Brandan Wright Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavs Target Samuel Dalembert, Brandan Wright

July 11th, 2013 at 11:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 11th 11:49pm: Dalembert spent all day with the Mavs on Thursday, tweets ESPN's Marc Stein, and the sides are currently still in negotiations. Stein also tweets that he's told the newly signed Jose Calderon was part of the Mavs contingent attempting to woo Dalembert to Dallas.

JULY 10th 8:17pm: Dalembert will meet with the Mavs on Thursday in Dallas, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

JULY 10th 6:06pm: Wright texted Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com today to tell him that "Dallas is the clear-cut leader" for his services. Wright added that his agent, Jim Tanner, has begun to discuss a deal with the team.

JULY 10th 5:30pm: The Mavs are in the mix for Andrew Bynum, but he's not the only center who's drawing the team's attention. The team is in "serious discussions" with Brandan Wright, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, while Samuel Dalembert figures to be the Mavs' prime target should their pursuit of Bynum fall short, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Dalembert's upside clearly isn't what Bynum's is, but since it sounds like Bynum hasn't received any offers that include more than $6MM guaranteed, they could be in the same price range. Dalembert made $6,698,565 last season in the final year of a two-year, $13.7MM contract, but he's probably in line for a paycut after limited playing time with the Bucks.

It's not clear whether the Mavs' interest in Wright is tied to Bynum or Dalembert, but the team should be most familiar with him after he spent the past two seasons in Dallas. He put up career highs in points (8.5), rebounds (4.1), and minutes per game 18.0 this past season, prompting a handful of teams to join the Mavs as suitors, including the Hawks, Magic, Pistons, Raptors and Knicks. The Knicks have just a portion of the mini mid-level exception left, and Wright appears to be out of their price range, so it seems he'll command a nice raise from his $993K minimum salary of 2012/13.

Magic Seeking Depth At Point Guard, Center

July 11th, 2013 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have been one of the NBA's quietest teams so far in July, having not agreed to a single trade or free agent signing since the offseason got underway. That doesn't mean the club will remain inactive all summer though. According to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic are looking to add depth at point guard and center.

In addition to incumbent starter Jameer Nelson, Victor Oladipo and E'Twaun Moore could see some time at the point, but both are traditionally shooting guards. At the very least, Orlando figures to ink a minimum-salary free agent to add another point guard to the mix, Robbins says, citing former Western Kentucky product A.J. Slaughter as one possibility. As for bigs, Brandan Wright has been connected to the Magic, but according to Robbins, the team hasn't had significant discussions with his reps.

As Robbins notes in a separate piece, the Magic are currently capped out, but if the team reaches buyout agreements with Al Harrington and/or Hedo Turkoglu, as is expected, cap space could be created. Even if Harrington and Turkoglu are retained for a few more months, it shouldn't affect the club's spending plans, since it's not as if Orlando is eyeing any big names — if the team remains over the cap, the mid-level exception should provide more than enough spending flexibility.

Odds & Ends: Kings, Tolliver, Lakers, Ellis

July 10th, 2013 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

After a bid to relocate the NBA's Kings failed, Seattle-based investors also reportedly explored the possibility of moving the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes to the city. Although the franchise appears to be staying put in Phoenix, Seattle wasn't the only city interested in relocating it. According to Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com, Paul Allen and the Trail Blazers were also interested in buying the Coyotes and moving the team to Portland's Rose Garden.

Here are more odds and ends from around the NBA on a very busy Wednesday:

The Kings have named high-ranking NBA executive Chris Granger as their new team president, according to Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. Granger, who had been the executive VP of team marketing and business operations for the NBA, will oversee the team's role in the development of a new downtown sports arena and its business operations, says Lillis. It doesn't sound like Granger will be involved much, if at all, in the Kings' basketball operations.
Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports (via Twitter) that Anthony Tolliver is in talks with five teams, including the Hawks, and hopes to make a decision soon.
The Lakers have had conversations with Josh Powell's representative, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. McMenamin adds in a second tweet that the team has also spoken to a couple more former Lakers: Sasha Vujacic and Lamar Odom.
As Monta Ellis continues to seek a free agent deal, there doesn't appear to be a clear favorite to sign him, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. News broke today that Ellis has parted ways with his longtime agent.
Elton Brand and Brandan Wright are still talking to the Mavericks about a potential return, but Rodrigue Beaubois is almost certainly headed elsewhere, as GM Donnie Nelson told reporters today, including Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com.
Before he agreed to sign with the Bobcats, Al Jefferson received interest from the Mavericks and Pelicans, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

Knicks Notes: Brand, Martin, Wright, MWP

July 9th, 2013 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

It's already been a busy day for Knicks news and rumors, as we've passed along multiple updates on potential free agent targets, as well as a report that suggests Metta World Peace would be interested in landing New York if and when he's amnestied by the Lakers. Nonetheless, there are still a few more items out of the Big Apple to address. Here's a round-up:

If World Peace is amnestied as expected, the Knicks would "love" to add him for the veteran's minimum, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
The Knicks have been told by Brand's representatives that they're out of the running for the veteran big man, according to Berman.

Earlier updates:

With Elton Brand pursuing offers from several other teams, the Knicks will likely turn their attention to Kenyon Martin, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Martin isn't close to a deal with any other club.
The Knicks have also expressed some interest in Brandan Wright, but he's expected to be out of New York's price range, says Zwerling.
A source tells Zwerling that he could see World Peace getting through amnesty waivers and becoming available for the Knicks. "I'm not sure if a young team would bite," the source said.
Nate Robinson expressed interest in the Knicks when the team still had access to its full mini MLE, but now that part of that exception has been committed to Pablo Prigioni, Robinson is likely no longer an option for New York, according to Zwerling.
Undrafted seven-footer A.J. Matthews tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that he thinks he has a "great chance" to turn a Summer League stint with the Knicks into a training-camp invite.
Berman also tweets that the Knicks have kept tabs on free agent forward Anthony Tolliver, but Tolliver is still waiting on the Hawks.

Big Man Rumors: Bynum, Wright, Oden, Mullens

July 1st, 2013 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this afternoon, we passed along a few notes and rumors related to point guards. Now let's go a little bigger, with a focus on free agent centers….

The Mavericks were one of several teams to contact Andrew Bynum shortly after free agency began last night, agent David Lee tells Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. The Mavs, like all the teams chasing after Dwight Howard, are also in the market for Bynum as a fallback option, and the Trail Blazers and Cavaliers are reportedly pursuing the oft-injured center as well.
Dallas would like to retain Brandan Wright, but the Hawks, Magic, Pistons, Raptors, and Knicks all expressed interest in the Jim Tanner client after free agency began last night, McMahon reports. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) also adds the Lakers to the list of potential suitors for Wright.
The Heat, Spurs, Cavs, Celtics, Mavericks, Kings, Pacers, and Grizzlies all have interest in Greg Oden, but the former No. 1 overall pick is in no rush to make his decision on where to sign, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. He's hoping to be physically ready to play by training camp.
According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter), it's unlikely that Oden lands with the Cavs.
The Lakers have inquired on Byron Mullens, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Mullens became an unrestricted free agent when the Bobcats didn't tender him a qualifying offer.
The Heat are in contact with Chris Andersen's camp in the hopes of working out a deal, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.

Odds & Ends: Bucks, Mavs, Nuggets, Jones

June 19th, 2013 at 7:50pm CST by Alex Lee

As we all wait with bated breath for game seven tomorrow night between the Heat and the Spurs, let's round up some odds and ends from around the NBA on this Wednesday night:

Craig Brackins, Tyler Honeycutt, and Mickell Gladness are among the NBA free agents at a mini-camp being held by the Bucks this week, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com explains how the Early Bird exception could help the Mavericks re-sign Brandan Wright this summer.
While the Mavs are likely to move their first rounder, Mark Cuban tells MacMahon that any rumors about that deal that involve a Shawn Marion salary dump are false.
In an offseason that's already seen them lose a head coach, a GM, and an assistant GM, the Nuggets will lose two more executives from their front office, as Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post outlines.
The Jazz, who officially brought Jerry Sloan back to the organization earlier tonight, are close to naming Brad Jones their new bench assistant, tweets Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune. Jones was previously an assistant coach for player development for the team.

Western Notes: McDonough, Hunter, Wright

May 9th, 2013 at 10:13pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Not long after being officially introduced as the Suns' new general manager, Ryan McDonough addressed the topic of his head coaching search, saying that several people on his list of ideal candidates for the job have matched up with the list that had been in place before he was hired, adding that Lindsey Hunter still remains as "one of the top guys" (Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic via USA Today). McDonough also underscored the draft as a franchise's "lifeblood" for "sustainable success" and was complimentary of some of the current players on the roster. Here's more out of the Western Conference tonight:

Both Kevin Sherrington and David Moore of SportsDayDFW put themselves in Mark Cuban's shoes and give their theoretical free agent pitches to Chris Paul. Sherrington points to the differences in the Clippers' and Mavericks' ownership, while Moore emphasizes the opportunity to play with a shooter like Dirk Nowitzki and for a proven coach in Rick Carlisle.
Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW has his doubts about the Mavericks keeping Brandan Wright, noting that coach Rick Carlisle had issues with Wright's rebounding and inconsistency. With only six players under contract for next season as of right now, Cowlishaw expects the makeup of the team to be drastically different.
Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News makes the argument that the Warriors are a much more dangerous team now than they would have been with a healthy David Lee.
Lee told CSN Bay Area's Ric Bucher that he plans to return to action again this postseason and hasn't ruled out the possibility of getting surgery to repair his torn right hip flexor once the season is over (Sulia link).
Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com describes Masai Ujiri's journey toward becoming one of the league's top executives after humble beginnings ten years ago.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Wright, Beverley, Rockets

May 1st, 2013 at 4:26pm CST by Luke Adams

With three games on the postseason schedule tonight, including two that could be series-enders, it appears we're in for another fun night of NBA ball. While we prepare for the evening's action in New York, Indiana, and Oklahoma City, let's check in on a few items out of the Southwest Division….

As the Mavericks prepare their to-do list for what Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News calls "the most important summer in franchise history," the top priority is figuring out exactly how much money they'll have to spend this offseason, according to Sefko.
There's mutual interest between Brandan Wright and the Mavericks in seeing the big man back in Dallas next season, but Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com predicts Wright won't come cheap. MacMahon expects bidding for the free-agent-to-be to start in the four-year, $16MM range.
Patrick Beverley would love to stay long-term with the NBA team that took a chance on him, telling Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link) that he'd "definitely love to be [with the Rockets] forever."
Jemele Hill of ESPN.com is the latest to make the case for why Dwight Howard ought to sign with the Rockets rather than the Lakers or any other suitors this summer.

Western Notes: Mayo, Wright, Beverley

April 25th, 2013 at 10:58pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Dallas Morning News relayed some quotes from Mavericks beat writer Eddie Sefko today, from his appearance on 1310 AM The Ticket. Regarding O.J. Mayo, Sefko doesn't think that the Mavs will make an offer "too far north of the mid-level exception" and estimates a reasonable offer to be close to around a four-year deal at around $30MM. He also thinks that Mayo's starting offers will be for the mid-level exception. As for Brandan Wright, Sefko believes that retaining the 6'9 big man as a reserve in addition to finding a starting center would help shore up their rotation at the five spot. Here are a few more miscellaneous notes out of the Western Conference tonight:

Fresh off of his 16-point, 12-rebound, and six assists performance against Oklahoma City, Rockets guard Patrick Beverley isn't fazed at all by the playoff atmosphere, crediting the hostile environment from his experiences in Europe for his ability to handle the pressure now (Jonathan Feigen of Ultimate Rockets writes): “It’s different here. You have cities versus cities, states versus states. There, it’s countries against countries. I’ve played in games and got hit in the face with quarters, played with my face bleeding. I’ve played in hostile environments a lot. The first round of the playoffs I can deal with.”
Max Ogden of Sheridan Hoops gives an update on Kostas Papanikolaou, the 48th selection of last year's NBA draft by the Knicks whose draft rights were later traded to the Trail Blazers. The 22-year-old forward has continued his progression for the defending Euroleague champion Olympiacos.
NBA commissioner David Stern commended the Rockets for how they handled Royce White's situation, saying "we'll see what happens" with regard to White's future (Reid Laymance of Ultimate Rockets).
This NBA.com article focuses on Andre Miller, who at age 37 is leading the third-seeded Nuggets in his quest to get out of the first round for the first time in nine playoff appearances.

Western Notes: Mavs, Wright, Marion, Pau

April 10th, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we passed along a few of the day's stories out of the Eastern Conference. Now, let's head west and round up a handful of Western Conference headlines….

Brandan Wright has increased his free agent stock in recent weeks and could be in line for a deal similar to the four-year, $16MM pact Ian Mahinmi signed with the Pacers last summer, says Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. MacMahon wonders whether Wright is worth that much to the Mavericks or whether he'll land on another team for next season.
Set to turn 35 years old next month, Mavericks forward Shawn Marion spoke to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about his future in the NBA, noting that he feels as if he has "a lot of basketball left" in him.
Examining whether the Lakers ought to consider amnestying Pau Gasol in July, salary cap expert Larry Coon concludes that the idea is "ridiculous." Gasol's trade value may not be at a high point this summer, but Coon thinks that at least half the teams in the league would have some level of interest in a player like Pau.
The five-year contract Mike Conley received from the Grizzlies in 2010 was viewed by many at the time as a signficant overpay, but as Sean Deveney of the Sporting News writes, that's certainly not the case anymore.