi Ferrell this season, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. The pair have thrived as much-needed team worker bees.

“[Powell] always gives us amazing energy,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of his 26-year-old backup center. “He is just so into the team and winning. Guys like him, you just can’t get enough of.”

In 17.9 minutes per game, Powell has posted 6.2 points and 5.3 rebounds, a stat line that works out to be 12.5 and 10.5 per-36. Ferrell, in contrast, has served the Mavs out of the backcourt, stepping up noticeably well as a spot starter for Dennis Smith Jr.

In five starts with the lottery pick sidelined, Ferrell has averaged 12.5 points and 4.8 assists per game for the Mavs.

Dirk Nowitzki: “Looking Like” I’ll Play In 2018/19

December 14th, 2017 at 6:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The prime years of Dirk Nowitzki‘s career are behind him, but he’s not ready to ride off into the sunset quite yet. While Nowitzki said he doesn’t want to set anything in stone quite yet, he’s leaning toward playing at least one more season beyond this one, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.

“I’m not going to say 100% I’ll be back — but it’s looking like it,” Nowitzki told Sefko. “I feel fine so far. I’ve played every game. I’d love to play all 82. That would be amazing at [age] 39. We’ll see how the body feels. But so far, it’s been fine.”

Nowitzki, who will turn 40 in June, signed a two-year, $10MM contract with Dallas this past offseason. That deal includes a team option for 2018/19, so the decision on whether or not the longtime Maverick will be back is technically up to the team. However, owner Mark Cuban has expressed hope that Nowitzki will return for 2018/19 to set the record for most years spent with one team, and it’s not as if Cuban would decline that option.

Although 2017/18 may not be Nowitzki’s last season, he did stress that his current deal “will be for sure my last contract,” according to Sefko. So if he returns for next season, it figures to be his farewell tour.

Having started all 28 games for the Mavs so far this season, Nowitzki is averaging 11.1 PPG and 5.6 RPG with a .443/.416/.919 shooting line.

2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Dallas Mavericks

December 14th, 2017 at 1:41pm CST by Austin Kent

The Mavericks are in a curious position as an NBA franchise, suspended in a unique limbo between rebuilding and (sorta) contending. Thank Dirk Nowitzki for most of it, as team owner Mark Cuban seems to have insisted that the Mavs field a semi-competent roster in the future Hall of Famer’s final years.

While the club has seemingly acknowledged the writing on the wall and started to amass long-term building blocks – most recently, ninth overall pick Dennis Smith Jr. – it’s unlikely that the Mavs will fully give into an outright rebuild so long as Nowitzki is on board for 2018/19 (which, for reasons discussed below, we’re going to assume to be the case).

Seth Curry, PG, 27 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $6MM deal in 2016
Curry has yet to see the court this season on account of a leg injury that may now require surgery. Even at full health, however, it’s not likely that Curry would have siphoned minutes away from either lottery pick Dennis Smith Jr. or several other niche players in Dallas’ backcourt rotation, a reality that casts doubt on his future with the franchise.

Devin Harris, SG, 35 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $17MM deal in 2014
While Harris has produced admirably off the bench for the Mavs, it doesn’t make sense for a team attempting to usher in a new era to retain a 35-year-old reserve in an already crowded backcourt. Harris could be a sneaky value add for a contender late in the free agency process next summer.

Yogi Ferrell, PG, 25 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $2MM deal in 2017
Ferrell carved out a role for himself as a rotation piece on the Mavs last season but he probably won’t garner much interest as a restricted free agent next summer given that his ceiling seems somewhat capped. Still, he could provide solid long-term value in Dallas if the team does decide to part ways with Curry and/or Harris.

Wesley Matthews, SF, 31 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $70MM deal in 2015
The Mavs poached Matthews from an elite Trail Blazers squad hopeful that the swingman’s two-way game would help keep their aging core relevant in the West. Through three seasons, Matthews has posted a relatively uninspiring 12.9 points per game but will almost certainly return to Dallas considering how unlikely it would be for him to exceed his $19MM 2018/19 player option on the open market.

Josh McRoberts, PF, 31 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $23MM deal in 2014
The Mavs absorbed the final year of McRoberts’ contract over the summer, yielding a future second-round pick from the Heat in the process. Considering that the 30-year-old has been sidelined with a knee injury since joining the organization, he’ll be hard-pressed to earn a significant contract after this season. McRoberts may be able to fill a rotation spot somewhere – maybe even in Dallas – but he’ll presumably have to do so on a minimum salary.

Salah Mejri, C, 32 (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $3MM deal in 2015
While Mejri has played a modest role for the Mavs in each of the past three seasons, he won’t command much on the open market as a 32-year-old free agent with career averages south of five points per game.

Nerlens Noel, C, 24 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $4MM deal in 2017
It’s been less than a year since the Mavs plucked a disgruntled Noel away from the Sixers, but any notion that the team was eager to include the 23-year-old in their long-term plans has quickly faded. It’s hard to picture Noel commanding the big money he supposedly aspired to land last summer but even harder to picture him back in Dallas next season after how head coach Rick Carlisle has handled his minutes so far this season. Realistically the 2016 lottery pick’s value falls much higher than his $4MM qualifying offer and, once the free agency dominoes start falling next summer, he should find a team happy to throw him a more significant long-term offer.

Dirk Nowitzki, PF, 40 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $10MM deal in 2017.
Nowitzki has said that his decision (yes, his decision, even though it’s formally and contractually the team’s) will be based on how he feels over the course of this season. For what it’s worth, Cuban hopes to see him return and thinks there’s good chance that he does so in order to break the record for most seasons with one franchise.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Noel May Get A Chance To Raise Trade Value

December 13th, 2017 at 8:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Once Mavericks center Nerlens Noel recovers from thumb surgery, he may see increased playing time in an attempt to build his trade value, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Noel had fallen out of the rotation before the procedure, which was conducted over the weekend. He is expected to be sidelined three to six weeks.

Noel has played just 18 games and is averaging 12.5 minutes per night as Dallas tries to work out playing time for all its big men. Noel’s salary is a little less than $4.19MM on an expiring contract, and Sefko notes that he won’t provide much cap relief for any team that might trade for him. Jean-Jacques Taylor of The Morning-News suggests that the most the Mavericks can hope for in return is a second-round pick.

Mavericks guard Seth Curry, who hasn’t played yet this season because of a stress fracture in his left leg, could be a long way from returning, Sefko writes in a separate story. Curry called it a “couple week by couple week situation” when he talked to reporters before Tuesday’s game. “The path I’m on right now, the MRI shows it’s gotten a little better,” he said. “But there’s a chance [he could need a procedure]. It’s a tricky situation and hard for me to say. It’s very frustrating. Recovery-wise, I get out there and work out and feel OK, and it’ll bother me the next day.”

Mavs Notes: State Of The Team, Curry, Smith Jr.

December 11th, 2017 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Through 27 games, the Mavericks have a 7-20 record, which is identical to the team’s mark through its first 27 games a year ago. Last season’s Mavs played nearly .500 ball the rest of the way, finishing 33-49, but owner Mark Cuban believes this year’s squad is better positioned going forward, as Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News details.

“[We’re] not where we want to be, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not a train,” Cuban said on Sunday. “We’re playing better. It’s sort of like where the T-Wolves (Sunday’s opponent) were last year. We’re competitive. We’re getting leads against good teams. We just haven’t figured out how to close out games. We’ve come a long way.”

The Mavs have dealt with some injury issues so far this season, and Cuban pointed to the club’s tough schedule as another reason why Dallas has won just seven games. Despite the underwhelming on-court results, Cuban is staying positive: “As our young guys get older, they’ll learn. It’s not like anybody’s regressing.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

As Sefko writes, Cuban’s comments on the state of the Mavs included a nod to the fans that want to see the team continue losing in order to get a top pick in the 2018 draft. “For fans that want to see us get better, the opportunity is going to be there,” Cuban said. “For fans that want Team Tank to get a draft pick, the league is a lot more balanced this year in both conferences.”
Head coach Rick Carlisle said last month that there wouldn’t be an update on Seth Curry‘s health until December 11. So what’s today’s update? Curry will remain sidelined for at least another week, per Carlisle (Twitter link via Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com).
Carlisle also addressed Dennis Smith Jr.‘s left hip strain, suggesting that getting the rookie point guard back to 100% is the Mavs’ “No. 1 priority (Twitter links via Sneed). Smith will miss Tuesday’s game against San Antonio and there’s currently no timetable for his return.

McRoberts Hopes To Start Practicing Soon

December 10th, 2017 at 11:39am CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks center/power forward Josh McRoberts doesn’t know when he’ll be able to play again, but he hopes to start practicing soon, relays Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. McRoberts, who was acquired from Miami in an offseason trade, has been diagnosed with a “lower extremity injury” that has kept him out all season. It’s the latest in a string of mishaps that limited him to 81 games over the three seasons before he came to Dallas.

Mavericks center Nerlens Noel is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing thumb surgery Friday at the Cleveland Clinic, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Noel had a torn ligament repaired and should return in four to six weeks. The 23-year-old, who will be an unrestricted free agent in July, is averaging 4.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 18 games.

Dennis Smith Jr. Sidelined With Hip Injury

December 8th, 2017 at 10:31pm CST by Austin Kent

The Mavericks were without rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. tonight and will likely be without him through the weekend, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes.

According to Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, the 20-year-old injured his hip after getting tangle up with a baseline camera man. While the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, Dallas has been particularly cautious with Smith Jr.’s health this season.

Through 23 games with the Mavericks this season, Smith Jr. has averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He missed two contests already this season back in October.

Nerlens Noel To Miss Several Weeks

December 8th, 2017 at 1:29pm CST by ChrisCrouse

DECEMBER 8, 1:29pm: Noel has officially undergone surgery on his left thumb, the Mavericks announced today in a press release. The team didn’t provide a recovery timetable for the center.

DECEMBER 6, 5:50pm: Nerlens Noel will undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, Mavericks team writer Bobby Karalla relays (Twitter link).“He’ll be out for several weeks,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “I don’t know how long.”

Noel hurt his thumb earlier in the season and he hasn’t played since November 23. The center told the media that he expects to be out four to six weeks after undergoing surgery, as Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com passes along via Twitter.

Noel, who ‘s making slightly under $4.2MM this season, missed a total of six games so far this season and has only played 12.5 per contest on the nights he has suited up. He’ll be one of several players to become trade-eligible on December 15 and while there was a decent chance that he would have been switching teams prior to the injury, the latest news puts a hold on any movement.

Johnathan Motley Earns First Big League Chance

December 7th, 2017 at 9:04pm CST by Austin Kent

The Mavericks have added Johnathan Motley to their active lineup for the first time this season after the two-way contract signee averaged 22.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in the G League, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. “[When you’re in the G League] you can’t just try to be a guy and get everybody else involved,” teammate J.J. Barea, an alum of the NBA’s minor league, said. “You got to kill it. That’s how you get noticed.“

Mark Cuban Talks Rebuilding, NBA Vs. NFL, Celtics

December 7th, 2017 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been a tough season for Mark Cuban‘s Mavericks so far, as the team currently ranks last in the Western Conference with a 7-18 record. Still, that doesn’t mean Cuban’s plan for Dirk Nowitzki has changed it all — he still envisions Nowitzki spending as many more seasons as he wants with the Mavs, finishing his career in Dallas.

“I still wouldn’t trade Dirk even if they offered me three No. 1’s,” Cuban said with a smile to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald this week. “Four, yes. But three, no.”

In addition to cracking jokes about his longtime star, Cuban also weighed in on a few more noteworthy topics. The Mavs owner talked about the rebuilding process for his club, which he hopes doesn’t last long, and pointed to the Celtics as a franchise worth emulating during that rebuild. He also revisited a topic he has discussed in the past, exploring why the NBA has been on the upswing in recent years, while other sports (most notably the NFL) haven’t had as much success gaining new fans and viewers.

Here are a few highlights from Cuban’s comments to Bulpett, whose piece is worth checking out in full:

On why the NBA is seeing increased popularity and TV ratings:

“There’s a confluence of a couple of things. No. 1, our demographic keeps on getting younger. The NFL and baseball, they keep on getting older. And I think what we’re doing with (the video game) NBA 2K is brilliant. And in the bigger scheme of things, in terms of building fans for the future, what do you want your kids to play? Of all the sports out there, do you want to go to a baseball game, or do want to watch your kid play basketball? Do you want to worry about him [playing] a whole football game, or do you want to watch your kid play basketball? Do you want him to get healthy from running the court, or do you want to watch him play football and worry about collisions?”

On the aspects of the Celtics’ rebuild that he admires and wants to emulate:

“I think the hallmark of what they did is how they get their teams to play hard. That’s really what we look to emulate more than anything else. I mean, they’ve done a great job in the draft, but there’s as much luck as anything else there, and things have got to fall in your lap one way or the other. So the way it’s worked out, the biggest takeaway that we’ve seen in looking at the Celts — and we’ve done a lot of deals with them, so we’re close to them — really, more than anything, it’s just how hard Brad gets his teams to play.”

On the Mavericks’ own rebuild:

“We just started last year. We weren’t going into last year thinking we were rebuilding, but [Andrew] Bogut got hurt and Deron Williams was hurt. We started off 3-17 or something ridiculous, and until we went into tank mode once we got eliminated from the playoffs, we were just outside the playoffs. So we have just started the rebuild, and hopefully it won’t be long.”