Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Durant, Rockets, Cuban, Udoka, Williamson

November 25th, 2024 at 7:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets’ interest in Kevin Durant has been overstated, Marc Stein reports in a Substack post. Stein wrote last month that there was a strong belief around the league that the Rockets were interested in a Durant deal.

Stein hears now that Houston is determined to prioritize internal development this season rather than looking to make a big move before the February trade deadline. Houston’s front office intends to prioritize timeline considerations, as much as talent and fit, when they do make their next major trade. The Rockets’ roster is loaded with younger players, featuring seven first-round picks who are 23 or younger.

Kelly Iko of The Athletic previously reported that the Rockets aren’t interested in breaking up their young core to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo. Of course, it’s worth noting that neither Durant nor Antetokounmpo is available at this time.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Mark Cuban has essentially ceased going to Mavericks games on the road and there’s a big reason why, he told Stein. “The NBA got really, really, really petty and said that I can’t sit behind the bench anymore,” Cuban said. Stein points out that Cuban’s presence in the second row behind the bench was a violation of league rules but the league ignored it for many years when he was the franchise’s controlling owner. Cuban sold his majority stake in the Mavericks last year. Cuban talks to Mavs general manager Nico Harrison frequently but Patrick Dumont is the Mavericks’ official governor and operates as day-to-day owner, according to Cuban.
The Rockets’ strong start has been fueled by an improved defense and that’s no accident. Head coach Ime Udoka firmly believes that defense wins championships. “We’re only as good as our one-on-one defense,” Udoka told The Ringer’s Michael Pina. “We’re only as good as all our five on the court, and any weak link is exploited. Everything flows out from that philosophy, which makes a ton of sense on paper but is quite grueling in practice. It’s not a lot of schematics to it. There’s a lot of will and want to it, for sure. But it’s also very eye-opening when you show them the numbers from the previous few years in those areas. If you’re honestly tired of losing and want to change the perception of the team, I mean, that’s where we all start.”
The Pelicans have a lot of hard decisions to make in the coming months and offseason, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith opines. One thing they should seriously consider, in Smith’s view, is moving on from oft-injured Zion Williamson via the trade route or by getting out of his contract. He’s a dominant offensive force when healthy but his rebounding and defense is subpar, Smith notes. Due to a games played clause, the Pelicans can get out of Williamson’s contract after this season with no more than $7.8MM owed to him if he doesn’t appear in at least 41 total games this season. Williamson is currently out with another hamstring injury.

Southwest Notes: Gafford, Popovich, A. Holiday, Morant

November 23rd, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The game is more difficult for the Mavericks with Luka Doncic sidelined, but they’re finding ways to win without their injured star, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). Daniel Gafford played an important role Friday night with 13 points, six rebounds and three steals as Dallas kept its hopes of advancing in the NBA Cup alive with a victory at Denver. Gafford was one of seven Mavs to reach double figures as the team extended its winning streak to four.

“Just paying attention to detail a lot more,” Gafford said about playing without Doncic. “You’ve got to be near perfect when it comes to offense, but honestly, just stay the same as when he was here—taking care of business, having good spacing, and making sure the right guys have the ball in their hands.”

Gafford seems to be fully accustomed to playing for coach Jason Kidd after being acquired from Washington at last season’s trade deadline. He’s averaging a career high 12.6 points per game and leading the NBA with a 70.8% shooting percentage.

“I’m just getting better as the days go by,” Gafford added. “It’s about having patience and trying to expand my offensive game to make more plays. Teams are blitzing and switching more, so I’m figuring out how to make the right passes and take advantage of mismatches.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Warriors coach Steve Kerr offered enc0uraging words about Spurs coach Gregg Popovich before tonight’s game in San Antonio, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Kerr said he communicates frequently with Popovich, who has been away from the team since suffering a mild stroke on November 2, and “the doctors are feeling great about all of that.” Kerr has also been impressed by interim coach Mitch Johnson, who served as an assistant on Team USA this summer. “Mitch is really smart, a great teammate in the coaches’ room,” Kerr said. “He was a big part of all our conversations pre and post practice. He is a really good coach, good guy. I know Pop loves him and feels very strongly about what a good coach he is, and that’s what I saw in Las Vegas (during training for the Olympics).”
Rookie Reed Sheppard and veteran Aaron Holiday have earned spots in the Rockets‘ rotation by providing reliable three-point shooting, observes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Over a recent seven-game stretch, Holiday shot 45.5% from beyond the arc and Sheppard was at 38.9% as both guards are seeing more playing time. Holiday chose to re-sign with Houston in free agency this summer because he likes the city and believes in the future of the team, even though he knew his minutes might decrease.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is missing his eighth straight game with a hip injury tonight, but coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters that he’s been able to do some on-court workouts and continues to make progress (Twitter link from Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Marshall, Spurs, Pelicans, McCollum

November 23rd, 2024 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

After a late-game defensive breakdown resulted in a frustrating two-point loss in Utah last Thursday, the Mavericks immediately watched film and held a post-game meeting, with “accountability, effort and unselfishness” among the themes, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.

“We talked about a lot of things, and got a lot of things out in the open,” Mavericks forward P.J. Washington said, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. “But the main thing is that we knew we were better than that, and that we had to be better going forward.”

“We needed to stop playing ‘I’ basketball and we needed to play ‘we’ basketball,” center Dereck Lively added, per Curtis. “That’s what we’ve been doing these past couple of games and it’s been working.”

As Lively points out, the Mavericks have turned things around since falling to 5-7 with that loss in Utah. The team will take a four-game winning streak into Miami on Sunday, having registered a pair of comfortable home victories over San Antonio and New Orleans along with two impressive road wins in Oklahoma City and Denver in the past week. While that loss to the Jazz has cost the Mavs a few spots in the tightly congested Western Conference standings, Washington is happy that something good came out of it.

“In a way I’m kind of glad that it happened,” he said. “Because you never want to lose like that. We all knew that we were capable of doing a lot of things better. We needed to be accountable to each other. So, that’s why we kind of talked about it right after the game.”

We have more from around the Southwest:

Mavericks forward Naji Marshall helped seal Friday’s win over Denver, playing clutch minutes in the fourth quarter with Klay Thompson on the bench, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda spoke to Marshall about adjusting to a new team this fall after spending four years in New Orleans and talked to some of Marshall’s new teammates about the impact the newcomer has had so far. “This is the most talented team I’ve been on,” Marshall told Afseth. “The coaches are great, the front office is amazing, and the training staff is incredible. I really have no complaints.”
Devin Vassell (sore left knee) will be unavailable for a fourth straight game on Saturday, but it appears Victor Wembanyama (bruised right knee) will make his return after missing the past three contests. After initially listing both players as questionable, the Spurs have ruled out Vassell and upgraded Wembanyama to probable, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
The Pelicans have lost 13 of 15 games since opening the season with back-to-back wins and now hold a 4-13 record. However, Zion Williamson remains optimistic that the team has time to turn things around, especially once more key players – including Zion himself – return from injuries. “We know the position we are in right now,” Williamson said, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “It’s not a good one at the moment. We come in the gym every day in good spirits. We are going to figure it out.”
One injured Pelicans player who appears to be nearing a return? CJ McCollum. The veteran guard has been on the shelf since October 29 due to a thigh injury, but told reporters that he went through a contact practice on Saturday and hopes to suit up on Monday vs. Indiana (Twitter link via Will Guillory of The Athletic).

Warriors Become First Team To Clinch NBA Cup Quarterfinal Berth

November 23rd, 2024 at 7:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors are now 3-0 in NBA Cup games, making them the first team to clinch a spot in the knockout round of the in-season tournament. As the NBA announced late on Friday night after Golden State beat New Orleans and Dallas beat Denver (Twitter link), the Warriors have won West Group C, officially securing a quarterfinal berth for December.

The 3-0 Warriors are one game ahead of the 2-1 Mavericks in the NBA Cup standings, while no other team in their group has more than one victory so far. That means the Mavs are the only West Group C club with a chance to match Golden State’s win total, and the Dubs would hold the tiebreaker in that scenario as a result of beating Dallas last Tuesday in their NBA Cup opener.

The winners of the six groups advance to the eight-team knockout round, along with one “wild card” from each conference. The Mavs have a good chance to be that wild card team in the West if they defeat Memphis on December 3, since their +41 point differential in NBA Cup contests is the second-best mark in the league. Point differential is the second tiebreaker after head-to-head results.

The Rockets (Group A) and Lakers (Group B) are the only two other Western Conference teams who are undefeated in NBA Cup play, putting them in the driver’s seat to join the Warriors in the quarterfinals if they can keep winning.

Over in the East, the Hawks (2-1) could clinch Group C with a win over Cleveland next Friday, assuming the Bulls lose at least one of their two remaining NBA Cup games. If Atlanta loses, a Celtics victory over Chicago on Friday would secure the group for Boston. There are still two undefeated teams apiece in East Group A (Magic, Knicks) and East Group B (Bucks, Pistons).

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Thompson, Doncic’s Injury, NBA Cup

November 22nd, 2024 at 11:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Even though he holds a player option for next season, it’s unlikely Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving will test the free agent market, Tim MacMahon of ESPN said on the latest edition of the Hoops Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). MacMahon expects the two sides to reach a long-term agreement that will keep Irving in Dallas.

“He has a $42MM player option,” MacMahon said. “Look, I’m not telling you exactly how it will work out. My guess is he’ll end up declining that player option. But what I would say is I would be extremely surprised if Kyrie Irving is not in Dallas for the next few years. The Mavericks have already demonstrated that they are willing to pay, not market value, because they could have quote unquote won the negotiations with him. Remember, they were criticized for giving him the contract because nobody else (would).”

After a few uneasy years in Boston and Brooklyn, Irving has found stability since the Mavericks traded for him midway through the 2022/23 season. He’s continuing to perform at an All-Star level at age 32, averaging 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists through 14 games, and he has an important role off the court as well.

“The point is they have demonstrated, ‘We value you and we will pay you how much we value you within the ability to have a little bit of wiggle room financially,'” MacMahon added. “They are going to put a big number on the table for him. He has been extremely happy in Dallas. They are extremely happy with him. He’s the leader of this locker room. That’s unquestioned. And, right now, he is playing as well as he ever has. Certainly as efficient as he ever has.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Boating enthusiast Klay Thompson admits he’s encountered some “rough waters” during his first season with the Mavs, but he’s confident things will get better, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoop Journal. In 15 games, Thompson is averaging 14.0 PPG while shooting 39.7% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc, but he knows the team is counting on more from him. “I’m so grateful to be playing every night and to be healthy,” Thompson said. “That’s why the shooting nights when I’m off don’t bother me as much anymore. It’s a long season, and I know there are bigger nights ahead.”
The Mavericks will need production from other players while Luka Doncic is sidelined with a wrist injury, notes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. It’s already the fourth injury for Doncic since training camp opened, and he has been ruled out for at least the next four games. “Pretty much just the same mindset: Next man up,” Daniel Gafford said. “Just be ready to guard the best man or just have the best man guard you. It’s going to be a lot on Kai (Irving). It’s going to be a lot on Klay, but I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job whenever Luka has been off the floor.”
Even though points matter for tie-breakers in the NBA Cup, Dallas didn’t try to keep scoring in the closing seconds of Tuesday’s 132-91 win over New Orleans, according to Dwain Price of Mavs.com. “That’s not what this game is all about or the tournament is all about,” coach Jason Kidd said. “It’s playing the game the right way. They’ve got a lot of injuries over there. We’re not trying to embarrass anybody. We’re not looking to score again. We scored 132 points. That’s enough points.”

Doncic Has Wrist Injury, Out At Least One Week

November 21st, 2024 at 9:37am CST by Dana Gauruder

10:06am: Doncic underwent an MRI which revealed a right wrist sprain, the team’s PR department tweets.

9:37am: Add Luka Doncic to the list of superstar players missing multiple games this season due to an injury.

Doncic is dealing with a right wrist injury and will be reevaluated in a week, Marc Stein reports (Twitter link).

The Mavericks guard was wearing a wrap around his wrist when he met the media after Tuesday’s game against New Orleans, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal notes (Twitter link). Doncic scored 26 points in 30 minutes during that victory over New Orleans.

“I started feeling it in the first quarter, but then it just got worse, but nothing serious,” Doncic said when asked about his wrist injury.

Doncic didn’t practice on Wednesday. He is averaging 28.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game this season.

Dallas had just started to hit its stride, winning three straight contests heading into a three-game road trip. The Mavericks’ next game is at Denver on Friday. They also have games on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, so Doncic will miss at least four contests.

Jaden Hardy, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie could all see increased playing time in his absence.

Western Notes: Durant, Beal, Rockets, Giannis, Marshall, Pelicans

November 20th, 2024 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s optimism that Kevin Durant will be able to return from his left calf strain at some point next week, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link), who suggests the Suns star could be back on the court as soon as Tuesday for an NBA Cup matchup with the Lakers.

There’s also optimism that Bradley Beal, who is dealing with a left calf strain of his own, will be able to return at some point next week, says Charania.

After taking on the Knicks on Wednesday in Phoenix, the Suns will have five days off before facing the Lakers, so if Durant can make it back for that Tuesday game, he’ll only be sidelined for one more contest. That would be great news for the Suns, who got off to an 8-1 start with Durant in the lineup and have gone 1-5 since he went down.

Here are a few more notes from around the Western Conference:

The Rockets aren’t interested in breaking up their core to acquire Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). The report is presumably a response to Marc Stein saying that rival teams are keeping an eye on Houston as a possible Antetokounmpo suitor should he become available. However, given that Giannis isn’t actually available and Houston’s “core” isn’t precisely defined, it reads less like the Rockets are taking a hard-line position they’ll stick to in hypothetical negotiations down the road and more like they simply want to express how highly they value their young players.
Mavericks forward Naji Marshall admitted he was “a little bit excited” to play the Pelicans on Tuesday, since it was his first time since entering the NBA that he got a chance to face a former team, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Marshall, who had 15 points and three steals as Dallas secured a blowout win, said he has enjoyed seeing several former teammates who arrived in New Orleans around the same time as him secure contract extensions. “It’s crazy to see how it panned out,” Marshall said, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “Herb (Jones) is somebody. Jose (Alvarado). Trey (Murphy). Me. It’s a blessing. It’s something you dream about literally. When we were kids, wondering if we were going to be here or not. To see it all pan out and go in our favor is amazing.”
Reinforcements should be coming soon for the injury-plagued Pelicans, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic, who says CJ McCollum could be back as soon as this Friday, with Jones and Jordan Hawkins to follow in the coming weeks. There’s hope that the team will be mostly healthy early next month, Guillory writes, though Alvarado’s and Zion Williamson‘s absences will likely extend beyond that. As Guillory details, if and when the Pelicans get back to full strength, the pressure will be on head coach Willie Green to get the team back into playoff contention.

Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, Doncic, McCollum, Missi

November 18th, 2024 at 7:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs have officially listed Victor Wembanyama as doubtful for Tuesday night’s game against the Thunder due to a bruised knee, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. San Antonio had indicated after practice the star center would be listed as questionable, according to Orsborn.

Wembanyama sat out Saturday’s loss at Dallas after suffering the injury in a collision with the Lakers’ Anthony Davis on Friday night. The reigning Rookie of the Year is averaging 22.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks in his second season.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic is listed as questionable to play against the Pelicans on Tuesday due to a right knee contusion, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal tweets. Doncic logged a season-low 28 minutes against the Spurs on Saturday.
Pelicans guard CJ McCollum practiced on Monday but didn’t go through any contact drills, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. McCollum hasn’t played since Oct. 29 due to a thigh injury. He has already been ruled out for Tuesday’s game.
Could Yves Missi be the answer for the Pelicans at center? William Guillory of The Athletic explores this question. The 21st overall pick in this year’s draft has posted double digits in rebounds in three of the last four games and has shown versatility on defense. Missi has also proved to be a quick learner. “It’s great for him to get these minutes and these experiences early in the season. It’s going to pay off huge for him as we progress throughout the year,” coach Willie Green said. “We expect this is going to pay off for him in the long run.”

Southwest Notes: Antetokounmpo, V. Williams, Bane, Edey, Doncic, Pelicans

November 18th, 2024 at 8:47am CST by Tristan Tucker

Despite recent reporting indicating that rival scouts and executives view Houston as a favorite to make a big in-season splash, NBA insider Marc Stein writes at Substack that “consistent whispers” around the league point to the Rockets waiting until the offseason to buy more time to see if a big trade target shakes loose.

Houston expressed interest in trading for Kevin Durant this past summer and was immediately rebuffed by Phoenix. According to Stein, similar rumors are starting to percolate about a potential down-the-line Rockets pursuit of Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

As we’ve relayed, the Bucks aren’t expected to entertain any offers for their franchise legend even amid a 4-9 start to the year. But the Rockets’ treasure chest of draft assets and young players could put them in prime position to be a suitor if Antetokounmpo ever decides to ask out of Milwaukee.

Stein notes that Giannis has an admiration for Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon. Antetokounmpo is selective about who he works out with, but hasn’t been shy about training with Olajuwon, who Steins says would be a strong recruiter in this specific scenario.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After missing the first 12 games of the season for the Grizzlies, rotation wing Vince Williams Jr. made his return on Friday, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes (Subscriber link). In his first two games back with the team, Williams is averaging 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists as part of the rotation. Williams broke out for the Grizzlies last season, starting in 33 games and averaging 10.0 PPG. Meanwhile, Desmond Bane returned from a seven-game absence on Friday, playing off the bench for the first time since his rookie season. He started the team’s next game on Sunday.
Grizzlies rookie center Zach Edey exited Sunday’s contest against the Nuggets with an ankle injury and did not return ESPN reports. It’s unclear what the severity of Edey’s injury is, but he left when the Grizzlies were up by 18 points, so there’s a chance he was held out for the rest of the game as a precautionary measure.
Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic continues to be listed as probable on the team’s injury reports, but the type of injury he’s dealing with in recent games has changed. According to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal, Doncic was affected by a left groin strain before that listing was changed to a right knee contusion. When asked about his injury status, Doncic said he feels “a little bit less” than 100% right now. “I mean, it’s probably a matter of time, just, there’s not a lot of time to rest, but I’ll get better. I promise,” Doncic said.
The Pelicans are 2-8 in their last 10 games as injuries continue to mount, with almost every member of their regular rotation suffering some sort of injury. New Orleans’ most recent loss came to former Pelicans player JJ Redick‘s Lakers. According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, Redick acknowledged that New Orleans’ health issues are preventing them from reaching their potential. Redick played in New Orleans from 2019-21 alongside Brandon Ingram, who finished Saturday’s game with 32 points and eight assists, and Zion Williamson, who missed the matchup with an injury. “With Zion, the biggest thing is him being healthy,” Redick said. “We all want to see Zion perform and play because he’s a special player. I got a chance my second year, before I got traded, to see sort of the version 1.0 of Point Zion. It’s been fun to watch that from afar as he’s gotten opportunities to initiate the offense and be the ball handler in the pick and roll.“

Texas Notes: Mavericks, Smith, Sengun, Jones

November 17th, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Mavericks’ 110-93 victory over the Spurs on Saturday ended a four-game losing streak, which included an 0-3 road trip. At 6-7, Dallas is still struggling to find consistency just a few months after making a run to the 2024 Finals, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

“(The players) have things that go on outside of the arena, and that’s always monitored (but) those things aren’t shared publicly,” head coach Jason Kidd said prior to the victory over San Antonio. “This has been an emotional week, starting in Denver, having an opportunity to win there and just the buildup of the game against Golden State with Klay (Thompson). We could be a little bit more concerned of not just the buildup, but what the effects are.”

As Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com notes, Dallas has been getting the best efforts from the opposition, night after night. New additions to the club are a bit perplexed by the club’s lack of a clutch gene this season.

“We’re still trying to figure it out,” small forward Naji Marshall said. “Stuff happens. Obviously it didn’t go in our direction, all we can do is get better from here. It’s still early in the season… We’re just having a rough patch right now, but we’ll definitely get through it.”

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

2022 lottery Rockets lottery pick Jabari Smith Jr. enjoyed something of a breakout performance in a 125-104 NBA Cup victory over the Clippers on Friday, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The 6’11” big man, who had averaged 10.5 points per game on 38.1% shooting in his first 12 games (all starts), scored 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Fourth-year Rockets center Alperen Sengun continues to develop his game after signing a five-year, $185MM extension with the team last month, Feigen writes in another piece. Sengun notched his first triple-double of the season in Houston’s victory over the Clippers on Friday. His defensive growth has been a primary focus. “I do (a) good job,” Sengun said. “I do my best on defense, trying to help my teammates. Everybody is trying their best on defense. I’m just trying to help them more.” On Houston’s third-ranked defense, opposing players are connecting on a scant 42.9% of their looks when being guarded by Sengun. Head coach Ime Udoka singled out and praised the big man’s rim protection acumen.
After a 12-game absence, Spurs reserve guard Tre Jones came back from an ankle injury in the team’s loss to the Mavericks on Saturday, notes Jeff Macdonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The 6’1″ Duke product scored three points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field, while also contributing four dimes and three boards.