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Kai Jones Plans To Sign Two-Way Contract With Mavericks

March 1st, 2025 at 8:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kai Jones, who was released earlier today by the Clippers, expects to sign a two-way deal with the Mavericks once he clears waivers, sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

The 24-year-old center saw limited action in 28 games with L.A. this season, averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per night. He was getting consistent playing time earlier in the season, but was only used once during February and hasn’t played more than three minutes in a game since January 15.

At 6’11”, Jones can provide valuable size for a Dallas team that is trying to survive while its top three big men recover from injuries. Anthony Davis is set to be reevaluated March 6 for the adductor strain he suffered in his Mavericks debut. Daniel Gafford, who has a grade 3 MCL sprain, and Dereck Lively, who’s dealing with a fractured ankle, will have their conditions checked on that same date, although they aren’t expected to return for a while.

Moses Brown has been the Mavs’ starting center for the past two games, but he will become a free agent when his 10-day contract expires tonight. Hard cap restrictions will prevent Dallas from offering Brown another contract until April 10.

That could create an opportunity for Jones to make an immediate impact. Even though his NBA career has been disappointing so far, he was regarded highly enough to be the 19th pick in the 2021 draft.

Dallas’ two-way slots are currently filled by Brandon Williams, Kessler Edwards and Kylor Kelley, so a move will have to be made in time for Jones to be added by the March 4 deadline to sign two-way players.

Jeanie Buss Explains Lakers’ Approach To Luka Doncic Trade

February 28th, 2025 at 2:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was one of the few people with advance knowledge of the trade talks with Dallas involving Luka Doncic, but she wasn’t sure the deal would get done until the last minute, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register.

Speaking at an event on Thursday to promote her new Netflix show, Buss told reporters that the front office proceeded cautiously throughout the process, making sure to prevent leaks that might have affected team chemistry if the deal had fallen through.

“I mean, not until (general manager Rob Pelinka) told me it was done and they had made the trade call,” she said. “Because these things fall apart all the time. It was really important to me that we didn’t blow up the team. If it had leaked out and the trade hadn’t happened, that would be really unfair to the progress that the coaching staff had made with the team. Because it’s a huge distraction. And the trade deadline is part of the business. It increases the level of stress for everybody. And I’m really proud that it didn’t leak out and that we were able to execute the trade in a way that still was surprising to all the parties involved. But that goes with this business.”

Buss compared the acquisition of Doncic with two significant deals from Lakers history, Price adds. She cited the 2008 trade with Memphis for Pau Gasol and the 2011 agreement with New Orleans for Chris Paul that was eventually overturned by then-commissioner David Stern.

As the Doncic trade edged closer to reality, Lakers officials were worried about any unexpected snags that might prevent it from being finalized.

“There’s always this concern there’s going to be some new ruling that, like, now what’s going to happen?,” Buss said. “But what I have complete confidence in Rob is that he knows how to walk a deal through step by step to make sure that everything is complete and buttoned up and that’s exactly what happened.”

Buss praised Pelinka and Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison for their discretion in keeping the deal quiet, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. From the time the first discussions were held on January 7, they were able to operate in near secrecy, even though Utah had to be brought in as a third team to take the salary of Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.

Buss also compared the trade to the type of deals her late father, Dr. Jerry Buss, used to make when he built the Lakers into one of the NBA’s premier franchises.

“He’d be very proud. When you get a player of that stature, you have to give up a lot. My dad was such a great poker player, and he said that he always wanted me to remember that poker was a game of patience,” she said. “That you had to wait for the right cards, but once you got the cards, you had to go from zero to 100 and play the cards and not be afraid to play them. So, it was difficult because we were not looking to trade Anthony Davis or Max Christie. But it was a deal that he would’ve made, and we had to go for it.”

Mavs Notes: Davis, Doncic, Irving, Marshall, Thompson

February 27th, 2025 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

Anthony Davis wasn’t able to play on Tuesday in the Mavericks‘ first game against the Lakers since the blockbuster trade that sent Davis from Los Angeles to Dallas. But he was in the building and told Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times that he appreciated the tribute video the Lakers made for him and the love that the fans in L.A. showed him.

Davis also spoke about the experience of being traded without having any idea it was coming, a rarity for player with his résumé. Davis had been traded once before in his career, but in that case he asked the Pelicans to move him and knew for months that a deal was likely coming. After learning about the blockbuster sending him to Dallas, the big man immediately FaceTimed longtime teammate LeBron James, he told Turner.

“When it happened, I honestly didn’t know s–t,” Davis said. “(LeBron)’s been my running mate for six years … so the first thing I wanted to do was call him.

“… Obviously, I know there are going to be a lot of political things in the front office when they talk to me. The front office has to do what it has to do and obviously they’re going to do what’s best for the organization. So I don’t know if I ever got the ‘real’ about any of it. I don’t know what’s true or what’s not, coming from upstairs. So, my thing is, I’m gonna go to my counterpart who I’ve been running with and see what’s going on, get his reaction and that’s all it was. We had a conversation. That was it.

“Everybody’s saying nobody knew and all this other s–t. I just don’t believe it. But, hey man, I’m past that. I’m ready to move forward with Dallas, try to get a championship there with these guys. First off, getting back on the floor and get ready to compete. All the emotions, that s–t lasted that night when it was just a shock.”

Davis, who is currently on the shelf with an adductor strain, is scheduled to be reevaluated on March 6.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

As Sam Amick of The Athletic writes, there are a number of people in Dallas who are predicting Luka Doncic‘s “basketball demise” in the coming years due to his health history and social habits that include “a taste for beer and hookah.” But Doncic showed in Tuesday’s Lakers win over Dallas why the decision to trade him could age horribly, according to Amick, who says most people around the league continue to think that the Mavs made a “grave mistake.”
After having been teammates with Doncic for two years, it was “awkward” but “fun” to face him as an opponent, Kyrie Irving told reporters after Tuesday’s game, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Irving spoke at length about his bond with Doncic and said it’s “one of those lifetime things” that goes beyond basketball. The Lakers’ newest star agreed. “Kai is my hermano,” Doncic said. “We go way beyond basketball. So, it was good to see those guys. Like I said, we went to the wars together, and it was really fun to see them all.”
Mavericks forward Naji Marshall acknowledged in a conversation with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that it has been a challenging few weeks for the team, which has had to deal with the aftermath of the Doncic trade and a series of injuries that have decimated the frontcourt. However, he remains bullish about the Mavs’ chances of contending this season. “I think we’re all still locked in,” Marshall said. “Everyone is still focused and not letting the outside noise derail the goals that we made up at the beginning of the season. And it’s still very possible to accomplish those. So I think that we’re in a great spot. … Stay tuned. It’s a long season. We are not done yet. Stay tuned.”
Following Sunday’s game in Golden State, Mavericks sharpshooter Klay Thompson presented Dr. Richard Ferkel, who repaired Thompson’s Achilles tear in 2020, with a 2022 Warriors championship ring, as Amick relays (Twitter video link). Kalan Hooks of ESPN has the full story.

Southwest Notes: Powell, Christie, Smith Jr., Bagley

February 25th, 2025 at 6:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks won’t have Anthony Davis when they face the Lakers for the first time since the teams’ blockbuster deal that landed Luka Doncic in Los Angeles. They could get another big man back for the showdown. Dwight Powell, who has missed the last 16 games due to a hip injury, has been upgraded as questionable, Marc Stein tweets.

It’s expected that Powell will be active, Stein adds. Powell has appeared in 33 games off the bench this season, though he’s averaged just 7.6 minutes in those appearances.

The Lakers will honor Davis with a video tribute, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Another of the players the Mavericks acquired from the Lakers was guard Max Christie. He has given Dallas a boost since the deal, averaging 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in eight games. Christie told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears he’ll looking forward to Tuesday’s game but harbors no ill will toward his former team. “I’m not even looking at this game as a ‘revenge game,’” Christie said. “I’m actually looking forward to it from a sense that I get to see old teammates, old colleagues, old coaches. I’m looking forward to just enjoying that game. I want to win, obviously. The Lakers are a playoff team. They’re really, really good. It’s a good test for us as a matchup, as a team as well. But I’m not going in there with any bad blood or any intention of trying to drop 40 on them. I’m just going in there to try to win the game, play my game and let the game come to me.”
Blending Jabari Smith Jr.‘s offensive skills with the current rotation will be a key to the Rockets’ postseason success, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. If Houston has any hope of making a deep run, Smith must become more of a focal offensive option, according to Iko. Smith has played two games since recovering from a fractured hand, an injury he suffered on New Year’s Day.
Big man Marvin Bagley III wound up with the Grizzlies in a three-team trade earlier this month. Bagley, the No. 2 pick of the 2018 draft, has only made one brief appearance with Memphis. Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal explores how Bagley might carve out a role with the Grizzlies, his fourth team since entering the league. He’ll be a free agent after the season.

Mavs Notes: Irving, Doncic, Trade, Injuries, Davis, Martin

February 21st, 2025 at 2:29pm CST by Rory Maher

In an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews during All-Star weekend (YouTube link), star guard Kyrie Irving called for the Mavericks to “tailor back” their criticism of Luka Doncic, who was shockingly traded to the Lakers prior to the deadline earlier this month. As Grant Afseth writes for Athlon Sports, there have been numerous media leaks that have been critical of Doncic in the aftermath of the deal while glossing over how impactful he was during his time with the team.

“Part of our job every day to deal with the public space, but there were real relationships that were built behind the scenes that will transcend just the basketball court, coaching, and then upper management,” Irving told ESPN. “I know that for my own peace of mind, just because we not only had two years together, but we got a chance to know each other as men.

“Hopefully, we can tailor back on some of the public criticism aspects of it and really just maintain the kindness and the compassion that we have for each other that’s real every day, not just one moment or a sound bite that ends up being described as something that could be taken out of context. That’s what I feel like is going on right now. People are highly emotional. I’m not the one to shun anybody, whether in a public forum or behind the scenes, and trying not to have that happen.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

In an in-depth feature story for ESPN.com, Michael Rothstein examines the local fallout from arguably the most stunning trade in NBA history, as well as the team’s botched handling of the aftermath, which included censoring Doncic out of a promotional video on Friday morning. One longtime Mavericks fan who is also the co-founder and managing partner of a local public relations firm said the trade and fallout were handled “atrociously,” according to Rothstein. “If all of them were aligned and able to articulate their rationale without bashing Luka,” said Stephen Reiff, “I think it would have helped, and I think it would have gone away quicker. [It] has made it a lot worse.”
Part of management’s rationale behind the deal was the idea of featuring a massive, defense-first frontcourt, with P.J. Washington at small forward, Anthony Davis at power forward and Daniel Gafford at center. As Christian Clark of The Athletic observes, that trio looked promising together through about three quarters on February 8 against Houston, but then Washington (ankle) and Davis (adductor strain) went down with injuries, followed by Gafford sustaining a Grade 3 MCL sprain on Feb. 10. Due to a litany of injuries up front (second-year center Dereck Lively has been out since January due to an ankle fracture), the Mavs have instead had to scramble and go small, Clark notes. “I’d say our goals are still obtainable,” head coach Jason Kidd said Thursday. “It’s a matter of, ‘Can we get healthy?’“
Kidd dodged a question about whether Davis’ “good progress” means he’ll avoid surgery, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. However, it certainly sounds like Davis is trending in the right direction. “I’m not a doctor,” Kidd said. “(Davis’ reevaluation is) in two weeks. I think you’ll get a better understanding of what has to take place but right now he’s doing great. He’s in the weight room. He was shooting on the court. A lot of positive things for him. I don’t know if that means surgery, but I think we’re all excited to see him back to work.”
Kidd also gave an update on Caleb Martin on Thursday, per Curtis (Twitter link). Acquired from Philadelphia in a trade involving Quentin Grimes and second-round picks, Martin still isn’t doing contact work as he recovers from a hip injury. “Caleb is doing better,” Kidd said. “I don’t know if you guys were in there when he was doing some dribbling and shooting on the court. No contact, but he is trending in the right direction. He feels better.”

Mavs’ Anthony Davis Out At Least Two More Weeks

February 20th, 2025 at 2:02pm CST by Rory Maher

While star big man Anthony Davis is “making good progress” from his left adductor strain, he will be sidelined for at least two more weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, the Mavericks announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

This is the first formal timeline Dallas has provided on Davis since he sustained the injury on February 8 against Houston. It was his first game in Mavs uniform following the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers.

Reporting at the time indicated that Davis was expected to miss multiple weeks with the injury, with Marc Stein later reporting that there was hope that surgery could be avoided.

Head coach Jason Kidd told reporters today (Twitter link via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News) that Davis and fellow big men Daniel Gafford (Grade 3 MCL Sprain) and Dereck Lively (ankle fracture) will all be reevaluated on Mar. 6. Reports have indicated that Gafford, who was injured on Feb. 10, and Lively, who is now out of a walking boot , are expected to miss additional time beyond Mar. 6.

On a more positive note, starting forward P.J. Washington, who sprained his right ankle on Feb. 8 and missed the final three games before the All-Star break, was a full participant in Thursday’s practice and will be questionable for Friday’s contest vs. New Orleans (Twitter links via the Mavs).

Backup center Dwight Powell, who has been out of action since Jan. 17 due to a right hip strain, went through the non-contact portions of Thursday’s practice. He’s doubtful for Friday’s game, but Kidd said both players are “trending in the right direction,” tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic.

Despite the litany of frontcourt injuries, the Mavs entered the break having won four of their past five games. They’ll also have journeyman center Moses Brown active tomorrow against the Pelicans — he went through today’s practice after his 10-day contract became official.

Stephen Curry Named All-Star MVP; Shaq’s Team Wins Mini-Tournament

February 16th, 2025 at 10:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Stephen Curry was named the All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player, Octagon Basketball tweets. Curry was a member of the victorious Shaq’s OGs squad.

Shaq’s OGs defeated Candace’s Rising Stars 42-35 in the semifinals of the four-team mini-tournament. In the final, they faced Chuck’s Global Stars, who had defeated Kenny’s Young Stars 41-32 in the other semifinal. Shaq’s OGs downed Chuck’s Global Stars, 41-25, for the championship.

Shaq’s squad also featured Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, James Harden and Jaylen Brown. Anthony Davis was originally chosen for the squad but was sidelined by an adductor injury and was replaced by Irving.

LeBron James was also on the team but was a late scratch, as he rested his sore ankle and foot.

The championship-winning players received $125K apiece. Each player on Chuck’s team received $5oK, while all other participants collected $25K.

Adam Silver Discusses Doncic Trade, Other Topics In All-Star Press Conference

February 15th, 2025 at 9:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

NBA commissioner Adam Silver was as surprised as anyone when news broke that Luka Doncic had been traded to the Lakers two weeks ago, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. At his annual All-Star Weekend press conference, Silver said he wasn’t given advance notice from anyone about the deal.

He also refused to second guess the Mavericks, who have received an enormous amount of criticism for parting with Doncic, especially from their own fans.

“I can say one thing for sure: Whether or not history will ultimately judge this as a smart trade, they did what they thought was in the best interest of their organization,” Silver said. “I have absolutely no knowledge or belief there were any ulterior motives, no doubt in my mind that the Dumont-Adelson families bought that team to keep it in Dallas. I have no doubt whatsoever that they’re committed to the long-term success of that franchise.”

Silver added that he’s “empathetic” toward Dallas fans who are upset about the deal, which looks even worse since Anthony Davis was injured in his first game with the team.

“Time will tell whether it was a smart trade,” Silver said. “But they should believe in their organization.”

Silver addressed several other topics during his meeting with reporters, according to Reynolds:

The Hornets contacted the league office after the Lakers rescinded their trade for Mark Williams, but Charlotte hasn’t filed a formal appeal. “Let’s see what Charlotte decides to do here,” Silver said. “But I think either way, it’s gotten our attention. We understand that in the back and forth of teams and trades that the extent we can reduce uncertainty, that’s a positive thing.”
The league is waiting for a response from Timberwolves majority owner Glen Taylor after an arbitration panel ruled in favor of Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez this week. Silver said he doesn’t see any reason why the sale of the team wouldn’t be approved, but he doesn’t want to speak for the Board of Governors. “I mean, that’s Glen’s decision to make,” Silver said. “I haven’t talked to him directly about that. I think, though, that A-Rod, certainly Marc Lore, are well-known to the league at this point. They’ve already been vetted and approved as minority owners. I think they understood that the league had no role in this arbitration. That was something they had agreed to as part of their purchase agreement.”
The league decided against a repeat of last year’s All-Star Weekend shooting contest between Stephen Curry and WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu, with Silver explaining, “Last year was so magical, that competition, that it started to feel forced. And I think there was concern from all of us that we just weren’t feeling it.”
Silver cited progress in the NBA’s television ratings, although he admitted that he’d like to see them higher. He added that the league measures its audience in several ways and is enjoying “record popularity” on social media.

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Kidd, Davis, Simmons

February 14th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Faced with a fan backlash following last week’s Luka Doncic trade and dealing with a series of injuries that have decimated their frontcourt, the Mavericks could have gone into a tailspin heading into the All-Star break.

Instead, Dallas has won four of its past five games, including a shorthanded home victory over Miami on Thursday that saw the club run out a starting five of Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, Max Christie, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Kessler Edwards. All five players scored in double figures, as Exum led the way with 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting.

“No one is pouting. Everyone is playing,” head coach Jason Kidd said after Thursday’s win, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “Big win before the break. Now we can rest, regroup and get ready for the second half.”

Kyrie Irving had to sit out Thursday’s game – the second of a back-to-back set – due to a right shoulder injury, but he has been playing through a back issue and is averaging a team-high 36.6 minutes per game on the season. His resiliency and leadership has trickled down to the rest of the roster, Clark writes.

“He sets a standard,” Edwards said. “If he sees any of us slacking, he holds us to that. He also has a great personality. It’s light in the locker room around him, so it’s great.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

The Mavericks and Kidd won’t be fined for the head coach’s decision to skip Monday’s post-game press conference, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, who notes (via Twitter) that the league typically responds to first-time violations of that rule with a warning rather than handing out a fine.
The Mavericks haven’t issued a formal update on Anthony Davis‘ projected recovery timetable from an adductor strain since he was injured in his first game with his new team on Saturday. As Stein writes in a story for his Substack, the lack of a publicly shared timeline is thought to be by design, with the hope being that Davis can take a non-surgical treatment path to recovery. As he reported earlier this week, Stein says there’s optimism that surgery can be avoided, but cautions that it hasn’t been entirely ruled out at this point.
Within that same Substack story, Stein reports that the Mavericks would have had interest in entering the bidding for Ben Simmons on the buyout market, but their hard-cap restrictions prevented them from emerging as a serious suitor. The prorated veteran’s minimum deal that Simmons got from the Clippers carries a cap hit of approximately $756K, whereas Dallas is only operating about $171K below its first-apron hard cap.

Mavs Notes: Kyrie, Davis, Milic, Front Office

February 13th, 2025 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

It was a chaotic return home on Monday for the Mavericks — the team ejected several fans who expressed their displeasure about the Luka Doncic trade, lost a one-point thriller in overtime, and saw head coach Jason Kidd skip out on his post-game media session.

That context made Kyrie Irving‘s performance on Wednesday all the more impressive. As Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes, Irving racked up 42 points on 15-of-25 shooting and drew a crucial offensive foul on Jimmy Butler with 17 seconds left in the game, leading Dallas to a much-needed win over Golden State and giving the home fans a feel-good moment.

“That was special,” Klay Thompson said after the victory over his former team. “That was incredible — 42 and the defensive stop of the night. Yeah, that was incredible. Needed it bad, especially when I didn’t have my best shooting night. That’s our point guard, man. That was ridiculous.”

The shorthanded Mavericks – who had to start 6’7″ forward Kessler Edwards at center due to injuries to Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell, and newly acquired star Anthony Davis – were going up against a Warriors club that had won back-to-back road games since Butler’s debut. Irving said the home crowd helped give the home team the spark it needed to pull out the win.

“Anytime you’re in a game like tonight and you’re looking for that energy, you look into the crowd, our fans, and you could drive yourself off that or get amplified, electrified off of that energy that’s in the crowd,” Irving said. “And it makes a big difference for us in in our home stadium. We got to protect it — our arena — and I feel like our fans know that. We’re obviously dealing with something unique, but at the same time we have to put our best foot forward.”

Here’s more on the Mavericks:

Although the Mavericks have yet to make an official announcement on how Davis’ adductor strain will be treated and how much time he might miss, NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter links) hears there has been “tangible optimism” in Dallas that the injury won’t require surgery. One source close to the situation tells Stein that the Mavs are still evaluating Davis’ recovery timeline and “will be cautious” about targeting a return date.
Marko Milic, who joined the Mavericks’ coaching staff in a player development role during the 2022 offseason, has stepped down from his role, sources tell Stein (Twitter link). According to Stein, Milic – who was the first Slovenian to play in the NBA – decided not to remain with the team following the Doncic trade.
Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link) calls out the Mavericks’ leaders for a lack of transparency and accountability, noting that the team still hasn’t publicly commented on its Caleb Martin trade, which needed to be amended to send a second-round pick to Dallas due to concerns about Martin’s physical. The front office also hasn’t responded to Doncic’s assertion that he “absolutely” didn’t give the team any indication he wouldn’t have signed a super-max extension offer during the 2025 offseason, Afseth adds.