Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavericks Sign Chris Silva To 10-Day Contract

January 31st, 2023 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

11:18am: The Mavericks have officially signed Silva, the team announced (via Twitter).

The timing is a little surprising, since the deal will only run through February 9, covering Dallas’ next four games. Silva would have to sign a second 10-day contract to remain eligible for the Mavs’ games on Feb. 10 and 11 (and beyond).

8:24am: The Mavericks are set to sign forward Chris Silva to a 10-day contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Silva signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with the Hawks in August and was waived during the preseason. He reported to the team’s G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, and has spent the season with the club.

Silva averaged 13.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game in 18 Showcase Cup appearances (26.0 MPG) for the Skyhawks. Since the regular season began, he has recorded 14.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 0.9 BPG in 11 contests (22.4 MPG).

Dallas will be the fourth NBA team Silva has played for during the regular season. He appeared in a total of 69 games from 2019-22, primarily for Miami, but also with Sacramento and Minnesota. The 26-year-old holds career averages of 2.8 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 7.7 MPG.

Because the Mavericks have an open spot on their 15-man roster, no corresponding move will be required to make room for Silva. I’d expect Dallas to wait a couple days to sign him, since the team doesn’t play again until Thursday — signing him on Thursday would make him eligible for the Mavs’ next six games, whereas signing him today would only make him eligible for four.

Silva will earn $109,318 over the course of his 10-day deal, while Dallas will carry a cap hit of $105,522. With the trade deadline just 10 days away, Silva would presumably be the odd man out if the Mavs take on an extra player in any deadline deals.

Injury Updates: Anunoby, Simmons, Warren, James, Doncic, Young, Butler

January 30th, 2023 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OG Anunoby is one of the bigger names churning through the trade rumor mill, so the latest injury news regarding the Raptors forward could complicate those discussions.

The team has ruled out Anunoby for the remainder of its road trip, a seven-game journey which concludes with stops in Utah, Houston and Memphis this week, Michael Grange of Sportnet.ca tweets. He sprained his left wrist against Golden State on Friday.

We have more notable injury updates:

The Nets’ Ben Simmons (left knee soreness) and T.J. Warren (left shin contusion) sat out Monday’s win over the Lakers, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Coach Jacque Vaughn is hopeful both will be “ready to go” for Wednesday’s matchup against Boston, Adam Zagoria tweets.
LeBron James sat out that game with what Lakers coach Darvin Ham describes as “some really significant soreness” in his left foot, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register tweets. The Lakers play against the Knicks on Tuesday.
Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic returned to action after a one-game absence due to an ankle sprain and continued his scoring rampage. He notched 53 points against Detroit, his league-best fourth 50-point game this season, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press notes (Twitter link).
Hawks guard Trae Young sat out Monday’s game against Portland due to right ankle soreness, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. He had 31 points in 36 minutes against the Clippers on Saturday.
Heat forward Jimmy Butler (right quad contusion) is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game against Cleveland, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. Butler scored 28 points against Charlotte on Sunday.

Trade Rumors: Guards, Centers, Hornets, Mavs, Hyland, More

January 30th, 2023 at 3:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Previous reports have indicated that the Suns and Clippers are interested in point guards, and they have been the two most active teams looking for help at the position, sources tell Matt Moore of Action Network.

At least one report indicated that the Heat aren’t actively shopping Kyle Lowry, but that hasn’t stopped rival teams from calling to check in on him, Moore writes.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer wrote last week that the Clippers are interested in Lowry and Fred VanVleet, and their names are not a coincidence. According to Moore, Kawhi Leonard “has made it clear” that he would welcome backcourt help, and the three players were teammates when the Raptors won the championship in 2019.

Moore believes VanVleet is more likely to be on the move than Lowry due to his age and contract situation. VanVleet, who turns 29 next month, is expected to decline his player option and hit free agency in 2023. Lowry, on the other hand, turns 37 in March and is owed $29.7MM in 2023/24.

As for the Suns, they’ve been looking more at reserves than starters. His name hasn’t come up in trade talks, according to Moore, but rival executives are keeping a close eye on Chris Paul‘s situation in Phoenix in case new owner Mat Ishbia decides to go in a different direction — Paul turns 38 in May.

Moore says Bulls guard Alex Caruso might be the most difficult guard on the market to acquire, as his contract, age, and versatility hold a lot of appeal. Nearly a dozen teams are thought to have “serious interest” in Caruso, but some have already pulled out of talks with Chicago due to a high asking price.

Here are several more trade rumors from Moore:

If the Spurs trade Jakob Poeltl, Moore believes it will come right before the deadline. Rival executives are skeptical San Antonio will be able to get two first-rounders for the veteran center.
While Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic is reportedly available, Moore writes that Portland will only move him for an upgrade at the position.
Multiple teams have inquired on Timberwolves center Naz Reid, but evidently Minnesota didn’t like the offers. Moore hears the Wolves are going to hang onto the 23-year-old and will try to sign him to a contract extension.
The Hornets have set a pretty high bar in talks regarding Terry Rozier and Mason Plumlee. They’re looking for a first-rounder in exchange for either player, according to Moore.
The Mavericks are open to discussing their wing players in an effort to upgrade the roster, but they might also look to shed long-term money. Keep an eye on the Jazz, says Moore, as they could offer “short-term upgrades on expiring contracts” to fulfill both of those desires.
Moore classifies the Pelicans as a team “unlikely to make moves,” though they are interested in wing help. Sources tell Moore the Hawks are unlikely to trade John Collins, as the new front office regime appears to value him more than the previous one did.
The Nuggets are looking for a “playoff-ready wing who can defend” for guard Bones Hyland, but have only received “lowball offers” thus far. Moore believes they’re unlikely to make a deal. However, sources tell Mike Singer of The Denver Post that the Nuggets “believe they have traction on potentially acquiring a first-round pick” for the 22-year-old. Singer also reports that the Nuggets are looking for players on “cost-controlled” contracts similar to Hyland’s, who is in the second year of his rookie scale deal.

Trade Rumors: Beasley, Vanderbilt, Pelicans, Hyland, Pacers

January 30th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Jazz have been involved in trade talks regarding Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt and are seeking a first-round pick in return for each player, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto notes that both players were part of trade discussions earlier this season involving the Hawks‘ John Collins, and he says the Suns are also interested in dealing for them.

Beasley and Vanderbilt have been important contributors since Utah acquired them from Minnesota last summer in the Rudy Gobert trade. Beasley has bolstered the Jazz bench and is averaging 13.6 PPG, while Vanderbilt moved into the starting lineup and is posting 8.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per night.

Utah has interest in acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith from the Mavericks or Jalen McDaniels from the Hornets, sources tell Scotto. He suggests that Beasley and Vanderbilt could be combined in an offer for Finney-Smith, but the Jazz may wait until the offseason to try to sign McDaniels in free agency. Scotto adds that the Suns and Raptors are also watching McDaniels and may attempt to trade for him now to acquire his Bird rights.

Scotto cites the Hawks, Cavaliers and Pelicans as teams that have reached out to Utah about Beasley. He mentions the Knicks as another potential landing spot, as New York had interest in Beasley before he signed his last contract with the Wolves. Knicks executive Gersson Rosas traded for Beasley and Vanderbilt when he ran Minnesota’s front office, and Scotto hears that he has been monitoring Beasley’s availability.

There are more trade rumors to pass along:

League executives tell Scotto that Pelicans reserves Devonte’ Graham and Jaxson Hayes are considered to be available. Graham is under contract for $12.1MM for next season and has a $2.85MM guarantee on his $12.65MM salary for 2024/25. Hayes is headed for restricted free agency this offseason.
It may seem surprising that the Nuggets are gauging the value of second-year guard Bones Hyland, but trading him is the team’s best chance to improve before the deadline, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype states in the same story. Denver would like to add a defensive forward, but apart from its rotation the team doesn’t have many players who would be useful in salary matching. Sources tell Scotto the Nuggets are reluctant to part with any draft assets in a deal involving Hyland. Gozlan also points out that getting another wing player now would provide insurance in case Bruce Brown decides to turn down his $6.8MM player option for next season.
After reaching an extension agreement with Myles Turner, the Pacers have $10.7MM in cap space to work with on the trade market, Gozlan adds. Indiana and San Antonio are the only teams that still have cap room available for the current season.

Injury Updates: Davis, James, Doncic, Wiggins, Gobert, Haliburton

January 29th, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers will play without both of their superstars against the Nets on Monday, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes.

LeBron James has a sore left ankle ankle, while Anthony Davis will rest his right foot. It’s the first game of a back-to-back, so they both could return on Tuesday against the Knicks.

We have more notable injury updates:

Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is listed as questionable to play against Detroit on Monday, the team’s PR department tweets. Doncic suffered a left ankle sprain three minutes into their game against Phoenix on Thursday. He missed their loss to Utah on Saturday.
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, who missed the last two games due to a non-COVID illness, is not listed on the injury report for Monday’s game against Oklahoma City, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is listed as questionable to play against Sacramento on Monday due to right groin soreness, the team’s PR department tweets. Gobert played 36 minutes in Minnesota’s victory over the Kings on Saturday.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hopes to practice Tuesday and Wednesday with “the aim to play this weekend,” according to coach Rick Carlisle, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star tweets. Indiana plays home games against the Lakers, Kings and Cavaliers later this week. Haliburton has missed 10 games due to knee and elbow injuries.

Spencer Dinwiddie Earns Bonus, Guarantees 2023/24 Salary

January 29th, 2023 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie appeared in his 50th game of the season on Saturday in Utah, reaching an important contract-related milestone. As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Dinwiddie’s 50th appearance earned him a $1.5MM bonus this season and ensured that his 2023/24 salary will now be fully guaranteed.

When Dinwiddie signed a three-year contract with the Wizards during the 2021 offseason, he was coming off an ACL tear, so his deal included some protections related to playing time.

Since Dinwiddie appeared in more than 50 games last season, he earned his $1.5MM bonus in 2021/22 as well — as a result, it was considered likely to be earned in ’22/23, so it’s baked into his $20.17MM cap hit. Dinwiddie is now assured of making at least $19.5MM this season, via his $18MM base salary and $1.5MM games-played bonus — his deal also includes some likely and unlikely incentives related to how far the Mavericks advance in the playoffs.

As for next season, Dinwiddie’s salary ($18.86MM base, $2.57MM in incentives) had previously only been partially guaranteed for $10MM. Now, his full base salary will be guaranteed and at least $1.5MM of his incentives will be considered likely.

The full guarantee for 2023/24 reduces the odds that Dinwiddie will be waived in the summer, but given the way he has played this season, that didn’t really seem like a realistic outcome anyway.

The 29-year-old has been one of Dallas’ most reliable role players alongside Luka Doncic, averaging 17.6 points and 5.4 assists per game on .464/.412/.823 shooting in 50 starts (34.2 MPG). Dinwiddie leads the Mavs in both games played and overall minutes (1,708).

Luka Doncic Ruled Out For Saturday

January 28th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who sustained a left ankle sprain on Thursday, has been ruled out for Saturday’s game in Utah, the team announced (via Twitter). However, the expectation is that Doncic won’t be sidelined for much – if any – additional time beyond that game.

Appearing on NBA Today on Friday (video link), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said that a worst-case scenario for Doncic would probably be missing two games: tonight’s contest in Utah and Monday’s vs. Detroit. After that, the Mavericks aren’t back in action until next Thursday, when they host New Orleans, so Doncic would have had a full week to rest an ankle sprain that Woj describes as “mild.”

As the trade deadline nears, it will be tricky for the Mavericks to balance their desire to improve this year’s roster with a “future-focused approach,” writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. As Cato outlines, a deal for a veteran like Bojan Bogdanovic would upgrade this year’s roster, but Dallas likely won’t be inclined to move a future first-round pick at the deadline for a player who would only serve the club’s short-term interests.

Luka Doncic Day-To-Day After Spraining Ankle

January 27th, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

11:01am: Doncic’s sprain is considered “mild” and he’ll be day-to-day going forward, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

7:43am: On the same night that he was announced as an All-Star starter, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic exited his team’s win over Phoenix early in the first quarter due to a sprained left ankle, per Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News.

Doncic sustained the injury when he stepped on the foot of Suns forward Mikal Bridges about three minutes into Thursday’s game. He checked out of the contest shortly thereafter and didn’t return.

Any injury to a team’s franchise player is a cause for major concern, but the Mavericks expressed optimism after the game about Doncic’s outlook. As Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes, X-rays on the ankle were negative and head coach Jason Kidd said the Mavs star was in “good spirits.”

“He looked good, he looked fine,” Kidd said. “But we’ll see how he feels as we go forward.”

Doncic’s backcourt partner Spencer Dinwiddie told reporters, including Caplan, that Luka’s injury doesn’t appear to be one that will force him to sit out for an extended period.

“I don’t know if he’ll be back next game, or if he’ll miss a couple or something like that,” Dinwiddie said. “But it ain’t no cause for where we’re like, ‘Oh no, we’re about to go on a 10-game stretch without LD.’ He’s going to heal up nicely. He’s a young kid. Although he likes to think he’s old, he’s not.”

While the Mavs wait for further clarity on Doncic’s outlook, they can expect to be without another key player for the next few games. Kidd said on Thursday night that Christian Wood (fractured left thumb) will remain on the shelf for at least another week, according to Caplan. Wood has missed Dallas’ last four contests.

“I think it’s just week to week, just to see how the healing goes,” Kidd said before Thursday’s game. “It’s been a week now, so we’ll give you another update in a week just to see if there’s been any healing or improvement there.”

Antetokounmpo, James Head All-Star Starters; Embiid Falls Short

January 26th, 2023 at 6:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers forward LeBron James tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Thursday with his 19th NBA All-Star selection. James, who currently shares the record with Abdul-Jabbar for most All-Star Games played with 18, was chosen as a starter, according to a league press release.

All of the starters were revealed on Thursday night.

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic were the other starters chosen out of the Western Conference. James will serve as a team captain for the sixth straight year, since he received the most votes.

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, named a team captain for the third time, heads the list of starters out of the Eastern Conference. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Nets forward Kevin Durant, Nets guard Kyrie Irving, and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell will join him, but the league’s second-leading scorer, Sixers center Joel Embiid (33.4 PPG), didn’t garner enough votes.

The starters are selected by a weighted voting process with the fan vote accounting for half of the final outcome. The player and media portions of the vote each counted for 25 percent. Three frontcourt players and two guards were selected from each conference.

Embiid finished third in the player and media voting among Eastern Conference frontcourt players but fourth in the fan voting. All voting results can be found here.

The game will be played Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City. James and Antetokounmpo will choose their teams shortly before the game begins. James will set the league record for most All-Star appearances if he plays, since Abdul-Jabbar did not play in the 1973 game after being chosen.

The reserves, which are chosen by the league’s coaches, will be announced Feb. 2.

Wizards Notes: Avdija, Porzingis, Kuzma, Dinwiddie

January 25th, 2023 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards‘ decision to trade Rui Hachimura this week was partly motivated by a desire to create a larger role for Deni Avdija, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Avdija was a lottery pick in 2020, and Hughes notes that his importance to the team is greater than ever now that Hachimura is gone.

“When we really looked at what we needed was to get Deni more responsibility, more opportunity to play,” general manager Tommy Sheppard explained in an interview with NBC (Twitter link).

Avdija has started 30 of the 45 games he has played this season, but his numbers aren’t spectacular at 8.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per night. Hughes suggests that Avdija may handle the ball more often with Hachimura gone, and he might see more time at power forward than small forward, which could be beneficial given his 27.5% shooting percentage from three-point range. Hughes notes that Avdija attempted just one three-pointer in Tuesday’s win at Dallas, but attacked the basket more frequently and shot a career-high 11 free throws.

There’s more on the Wizards:

The ankle injury that has Kristaps Porzingis out of action for at least the next two weeks comes at a crucial point of the season for the Wizards, Hughes states in a separate story. Porzingis is unlikely to play again before the February 9 trade deadline, and the team is running out of time to determine whether the current roster is good enough to earn a spot in the play-in tournament.
With free agency and the trade deadline both looming, Kyle Kuzma‘s future in Washington is uncertain, but he says in an interview with Josh Robbins of The Athletic that he’d gladly re-sign with the team this summer if he gets the right offer. “They showed me love,” Kuzma said of the Wizards. “They have allowed me to have a platform to show my game and show the league I’m not just a role player. I’m someone that’s arriving right now. That’s the biggest thing for me.”
Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who was notably unhappy with the locker room chemistry during his time with the Wizards, took a shot at his former team after Wednesday’s game. “For them, it’s a showcase,” Dinwiddie told Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “They’re over there trying to get paid, not trying to play winning basketball. For a team that has real aspirations and has an MVP, went to the conference finals last year, we have to be better to a man.” Kuzma took to social media to answer Dinwiddie’s claim after the Wizards narrowly beat the Mavs, tweeting, “The funny thing is they don’t play winning basketball.”