- On his Substack page, Dallas Sports Journal, Afseth takes an in-depth look at how Klay Thompson can play off of Mavericks star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Afseth anticipates Thompson will significantly bolster the team’s offensive arsenal with his ability to stretch the floor and take quick-trigger shots, among other skills.
SEPTEMBER 11: The agreement is now official, the Mavericks have announced. It’s a one-year, non-guaranteed deal for Morris, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The deal includes an Exhibit 9 clause for Morris, who gave up his right to veto a trade as part of the agreement, Hoops Rumors has learned.
SEPTEMBER 7: Markieff Morris has reached an agreement to return to the Mavericks, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The deal was confirmed by Morris’ agent, Yony Noy of LAA Partners, Charania adds (Twitter link).
Even though he didn’t see much playing time, the 35-year-old power forward was a strong veteran leader for Dallas during its run to the NBA Finals. Morris appeared in 26 games during the regular season and averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per night. He was only used in one postseason game.
Re-signing Morris was an offseason priority for the Mavs, Charania states. They currently have 14 players with fully guaranteed contracts, along with A.J. Lawson, whose $2.1MM salary for this season is non-guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date of January 10.
Dallas will be at the limit of 21 players for training camp once Morris’ new deal is finalized.
This will be the 14th NBA season for Morris, who was selected by the Suns with the 13th pick in the 2011 draft. After four and a half seasons in Phoenix and three years in Washington, Morris has become somewhat of a journeyman, spending time with six teams in the past five years.
He came to the Mavericks from Brooklyn at the 2023 deadline as part of the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Dallas. He was also a free agent last summer and signed a one-year deal in September.
After initially tendering Sandro Mamukelashvili a qualifying offer in June to make him a restricted free agent, the Spurs renounced the big man’s rights in July in order to maximize their cap room. While Mamukelashvili wasn’t sure at that point what his future held, he tells Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) that his “heart loves San Antonio” and that he was glad to end up re-signing with the Spurs on a one-year, minimum-salary contract.
“You always want to be bought into something special and be a part of something special,” Mamukelashvili said. “With Victor (Wembanyama) being here and adding a couple veterans and some great young guys, it’s something you want to be a part of. It’s constant growth. Nobody’s just sitting laid back. Everybody comes to the gym and works hard. You want to be part of that.”
It’s the second straight summer that Mamukelashvili has re-signed with the Spurs on a one-year deal. He admitted to McDonald that he wasn’t quite as stressed out during his most recent foray into free agency, in part because teams besides the Spurs expressed interest in him.
“My first free agency, if you saw me you would have thought I was a dead man walking,” Mamukelashvili said. “I was not sleeping. I’m on Twitter like, ‘What’s going on? Just give me a minimum deal, you know?'”
Mamukelashvili didn’t play a ton in his first full season in San Antonio in 2023/24, averaging 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game across 46 appearances (five starts). The 25-year-old’s playing time is unlikely to increase substantially in his fourth season, but he’s OK with the idea of accepting a modest role.
“A guy in my situation, just one more year in the league is already a celebration,” he said.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- The Spurs announced on Tuesday in a press release that they’ve hired Mike Noyes as an assistant coach and director of player development while also promoting Josh Larson to general manager of the Austin Spurs and former NBA big man Gorgui Dieng to Austin’s assistant GM. Noyes has spent the past six seasons with the Grizzlies, most recently as a player development coach. Larson has been in the Spurs organization since 2019, while Dieng was hired in 2023 following his retirement as a player.
- Speaking at a youth basketball camp in Dallas over the weekend, veteran forward P.J. Washington said he believes the Mavericks are capable of winning a title after their offseason moves and discussed the areas of his own game that he’s working on improving, as Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News relays. “My ball-handling, being able to rebound the ball and just push and be another outlet,” Washington said. “Being able to shoot off the dribble. Pretty much everything. Working on finishing through contact. Just trying to be a better three-level scorer and trying to be a better play-maker.”
- Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal explores what Grizzlies fans should realistically expect from rookie center Zach Edey, who will likely be asked to play a significant role in his first NBA season.
Harrison Barnes knows his experience will be valuable to the Spurs’ young roster, according to Matt Guzman of Sports Illustrated.
“Obviously, coming in with (Chris Paul), we’re going to be two of the older guys in the locker room,” Barnes said. “Just getting a chance to talk with some of the guys here, there’s good energy, good excitement. I definitely look forward to putting my arm around guys and getting to work.”
Barnes will also provide perimeter shooting (38% on 3-point attempts in his career) and solid defense, Guzman adds. Barnes was acquired in the three-team deal involving Sacramento and Chicago.
“(I’m here) to do anything that’s asked of me,” he said. “The goal every season is to go out there, play 82 games and give it my best.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Pelicans’ NBA G League team, the Birmingham Squadron, has acquired the rights to guard Au’Diese Toney from the Nuggets’ G League team, the Grand Rapids Gold, in exchange for Tevian Jones, according to the Gold (Twitter link). Toney, 24, played in 12 regular-season games with the Gold last season, averaging 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He was undrafted out of Arkansas. Jones, who was undrafted out of Southern Utah, appeared in 34 games for the Gold.
- The Mavericks have chosen to have their games broadcast over a local, free over-the-air channel, according to a team press release. The agreement covers all games that are not on national TV. The new multi-year broadcast rights agreement with TEGNA will allow Dallas-area residents to watch the games on KMPX Dallas-Ft. Worth. The Mavs ended their broadcast deal with financially troubled Bally Sports last month.
- In case you missed it, the Mavericks are bringing back Markieff Morris. Get the details here.
Evan Fournier is ready to get started with Olympiacos after spending 12 years in the NBA, per a Eurohoops story. The 32-year-old guard made the decision to play in Europe after helping France win a silver medal at the Olympics. During a press conference this week, Fournier confirmed that he received an offer from Washington, but he didn’t want to settle for being a mentor and a part-time player.
“I had contacts with some contenders during the summer, before the Olympics,” he told reporters. “I had an offer from the Wizards, but that wasn’t something I wanted for my career right now. I came to Olympiacos to experience strong emotions, play in big games, and be part of a special project. This was the opportunity at the right time and by far the best option for me.”
Fournier added that he grew up as a fan of Olympiacos and is happy to be able to join the Greek team. He spent time with JSF Nanterre and Poitiers Basket 86 before coming to the NBA, so he’s familiar with the European style of play, and he said at the news conference that it’s actually harder to score in the EuroLeague than it is in the NBA. He also stated that he received encouragement from Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, a former teammate, about returning to Europe.
“Vucevic and I have been discussing it all the time lately,” Fournier said. “He is from Montenegro and is a fan of Red Star, and he was asking me a lot of questions about my transition here. He loves European basketball as well. If he doesn’t (make) the playoffs, he will come see me play here.”
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Mavericks center Daniel Gafford received an offer to join Luka Doncic on the Slovenian national team, Matej Erjavec, president of the Basketball Federation of Slovenia, revealed in an interview with Ekipa. Gafford was approached with the possibility after a game last season and asked for some time to consider it. “When he called us a few days later, he said that this summer was simply not going to work, as he had ordered individual exercises, programs, personal trainers and some other matters,” Erjavec said. “(But) he is definitely interested in the future.”
- Former NBA player Alen Smailagic cited extortion, blackmail and financial fraud as reasons he chose to leave Serbia and sign with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, per BasketNews. Smailagic has filed criminal charges against two people regarding a contract his parents signed in 2019 after his first season with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League.
- Turkish player Ilkan Karaman, who was selected in the 2012 NBA draft, has died at age 34 after being struck by a car while standing on the sidewalk, according to BasketNews. Karaman was taken by the Nets with the 57th pick in 2012. His draft rights were traded to Cleveland in 2014 and to Milwaukee in 2020, but he never played in the NBA.
With the 2024/25 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.
With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including Bovada and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.
In 2023/24, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’24/25?
We’ll continue our series today with the Southwest Division…
Dallas Mavericks
- 2023/24 record: 50-32
- Over/under for 2024/25: 49.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, Spencer Dinwiddie
- Lost: Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Derrick Jones, Markieff Morris
- Note: Morris may still re-sign with the Mavericks, likely replacing A.J. Lawson in that scenario.
Memphis Grizzlies
- 2023/24 record: 27-55
- Over/under for 2024/25: 47.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells
- Lost: Ziaire Williams, Yuta Watanabe, Lamar Stevens
New Orleans Pelicans
- 2023/24 record: 49-33
- Over/under for 2024/25: 46.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
Houston Rockets
- 2023/24 record: 41-41
- Over/under for 2024/25: 43.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Reed Sheppard, AJ Griffin
- Lost: Reggie Bullock, Boban Marjanovic
San Antonio Spurs
- 2023/24 record: 22-60
- Over/under for 2024/25: 36.5 wins
- Major offseason moves:
- Added: Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes, Stephon Castle
- Lost: Cedi Osman, Devonte’ Graham, Dominick Barlow
Previous voting results:
- Boston Celtics (58.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
- New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (58.8%)
- Philadelphia 76ers (52.5 wins): Under (51.7%)
- Toronto Raptors (30.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
- Brooklyn Nets (19.5 wins): Over (54.3%)
- How will Jason Kidd manage the minutes of Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford at the Mavericks’ center position? That’s one of the big questions for Dallas heading into training camp, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. The need for Jaden Hardy to have a breakout season after Josh Green was traded is another intriguing element of this year’s camp.
Former UNC Greensboro standout and four-time EuroLeague champion Kyle Hines announced on Wednesday that he has decided to retire as a player at age 38 (Instagram link).
Hines, who won a pair of EuroLeague titles with Olympiacos (in 2012 and 2023) and two more with CSKA Moscow (2016 and 2019), also spent time with Veroli (Italy), Brose Bamberg (Germany), and Olimpia Milano (Italy) during his 16-year professional career.
The 6’6″ forward was named to the EuroLeague’s All-Decade team for the 2010s, claimed Best Defender honors in 2016, 2018, and 2022, and will retire as the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in games played (425). He also excelled in domestic competitions, winning three Italian League (LBA) championships to go along with six titles in the Russian League (VTB United) and one in the Greek League (GBL).
“When I didn’t get drafted (in 2008), what I thought would be one of the biggest disappointments in my life turned out to be my biggest blessing,” Hines wrote within a longer statement. “Coming to Europe gave me the opportunity to grow as a person. It allowed me to compete at the highest level. It allowed me to become a competitor, a leader, and champion. Off the court it has given me the opportunity to travel the world, meet so many great people, and share in some amazing memories that will last a lifetime.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Australia’s National Basketball League is expecting 25 NBA scouts and executives – representing 22 separate teams – to visit the Gold Coast to attend the league’s preseason tournament, the NBL Blitz, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN. The eight teams not sending representatives are expected to scout NBL talent at a later date — the Trail Blazers, for instance, will instead attend the HoopsFest in Perth later this month, per Uluc. Nets general manager Sean Marks is among the most notable NBA executives expected to be at the NBL Blitz, according to Uluc, who notes that NBA teams will be able to scout draft-eligible prospects for 2025 and 2026 in addition to veterans who could eventually come stateside.
- A federal bankruptcy judge signed off on Diamond Sports Group’s new agreements with the NBA and NHL on Tuesday and approved the company’s parting of ways with the Pelicans and Mavericks, reports Anthony Crupi of Sportico. The same judge will preside over a status conference in early October, with a date for a final confirmation hearing expected to be set at that session. Diamond Sports – the owner of the Bally Sports networks that will regionally broadcast 13 NBA teams’ games in 2024/25 – is looking to exit bankruptcy this fall.
- An ESPN.com story explores a handful of individual NBA milestones that may be reached during the 2024/25 season, including Lakers star LeBron James potentially passing 50,000 career points (for the regular season and postseason) and becoming the league’s all-time leader in regular season minutes. James needs 1,364 more total points and 850 more regular season minutes to achieve those feats.
As long as a team is operating below the second tax apron, it has access to at least some form of the mid-level exception, a tool designed to allow clubs to add talent without using cap room to do so. As we outline in more detail within our glossary, one of the following MLEs is available to a team below the second apron of $188,931,000:
- Taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,183,000): For teams operating between the first and second tax aprons.
- Non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12,822,000): For teams operating above the cap and below the first apron.
- Room exception ($7,983,000): For teams who operate under the cap and use up all their room.
While four teams – the Celtics, Suns, Timberwolves, and Bucks – currently have salaries above the second tax apron, the other 26 clubs have access to one of these three mid-level exceptions. However, only a small handful of those clubs have actually taken advantage of the exception, as our tracker shows.
The Warriors are the lone team to use the full portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception so far in 2024/25, having signed free agent guard De’Anthony Melton a one-year contract worth $12,822,000.
Four other teams have used at least some portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but still have a chunk left over for one or more signings later in the league year. That group includes the Bulls (approximately $4.25MM remaining), Mavericks ($4.25MM), Clippers ($3.3MM), and Wizards ($6.38MM). They used part of their MLEs to sign Jalen Smith, Naji Marshall, Derrick Jones, and Saddiq Bey, respectively.
The Nuggets used the entire $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception to add Dario Saric in free agency, while the Sixers re-signed Kelly Oubre using their full $8MM room exception.
The remaining 19 teams have yet to dip into their mid-level or room exceptions at all.
In some cases, it’s not practical to do so. For example, the Heat and Lakers technically have access to the taxpayer MLE, but are so close to the second apron that they can’t realistically use it without shedding some salary.
Other teams are close enough to the luxury tax line that it wouldn’t make sense for them to spend their mid-level exception and become a taxpayer. The Nets and Hawks, for instance, have yet to touch their MLEs, but they’re each less than $2MM away from the tax threshold, so it’s safe to assume neither team is on the verge of bringing in an MLE-level free agent.
Still, there are plenty of teams that have more than enough spending flexibility to use some or all of their exception. That group includes every club with access to the room exception, including potential contenders such as the Thunder and Magic.
The 2024/25 season represents the first league year in which teams are permitted to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the room exception to acquire a player via trade rather than just to sign a player to a contract, so some clubs may be waiting until mid-season to see if a better opportunity arises on the trade market. Others may use some of their leftover exception money to pursue a free agent on the buyout market in February.
There won’t be a ton of free agents who sign for more than the veteran’s minimum between now and the end of the NBA’s regular season. The majority of the players whose markets exceeded the minimum came off the board pretty quickly in July, and teams aren’t looking to spend big on the players who are still available.
Still, that certainly doesn’t mean every signing for the next seven months will be of the minimum-salary variety. In some cases – especially on the buyout market in February – being able to offer a couple million dollars more than the minimum could be the difference between a team landing a free agent and missing out on him.
With that in mind, it’s worth checking in on which teams don’t currently have the ability to offer more than the minimum. By our count, a third of the NBA is in this boat, though some of those clubs could generate some spending flexibility by making cost-cutting trades.
Here’s a breakdown of the teams currently limited to minimum-salary contract offers for free agents:
Teams above the second tax apron:
- Boston Celtics
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Phoenix Suns
Teams operating above the second tax apron, which comes in at $188,931,000 in 2024/25, face a series of roster-building restrictions, including being prohibited from using any form of the mid-level exception, as well as the bi-annual exception.
The Celtics, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Suns all fall into that group of teams above the second apron and therefore don’t have any cap exceptions available to use on free agents besides the minimum salary exception.
Teams very close to the second tax apron:
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Miami Heat
Because their team salaries are below the second apron, the Lakers and Heat each technically have the ability to use their taxpayer mid-level exception, which is worth $5,168,000 this season.
However, both clubs are operating so close to the second apron that using any portion of the taxpayer MLE would push team salary above that threshold, which isn’t permitted — a team that uses the taxpayer MLE can’t have a salary above the second apron upon the completion of the signing (or at any time after that).
Therefore, unless they make a move to shed salary, the Lakers and Heat will be limited to minimum-salary signings from here on out.
Over-the-cap teams that have used all their cap exceptions:
- Denver Nuggets
- Philadelphia 76ers
The Nuggets are currently operating between the first and second tax aprons and have already used their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Dario Saric. Because the bi-annual exception isn’t available to teams above the first apron, Denver can no longer offer more than the veteran’s minimum.
The Sixers, meanwhile, used their entire room exception to re-sign Kelly Oubre after spending all their cap space. They’re now well over the cap and only have the minimum salary exception left to sign a free agent outright.
It’s worth noting that acquiring a player via sign-and-trade is technically a possibility prior to opening night for teams who have used up all their cap exceptions and want to add a free agent for more than the minimum. However, that’s not currently a practical option for either Denver or Philadelphia, who are both above the first tax apron.
Teams right up against their hard caps:
- Dallas Mavericks
- Golden State Warriors
The Mavericks have about $4.25MM of their mid-level exception still available after using a portion of it to sign Naji Marshall, and both Dallas and Golden State still have their full bi-annual exceptions on hand.
Based on the roster moves they’ve made so far this summer though, both the Mavs and Warriors are hard-capped at the first apron of $178,132,000 and are less than $1MM away from that hard cap. In other words, unless they shed salary by trading or waiving one or more of their current players, those two teams aren’t just prohibited from using their remaining exceptions — they’re also unable to add another minimum-salary player on a standard contract.
Dallas and Golden State are each carrying at least one player with a non-guaranteed salary, so it would technically be possible for, say, the Mavs to cut A.J. Lawson and then use a portion of their mid-level exception to sign a free agent. However, their breathing room below the hard cap is so limited that any signings above the minimum are unlikely, unless a cost-cutting trade generates more flexibility — the same goes for the Warriors.