Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Mavericks Rumors

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Kings, Siakam, Gordon, Suns

June 21st, 2024 at 7:13am CST by Luke Adams

While there was skepticism both inside and outside the Lakers‘ organization about how genuine the team’s pursuit of Dan Hurley earlier this month was, team owner Jeanie Buss was “highly motivated” to land the UConn head coach and was “genuinely disappointed” when it didn’t work out, sources tell Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

After missing out on Hurley, the Lakers circled back to J.J. Redick, reaching a four-year deal on Thursday with the analyst and podcaster that will make him the club’s new head coach. According to The Athletic’s reporting, Redick had a phone call with Anthony Davis on Monday, which was viewed as an important step in the process, since the Lakers “prioritized Davis’ voice” throughout their coaching search. Davis and other key players were supportive of Redick’s hiring, sources tell The Athletic — while LeBron James isn’t specifically named, it’s safe to assume he approves of the choice to bring aboard his podcasting partner.

As has been previously reported, Scott Brooks, Rajon Rondo, Sam Cassell, and Jared Dudley are a few of the candidates on the Lakers’ wish list for spots on Redick’s new staff, per Charania, Amick, and Buha. However, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link) that the Mavericks will make a strong effort to retain Dudley, who has been an important part of Jason Kidd‘s staff in Dallas.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • A roundtable of ESPN writers discussed the Lakers‘ decision to hire Redick, sharing their thoughts on their former colleague getting his first NBA coaching job. All five panelists believe Redick will be the first Lakers head coach since Phil Jackson to remain in the position for more than three years.
  • The Kings pursued Pascal Siakam before he was sent to the Pacers, but ended those efforts after the forward reportedly conveyed that he likely wouldn’t sign with the team long-term. Appearing on The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross (YouTube link), Sam Amick of The Athletic explained why Siakam wasn’t enthusiastic about going to Sacramento. “There was an inference from his camp that over the years there were, behind the scenes, somewhat disparaging remarks made that came from the Kings about his game,” Amick said. “The way it was framed to me was that – in an attempt to drive down what it would to get him – some gossipy-type feedback on his game had gotten back to him. … That is the way it was put to me from his side.”
  • Responding to a report stating that Eric Gordon is “50-50” on exercising his player option with the Suns, plugged-in local reporter John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) says he doesn’t expect the veteran wing to be back in Phoenix next season.
  • Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports takes a look at five guards who might make sense as Suns targets in next week’s draft, with Marquette’s Tyler Kolek topping his list. Kolek reportedly visited Phoenix this week for a workout.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pistons Plan To Interview Bickerstaff, Borrego, Sweeney, Nori

June 20th, 2024 at 7:14pm CST by Luke Adams

7:14pm: The Pistons also intend to interview Borrego, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.

6:27pm: The Pistons plan to interview former Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff for their head coaching position, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, Detroit has also received permission to meet with Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney and Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori.

Bickerstaff was just let go by the Pistons’ division rivals in Cleveland last month after he posted a 170-159 (.517) record across four-plus seasons with the Cavaliers, leading them to playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024 and a first-round series victory this spring. Bickerstaff also coached the Grizzlies from 2017-19 and was as an assistant for several teams before that, with stints in Charlotte, Minnesota, and Houston.

Sweeney, who began his NBA career in the Nets’ video room in 2011, has worked on Jason Kidd‘s staffs in Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Dallas, and was also an assistant in Detroit under Dwane Casey from 2018-21. Casey remains with the Pistons in a front office role.

Nori is another veteran assistant who was on Casey’s staff from 2018-21. He worked for the Raptors, Kings, and Nuggets before that, and has been with the Timberwolves since 2021. Nori shared some of Chris Finch‘s head coaching duties during Minnesota’s playoff run this spring when Finch was unable to roam the sidelines due to knee surgery.

Sweeney and Nori have been hot names on the head coaching carousel in the past couple months. Sweeney was linked to the Lakers’ and Wizards’ vacancies, while Nori reportedly interviewed with the Cavaliers and Lakers. Both men were high on the list of potential Pistons candidates published by James L. Edwards III of The Athletic on Wednesday following Monty Williams‘ ouster.

According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), the Pistons are expected to seek permission to interview more assistants from around the NBA.

One name to watch will be James Borrego of the Pelicans, who was atop Edwards’ list and was also mentioned by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) as a candidate who would receive serious consideration if he’s available. Multiple reports have suggested Borrego is the frontrunner for the only other available head coaching job, in Cleveland, so it’s unclear whether or not Detroit will get a chance to talk to him.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Gilgeous-Alexander, Murray Headline Canada’s Preliminary Olympic Roster

June 19th, 2024 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Canada Basketball has formally announced its preliminary roster for the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris. The 20-man group will have to be trimmed to 12 players for Paris.

Here are the 20 players vying for spots on Team Canada’s Olympic roster, which will be coached by new Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez:

All 12 players who helped Canada clinch an Olympic berth and claim a bronze medal at the 2023 World Cup are included in the preliminary roster, along with several notable newcomers, including Murray, Wiggins, Lyles, and Nembhard.

Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe and Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin, whose seasons ended earlier due to injuries, will also attend training camp with Team Canada, but won’t be in the mix for roster spots this summer, according to today’s announcement.

Even without Sharpe or Mathurin in the mix, the Canadians can put together a formidable NBA-heavy squad that should be in contention for a medal in Paris. Gilgeous-Alexander, Barrett, Brooks, Dort, Powell, Olynyk, and Alexander-Walker were the top seven players on last year’s squad and look like relatively safe bets to represent Canada again. If Murray, Wiggins, Lyles, and Nembhard were to join them, that would leave just one open spot for the remaining nine invitees.

One notable omission from the 20-man preliminary roster is veteran guard Cory Joseph, who spoke to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca earlier this week to express his disappointment about being left off the list. Joseph was unable to compete for a spot on the World Cup team last year due to a back injury, but was among the 14 players who made a commitment in 2022 to be part of Canada’s “summer core” for the current Olympic cycle.

“I took the honor of playing for your country very seriously and did it many times over the years,” Joseph told Grange. “This is not me complaining, I’m not a complainer. But there were times when I put FIBA basketball and playing for my country over my NBA situation at the time, whether I was in a contract year and I had no contract at the time and I went to go play for my country, whether I had little bumps and tweaks, I was there. Whether guys came or not, I always thought we still had a chance. For me it’s a little disheartening to be like, ‘Wow, I wasn’t even given an opportunity to compete for whatever position?’

“… I had planned to go to camp, and when you’re talking about the (last three or four spots) on the roster, there’s a pool of talented guys you could put on the roster, (but) I don’t see, in that situation, where I wouldn’t at least be invited to camp to be one of those guys (to compete for a spot), so that’s where my disappointment is with the organization. … I don’t want to take away from the fact that Canada Basketball is in a great place. This is not that. I love all those guys. I want them to do well. Quote that. I just think I should have been invited to camp at the very least, 100 per cent.”

Team Canada will hold its training camp in Toronto from June 28 to July 7 before heading to Las Vegas for an exhibition game vs. Team USA on July 10. The Canadians will also play exhibition matches with France on July 19 and the winner of the Puerto Rico Olympic qualifying tournament on July 21.

Canada will be in Group A at the Olympics, along with Australia. The group will be filled out by the winners of the qualifying tournaments in Spain and Greece.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Rich Paul: Wolves, Mavs, Raptors Among Teams Interested In Bronny James

June 19th, 2024 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

USC guard Bronny James has only worked for the Lakers and Suns during the pre-draft process and there are no plans to have him visit any additional clubs, agent Rich Paul tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com. However, Paul spoke surprisingly openly about other clubs that he believes have interest in his client.

“There are other teams that love Bronny,” Paul said. “For example, Minnesota, Dallas, Toronto. If it’s not the Lakers, it will be someone else. (The Timberwolves) would love to get Bronny in, but I don’t know who their owner is going to be. (Mavericks general manager) Nico Harrison is like an uncle to Bronny. If the Lakers don’t take him at 55, Dallas would take him at 58 and give him a guaranteed deal. (Raptors president) Masai (Ujiri), loves him. They could take him without even seeing him at 31. Workouts aren’t everything for these teams.”

According to Givony, sources from several teams have told him that they’ve attempted to schedule a workout with James, but haven’t had any luck. Paul said that’s by design, pointing to his track record of steering his clients (such as Talen Horton-Tucker, Brandon Boston, and Chris Livingston) to preferred destinations in the second round and getting them guaranteed money and a spot on a team’s 15-man roster.

“This is nothing new,” Paul said. “The goal is to find a team that values your guy and try to push him to get there. It’s important to understand the context and realize that this has always been the strategy with many of my clients throughout the years, especially those in need of development like Bronny. My stuff is by design.

“… Bronny is the same as my previous clients. I got the word out early to teams that if you plan on bringing Bronny in, here’s what you need to know: If you won’t give him a real deal, there’s nothing to talk about. It’s hard to get real development on a two-way deal.”

Paul also revisited the idea that Bronny and his father (and fellow Klutch Sports client), LeBron James, will come as a package deal, reiterating that there’s no truth to it. In other words, Phoenix should use its No. 22 overall pick on Bronny in the hopes that LeBron will want to become a Sun.

“LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny,” Paul told Givony. “If he does, he does. But if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. There’s no deal made that it’s guaranteed that if the Lakers draft Bronny at 55, he (LeBron) will re-sign. If that was the case, I would force them to take him at 17. We don’t need leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny, and LeBron doesn’t re-sign. LeBron is also not going to Phoenix for a minimum deal. We can squash that now.”

LeBron still has a decision to make on his $51.4MM player option for the 2024/25 season. He’s widely expected to remain with the Lakers, whether he declines that option to sign a new contract or picks it up (possibly in tandem with an extension).

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Western Notes: Bronny, Suns, Lakers, Wolves, Mavs, Spurs

June 18th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns will bring in Bronny James for a second workout this week but the Lakers are likely to draft him in the second round, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (hat tip to the Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin). The Lakers have a second-rounder at No. 55, while the Suns would need to acquire one. Both teams have first-rounders.

“The sense among teams is that his agent, Rich Paul, does not want him on a two-way contract, and the range he’s going to be picked, that 40 to 58 range, that’s where two-way contracts are handed out,” Givony said on ESPN’s NBA Today. “So it’s looking right now like Bronny is going to slide there to 55. I don’t think any NBA team wants to pick him and deal with the repercussions of that. So that’s the way it’s trending as of today.”

We have more Western Conference news:

  • The Timberwolves hosted a pre-draft workout on Tuesday that included Fardaws Aimaq (California). Jermaine Couisnard (Oregon), Ajay Mitchell (UCSB), Tyler Thomas (Hofstra), Drew Pember (UNC Asheville) and Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois), the team’s PR department tweets. Shannon, a high-scoring guard from Illinois, is the highest-rated prospect among that group at No. 26 on ESPN‘s Best Available list.
  • A play-making guard who can also create opportunities for others, as well as another big man who can space the floor with perimeter shooting, are the type of players the Mavericks need to target this offseason, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News writes. Their best hope of acquiring at least one of those players is via a trade, with Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s expiring contract facilitating the deal.
  • Colorado shooting guard Cody Williams could be a dark-horse candidate for the Spurs with the No. 4 pick, according to LJ Ellis of SpursTalk.com. Williams has a chance to develop into a multi-purpose wing with size, which would make him an intriguing choice as the Spurs build around star big man Victor Wembanyama.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Jones, Roster, Cuban

June 18th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the Mavericks‘ disastrous finish to the 2022/23 season, there was plenty of speculation a year ago about Luka Doncic‘s future in Dallas, with some media members suggesting the team would have to make real strides within the next year or two in order to secure the star guard’s long-term commitment.

Following an NBA Finals run this spring, that no longer seems like a concern, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who says all indications are that Doncic will be willing to sign a super-max extension in July 2025 once he has the necessary seven years of NBA service. The 25-year-old said after Monday’s season-ending loss that he feels “great” about the Mavs’ future.

“We did some great (personnel) moves,” Doncic said. “I would say we’ve been together for five months. I’m proud of every guy that stepped on the floor, all the coaches, all the people behind (the scenes). Obviously, we didn’t win Finals, but we did have a hell of a season.”

Doncic’s enthusiasm about the franchise’s direction is shared by his backcourt partner Kyrie Irving, who is under contract in Dallas for at least the next two seasons.

“I just feel like the sky’s the limit,” Irving said, per MacMahon. “I have an opportunity to be on a special team that can be one of the teams that dominates in this era. That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out the past few years, of how to be on a great team, be in an organization where I’m trusted, and also we’re able to succeed and fail together, and doing it in a way where we still have each other’s backs, and no one is giving up on the dream or the goal. Our goal is still to win a championship.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

  • Based on their current salary projections, Dallas won’t be able to offer more than the taxpayer mid-level exception (about $5.2MM) to free agent forward Derrick Jones, though the team could potentially open up some or all of the non-taxpayer MLE ($12.9MM) with some tweaks to the roster, MacMahon writes. Mavs general manager Nico Harrison wants to find a way to bring back Jones. “He’s a part of our core going forward, so hopefully we can figure that out,” Harrison told ESPN.
  • Regarding the rest of the roster, Harrison said he likes where it stands but acknowledged that there’s always room for improvements. “I think we have a really good core and really good complementary pieces,” Harrison told MacMahon. “Having said that, I mean, I’ve been here for two years and so I think my reputation is starting to (form). If there’s an opportunity to make it better, I’m going to do that for sure.”
  • Former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban no longer has control of the team’s basketball operations, MacMahon confirms. Still, as Howard Beck of The Ringer writes, Cuban – now a minority stakeholder – can take credit for three risky moves that set up the club for this year’s success: hiring Harrison as GM; hiring Jason Kidd as head coach; and trading for Irving. Harrison had worked at Nike rather than for an NBA team, Kidd had been fired from two previous head coaching jobs, and Irving’s value had fallen due to injury issues and off-court controversies. “For sure, they were risks,” Cuban told Beck. “I mean, there were a lot of people who just like rolled their eyes at me. But each of them brought a unique set of skills to the table that I didn’t have, that the organization hadn’t had, and I thought were valuable and important.”
  • Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) previews the offseason in Dallas, writing that the Mavericks have some trade assets available – including its 2025 and 2031 first-round picks and Tim Hardaway‘s expiring contract – and suggesting they could use another play-making guard, perimeter depth, and a floor-spacing big man.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Celtics Win First Title Since 2008; Brown Named MVP

June 17th, 2024 at 10:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics won their record-breaking 18th NBA championship and first since 2008 on Monday night, defeating the Mavericks in Game 5, 106-88. Boston now has one more title than the Lakers.

Jayson Tatum racked up 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in Game 5, while Jaylen Brown supplied 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Brown was named the Finals’ Most Valuable Player, Brian Robb of MassLive.com tweets. He received seven of 11 possible votes from media members, with Tatum getting the other four (Twitter link).

Dallas extended the series with a lopsided victory in Game 4 but had no answers for the deeper Celtics when the series shifted back to Boston. The Celtics opened up a 67-46 halftime lead and cruised to the finish line.

Boston, which entered the playoffs as the top seed, is well-positioned to shoot for back-to-back titles. All of its key players — Tatum, Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Al Horford and Payton Pritchard — are signed through at least next season. The Celtics hold a $2.1MM option on Sam Hauser‘s contract, which they will likely exercise.

Tatum is signed through the next two seasons, though he holds a $37.1MM player option for the 2025/26 season. Tatum is eligible for a five-year super-max extension worth a projected $315MM next month.

The Mavericks also have most of their rotation players signed through at least next season, with Derrick Jones Jr. the only exception — he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Dallas could look to make at least one significant upgrade via the trade market to provide another scoring option for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

With the Finals decided, the 2024 NBA offseason is officially underway. For the first time, teams will be permitted to negotiate contracts with their own free agents one day after the Finals. Players who won’t be free agents this offseason but who will become eligible to sign contract extensions on July 6 will also be permitted to negotiate with their current teams as of Tuesday.

Thus, it wouldn’t be surprising if some agreements are reported this week. Free agent contracts still can’t be officially finalized until after the July moratorium lifts on July 6.

The draft will be held on June 26-27 with free agency beginning on June 30 at 6 p.m. Eastern time.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Southwest Notes: VanVleet, Mavs, Sweeney, Pelicans

June 17th, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

While Fred VanVleet‘s first season with the Rockets wasn’t one of the best of his career in terms of wins and losses, he said it was “really fun” to take the leadership traits he developed in Toronto and apply them to a young team in Houston, according to Scott Leber of WTVO.

“It was probably the most fun I’ve had in a long time,” VanVleet said. “Just back to the basics enjoying the small moments. Once you win a championship you get a little spoiled and jaded, and you kind of forget how fun it was building up to that point, so actually it was back to square one learning.”

The Rockets had an eventful summer a year ago, using their significant cap room to bring in VanVleet and Dillon Brooks in free agency. Houston won’t have cap space available this offseason, but the team will have the mid-level exception on hand and has the assets necessary to go shopping on the trade market for additional upgrades, so VanVleet believes it’s not unrealistic to expect another major roster move.

“We’ve got the ammunition for it, so we’ll see, but I’m rolling with whatever they decide to do,” the veteran point guard said. “Obviously winning is at the forefront. I trust ownership and management that they’re going to make the right decisions.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • The Mavericks‘ 38-point blowout of Boston in Game 4 was certainly impressive, but does it have any predictive value for Game 5 (and possibly beyond)? John Hollinger of The Athletic explores that question, ultimately concluding that history suggests Game 4 was “probably a human nature loss more than a telling turning point.”
  • As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Mavericks assistant coach Sean Sweeney has received rave reviews from players, including Dereck Lively, who said he “wouldn’t be here without Sweene,” and Josh Green, who lauded Sweeney’s “X’s and O’s” acumen and ability to make adjustments. The highest praise for Sweeney may have come from head coach Jason Kidd, who told Bondy, “He’ll be a head coach soon.”
  • Christian Clark of NOLA.com looks at some of the biggest decisions facing David Griffin and the Pelicans this offseason, including picking a direction on Brandon Ingram‘s future, addressing the center position, and filling out a coaching staff and basketball operations department that have seen staffers depart for new teams this spring.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Doncic, Lively

June 16th, 2024 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kyrie Irving had a pair of rough outings during the first two games of the Finals  in Boston. With the series shifting back to the Celtics’ home court for Game 5 on Monday, the Mavericks guard says he must block out all “self-doubt” with the Mavericks trying to stay alive, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon writes.

Irving shot 13-for-37 from the field in Games 1 and 2.

“Let’s call it what it is, when the fans are chanting ‘Kyrie sucks’ or anything, they feel like they have a psychological edge — and that’s fair,” he said. “If I’m not making shots or turning the ball over, that makes it even more of a pressing issue that they can stay on me for. So I think in order to silence even the self doubt, let alone the crowd doubt, but the self-doubt when you make or miss shots, that’s just as important.”

Irving will switch up his mental approach in Game 5, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

“Be prepared for what I’m getting myself into,” Irving said. “Most importantly, not making this about me or getting into the energy with anyone else other than my teammates. That’s about it.”

We have more on the Mavs:

  • Head coach Jason Kidd was a top assistant with the Lakers before getting the top job with the Mavericks. Kidd says Luka Doncic and LeBron James have a very comparable mental approach. “They’re very similar,” Kidd told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “They’re very similar, IQ-wise. Both just off the charts. Luka doesn’t have athleticism like LeBron has. But they do a lot of things similar and they both really know the game.”
  • The Mavericks are trying to make history by erasing a 3-0 deficit and Doncic says it’s all about faith in themselves. “I think the most important thing is to show that we believe,” he said, per MacMahon. “I think we showed in Game 4. If not, if we wouldn’t believe, we probably wouldn’t have won that game. So I think obviously the talk is easy to talk about it, but then showing it is another thing. I think we showed it.”
  • Rookie big man Dereck Lively is still amazed how far he’s come in one year, according to Schuyler Dixon of The Associated Press. ”I wouldn’t have expected myself to be in this spot whenever I looked at the draft a year ago,” he said. ”The draft is a week away. Last year, a week away from the draft, my heart was pumping because I didn’t know what was going to happen. And now I’m playing in the NBA Finals.’‘
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Lively, Jones, Rotation

June 16th, 2024 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics were hoping Kyrie Irving would lead them to a championship when they traded for him nearly seven years ago. Instead, he went through a tumultuous journey in Boston and Brooklyn before finding happiness with a Mavericks team that’s now standing between the Celtics and an 18th banner.

Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe talked to Irving about all that went wrong during his time in Boston, which eventually led to a bitter breakup with the city. Washburn notes that Irving tended to be a loner when he played for the Celtics, but he has become more likable and more approachable since then.

“Being under the microscope in this business is a lot different for me now than probably four years ago, five years ago, because I’m able to put the big picture of life in perspective and also the game in perspective. It comes easier,” Irving said. “Then also I think the social media, sociopathic behavior. You know, your inner voice is not clear anymore when you’re downloading other voices and other opinions. That can become hard.”

The Mavericks are somewhat of a surprise Finals team after missing the playoffs last season. After Dallas traded for Irving in February 2023, his fit with Luka Doncic initially appeared awkward, but they’ve found a way to make it work. Irving appreciates the situation he’s landed in, and he believes the Mavs can be title contenders for years to come.

“At 32 right now, I just feel like the sky’s the limit,” he said. “I have an opportunity to be on a special team that can be one of the teams that dominates in this era. That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out the past few years, of how to be on a great team, be in an organization where I’m trusted, and also we’re able to succeed and fail together, and doing it in a way where we still have each other’s backs, and no one is giving up on the dream or the goal.”

There’s more on the Mavericks:

  • Dereck Lively II‘s dominance in the middle is one of the reasons the Mavericks believe they can rally from a 3-0 deficit, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Lively had seven offensive rebounds Friday night and sparked an early game-changing run with a rare three-pointer. He wound up with 11 points and 12 boards, making him the first rookie with back-to-back double-doubles in the Finals in 44 years. League sources tell Fischer that rival teams knew the Mavs were targeting Lively in last year’s draft, and they were able to work out a deal with Oklahoma City after a proposal involving Clint Capela and the Hawks fell through.
  • Shawn Marion, who was part of Dallas’ last title team in 2011, sees elements of his own game in Derrick Jones Jr., per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “He’s definitely a shuffle piece that you can put him in different places because he’s very athletic,” Marion said. “He’s mobile. And he’s tall. So he’s got the length. He’s a versatile defender.”
  • Head coach Jason Kidd made rotation changes that might help the Mavericks sustain the momentum from their Game 4 win, observes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Minutes have increased for Lively, Josh Green and Maxi Kleber while decreasing for Jaden Hardy and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts