Daniel Gafford Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavericks Notes: Thompson, Doncic, Gafford, Lively, Hardy

October 25th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The uniform was different, but otherwise Klay Thompson delivered a familiar performance Thursday night. Playing his first game for the Mavericks, Thompson hit six three-pointers and scored 22 points in 26 minutes in a win over San Antonio. In addition to providing the defending Western Conference champs with another outside shooting threat, Thompson showed he can still impact the game in other ways, collecting seven rebounds and three steals, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

“Great debut,” he said. “It’s only one game in October, but it feels good just to get that first one out of the way. … Just a ton of excitement, really just an awesome feeling. And you only get the first time of something so often.”

Last night marked the first time Thompson has played alongside Luka Doncic, who missed the entire preseason due to a left calf contusion. They seemed to have instant chemistry, as four of Thompson’s threes came directly off Doncic passes.

“What an incredible talent,” Thompson said. “I mean, it doesn’t make any sense because what we’re taught growing up as far as being the best basketball player is you got to jump the highest, you got to run the fastest, but somehow Luka defies that. He plays at his own speed and manipulates the game as good as I’ve ever seen anyone do it. And it’s great to be a recipient of that and get great looks.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Even though he finished with finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, Doncic felt the effects of sitting out the preseason, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. He shot just 8-of-21 on the night and felt like he played “terrible” despite nearly posting a triple-double. “I was telling someone that I was rusty the whole first half,” Doncic said. “The third quarter, it kind of opened up. The legs were back. It felt great just to be out there playing basketball.”
Head coach Jason Kidd wouldn’t reveal his starting center in his pregame meeting with reporters, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required), but he chose to go with Daniel Gafford and use Dereck Lively II off the bench. Both were productive, as Gafford had nine points, six rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes, while Lively put up 15 points, 10 rebounds and tied his career high with six assists in 27 minutes. “It’s an opportunity to start Gaff here, and we’ll look somewhere down the road to start D Live,” Kidd said. “But what I love about D Live coming off the bench is his energy, and that’s something that’s contagious. When you look at a team, there are going to be nights when we might be low energy, but D Live, as we’ve talked throughout preseason, we plug into him, and guys, you know, recharge or feed off that energy. He has a big responsibility with that second group.”
With a new three-year, $18MM extension in hand, Jaden Hardy appears to be an important part of the Mavericks’ second unit, Afseth adds. Kidd said Hardy has improved his play-making skills to complement his outside shooting as he begins his third NBA season.

Mavs Notes: Lively, Gafford, Thompson, Morris, Dinwiddie

October 1st, 2024 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Daniel Gafford was the Mavericks‘ starting center down the stretch and in the playoffs last season, but second-year big man Dereck Lively has a chance to overtake him for that role this fall. As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) writes, head coach Jason Kidd has suggested Gafford and Lively could compete for the job, but said on Monday, “We’ll probably start D-Live with the first group and see how that goes.”

Lively’s teammates are excited to see the strides he makes in year two after his All-Rookie season in 2023/24.

“Just seeing him this offseason, the workouts and pickup games that we’ve played, he’s in really great shape and he’s gonna continue where he left off,” forward/center Maxi Kleber said. “It’s a privilege to play with him.”

While it’s possible Gafford will end up coming off the bench in his first full season in Dallas, both centers figure to play key roles for the Mavericks in 2024/25, so the veteran isn’t worried about whether or not he retains his starting job.

“When it comes to the anticipation of me and D-Live, I just feel like we can be two good old cowboys out here. Doing our thing, just having fun, catching lobs,” Gafford said. “We just come in every day and make each other better. … I get that somebody will have to start at the end of the day, but I don’t think we’re gonna make a big deal out of it.”

Here’s more on the Mavericks:

Star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving expressed excitement on Monday about the arrival of veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Doncic said the spacing that Thompson will help create is “going to be perfect for us,” while Irving added, “I feel like our dreams (of a championship) can be possible because he’s here now.” Informed of his new teammates’ comments, the former Warrior was “visibly appreciative,” Vardon writes. “It means a lot,” Thompson said. “It gives me confidence to keep working hard and be myself. … It really means a lot that they believe those things, because I do too and I am excited to get to work.”
Markieff Morris told reporters on Monday that he was trying to get twin brother Marcus Morris on the Mavericks’ roster this offseason, but it didn’t pan out, tweets Townsend. Marcus is once again a free agent and is looking for a new NBA home after being cut by New York, but if Dallas retains Markieff along with its 14 players on guaranteed contracts, there wouldn’t be room on the regular season roster for anyone else.
After choosing the Lakers over the Mavericks on the buyout market last season, Spencer Dinwiddie is happy to be back in Dallas this fall, writes Sasha Richie of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Dinwiddie played some of the best basketball of his career during a previous stint in Dallas from 2022-23, averaging 17.1 points per game with a .404 3PT%. “Probably the most consistent basketball I’ve played has been in a Mavs jersey. The farthest I’ve gone in the playoffs — the Western Conference Finals — was in a Mavs jersey,” Dinwiddie said. “These guys are my friends. I’m still familiar with over half the team.”

And-Ones: NBAGL Trades, Extension Candidates, Woj’s Replacement, More

October 1st, 2024 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

Toronto’s G League affiliate – the Raptors 905 – has made a pair of trades in recent days, including a four-team deal that sent Kennedy Chandler‘s returning rights to the 905, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). As we noted recently when the NBA’s Raptors signed and waived Chandler, their G League team still needed to acquire the guard’s rights in order to get him on the 905’s roster this fall.

That four-team trade also saw the Long Island Nets acquire Au’Diese Toney‘s returning rights and a 2025 first-round pick, the Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans) acquire Trhae Mitchell‘s returning rights, and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets) land the rights to Devin Cannady and Markquis Nowell along with a 2024 first-round pick.

In the 905’s other trade, the Raptors’ affiliate sent Koby McEwen‘s returning rights to the Windy City Bulls in exchange for Evan Gilyard‘s rights, tweets Murphy.

Fred Katz of The Athletic identifies five of the most interesting extension-eligible veterans to keep an eye on this fall, singling out Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., and Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, among others.
Who are the candidates to replace Adrian Wojnarowski as ESPN’s top NBA insider? According to reporting from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic and Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, while big-name NBA reporters like Shams Charania and Chris Haynes are possibilities, it’s also not out of the question that one of ESPN’s other top news-breakers, such as Jeff Passan or Adam Schefter, could end up in the role. Marchand says Passan is a candidate to switch from MLB to the NBA, while McCarthy suggests it’s not out of the question for Schefter to take on a dual role covering the NFL and NBA.
In an in-depth Insider-only article for ESPN, Bobby Marks takes a look at all 30 teams’ training camp rosters and examines the key dates and deadlines coming up for each of those clubs.
Taking into account their projected regular season win totals, John Hollinger of The Athletic picks five teams he expects to exceed expectations in 2024/25, including the Cavaliers, Suns, and Pistons.

International Notes: Fournier, Gafford, Smailagic, Karaman

September 8th, 2024 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Evan Fournier is ready to get started with Olympiacos after spending 12 years in the NBA, per a Eurohoops story. The 32-year-old guard made the decision to play in Europe after helping France win a silver medal at the Olympics. During a press conference this week, Fournier confirmed that he received an offer from Washington, but he didn’t want to settle for being a mentor and a part-time player.

“I had contacts with some contenders during the summer, before the Olympics,” he told reporters. “I had an offer from the Wizards, but that wasn’t something I wanted for my career right now. I came to Olympiacos to experience strong emotions, play in big games, and be part of a special project. This was the opportunity at the right time and by far the best option for me.”

Fournier added that he grew up as a fan of Olympiacos and is happy to be able to join the Greek team. He spent time with JSF Nanterre and Poitiers Basket 86 before coming to the NBA, so he’s familiar with the European style of play, and he said at the news conference that it’s actually harder to score in the EuroLeague than it is in the NBA. He also stated that he received encouragement from Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, a former teammate, about returning to Europe.

“Vucevic and I have been discussing it all the time lately,” Fournier said. “He is from Montenegro and is a fan of Red Star, and he was asking me a lot of questions about my transition here. He loves European basketball as well. If he doesn’t (make) the playoffs, he will come see me play here.”

There’s more international news to pass along:

Mavericks center Daniel Gafford received an offer to join Luka Doncic on the Slovenian national team, Matej Erjavec, president of the Basketball Federation of Slovenia, revealed in an interview with Ekipa. Gafford was approached with the possibility after a game last season and asked for some time to consider it. “When he called us a few days later, he said that this summer was simply not going to work, as he had ordered individual exercises, programs, personal trainers and some other matters,” Erjavec said. “(But) he is definitely interested in the future.”
Former NBA player Alen Smailagic cited extortion, blackmail and financial fraud as reasons he chose to leave Serbia and sign with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, per BasketNews. Smailagic has filed criminal charges against two people regarding a contract his parents signed in 2019 after his first season with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League.
Turkish player Ilkan Karaman, who was selected in the 2012 NBA draft, has died at age 34 after being struck by a car while standing on the sidewalk, according to BasketNews. Karaman was taken by the Nets with the 57th pick in 2012. His draft rights were traded to Cleveland in 2014 and to Milwaukee in 2020, but he never played in the NBA.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans Arena, Rockets, Mavs, Johnson, Paul

September 5th, 2024 at 9:41am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans’ arena, Smoothie King Center, is in need of major renovations, per Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Most systems and equipment have reached or exceeded their usable life, according to an assessment report from an architecture firm and consulting company. The building’s sound and public address system are among the items that need to be replaced. The report’s findings shift the spotlight onto Pelicans owner Gayle Benson and Louisiana state officials to either fund a renovation of the nearly 25-year-old building or build a new arena, Clark adds.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

While some teams are holding training camp at faraway places, the Rockets are happy they’ll stay at home. They will hold training camp, beginning Oct. 1, at their new practice facility, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. In recent years, they’ve held camp in a variety of locations out of town. The $70MM basketball headquarters is about a 10-minute drive from the Rockets’ home arena, the Toyota Center.
How will Jason Kidd manage the minutes of Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford at the Mavericks’ center position? That’s one of the big questions for Dallas heading into training camp, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. The need for Jaden Hardy to have a breakout season after Josh Green was traded is another intriguing element of this year’s camp.
Keldon Johnson wore No. 3 for the Spurs the last few seasons. He’s giving up that uniform number to Chris Paul, according to ESPN. Johnson will instead take No. 0. Paul, who signed a one-year contract with San Antonio, has worn No. 3 since entering the league in 2005.

Mavs’ Harrison Talks Offseason, Doncic, Jones, Assistants, More

June 21st, 2024 at 7:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Mavericks head of basketball operations Nico Harrison said that he doesn’t expect to make any significant changes this offseason to the core of the roster that won the Western Conference this spring.

“I think we have the pieces. I think we just need to get better ourselves,” Harrison said, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “Since I’ve been here, our front office staff has looked to make it better and we’ll continue to do that. But the core is intact. If you look at our top seven or eight players that really played. I don’t see anything happening with that.”

There has been speculation that the Mavericks could turn to the trade market in the coming weeks to make one more big move to solidify the team’s place as a legitimate title contender. While Harrison didn’t entirely rule out that possibility, noting that the front office is always open to ideas that would improve the roster, he suggested that they key to getting better is having Dallas’ own players come back “10 to 15% better.” That includes MVP runner-up Luka Doncic.

“We’re not where we’re at without Luka,” Harrison said, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I think that’s important to point out, and we also won’t be able to get where we want to go without the best version of Luka. If you look at a guy who after Game 3 (of the NBA Finals) had the world on his neck — the scrutiny, which was crazy, the amount of scrutiny that he had to face — for him to focus in and do what he did in Game 4, I just think it just shows the character of him. He’s willing to fight through adversity, and I think he’s going to continue to get better.

“He’s 25 years old. I think just going through the Finals, him seeing what he needs to do to be at his best in the Finals after going through a grueling end of the year and then three tough, tough (playoff) matchups, I think you’re going to see the best version of him.”

Here are a few more of Harrison’s most notable comments from Friday’s presser, via Curtis, MacMahon, and Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com:

On his expectation that Doncic will play for Slovenia in its Olympic qualifying tournament next month:

“That’s probably one of his biggest joys. I think as long as he can walk, he’s probably going to go out there and play for them.”

On the Mavericks’ desire to re-sign Derrick Jones despite salary limitations:

“I don’t know how we’re going to do it, but he’s a priority. He’s priority one — 1A and 1B. I think he fits in with our team. He loves it here and we have to figure out obviously the dynamics to get him to stay. But that’s a priority and we’ll do what we have to do to get it done.”

On the importance of the playoff experience that four Mavs’ newcomers got this spring:

“To get to where we were, we relied on four players who had little to no playoff experience. (Dereck) Lively, (Daniel) Gafford, Derrick Jones and P.J. (Washington). Those four players played huge minutes for us and had little to no playoff experience. So how do they come back and incorporate that in their game from the start. I think that’s going to be huge.

“P.J. specifically, I think he can add a few more points a game, taking the ball off the rim, pushing it, posting up smaller players, shooting a little higher percentage from the three-point line, penetrating when they run him off the line. So he can add a few more points. And he’s going to. He’s poised to continue to get better. But the experience all four of those players got in the playoffs is going to carry them into next season.”

On assistant coaches Sean Sweeney and Jared Dudley drawing interest from rival teams:

“We love both of them and we respect them. They’ve been valuable in getting us to where we’re at, but at the same time, it’s about people. Our goal is to develop players and staff. If opportunities present themselves, we’re going to support them. They know how much we want them back, but it’s about growth. You can’t hamstring players or staff from growing. We’re going to support them, but we do want them back. We’re hopeful that they’ll be back.”

NBA Finals Notes: Brown, Porzingis, Mavs’ Centers, Luka, Kyrie

June 8th, 2024 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters during a media session on Saturday, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd referred to Jaylen Brown as the Celtics‘ “best player” when asked about the challenges of facing the Boston wing (Twitter video link).

“Well, Jaylen’s their best player,” Kidd said. “So just looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka (Doncic) full court, he got to the free throw line, he did everything. That’s what your best player does.”

You could certainly make a case that Brown has been the Celtics’ best player in this postseason — his 24.8 points per game during the playoffs rank slightly behind Jayson Tatum‘s 25.3 PPG, but he has got his points far more efficiently, shooting 54.3% from the floor and 36.6% on three-pointers, compared to 43.8% and 29.9% for Tatum.

Still, the general consensus is that Tatum – who has also averaged a team-high 10.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game in the postseason – is Boston’s best player, so Kidd’s comments raised some eyebrows. While they may reflect his honest opinion, it’s hard not to read Kidd’s praise of Brown as an attempt at gamesmanship, given that the relationship between the two Celtics stars has been a popular topic of speculation among outsiders over the years.

Here’s more on the NBA Finals, with Game 2 on tap for Sunday:

Given how well the Celtics played in Game 1 with Kristaps Porzingis coming off the bench, head coach Joe Mazzulla will face an interesting decision on whether to return the big man to his spot in the starting lineup on Sunday, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com. As Robb notes, Boston played its best basketball with Porzingis on the court and could still manage his minutes over the course of the night if he starts. However, the team has gone 10-1 with Al Horford as its starting center during the playoffs and is riding an eight-game winning streak, so Mazzulla may not want to mess with what’s working.
Despite Mazzulla saying prior to Game 1 that Porzingis had no minutes limit, the big man told reporters on Saturday that he is in fact facing a minutes restriction (Twitter link via Souichi Terada of MassLive.com). Porzingis, who logged 21 minutes in Game 1, didn’t offer any specifics on that restriction.
Porzingis’ presence represents a major problem for the Mavericks, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, who says the Celtics’ floor-spacing centers essentially neutralized the impact of Dallas big men Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively, who had to chase Porzingis and Horford out to the perimeter rather than hanging back and protecting the rim. As Townsend points out, Gafford and Lively combined for just 10 points, eight rebounds, and no blocks on Thursday, while Porzingis and Horford totaled 30 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks.
Doncic and Kyrie Irving were unable to beat their defenders one-on-one in Game 1, which would’ve forced the Celtics to send help and created open shots for teammates, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. As a result, the two stars combined for just three assists, while the team as a whole had only nine. If that doesn’t change going forward and Doncic and Irving can’t do more in those one-on-one situations, it will likely be a quick series, Hollinger opines.

Southeast Notes: Keefe, Gafford, Micic, Hornets, Pullin

June 6th, 2024 at 10:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

After getting the interim tag removed, Wizards head coach Brian Keefe is focused on continuing to build relationships within the organization, according to the Washington Post’s Ava Wallace.

“This is a relationship business,” he said. “And when you develop these relationships, then you can really dig into the stuff that we need to improve on.”

The Wizards went just 8-31 after Keefe was named interim coach, but they were impressed by his forward-thinking approach.

“We’re always going to be looking for what’s best for our group now, but also what’s best for our group going forward,” Keefe said, per The Associated Press. “One of the things I think is, how can we best use our players? And that might not be right now. That might pay off in two years from now.”

Keefe faces a different set of challenges than coaches hired by contenders, Josh Robbins of The Athletic opines. Robbins notes that it won’t easy to convince his players to play with unselfishness on offense and with effort on defense when many of those players will attempt to stand out in order to earn more lucrative contracts. It will also be tough for him to keep veteran players positive as the losses accumulate.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

After being stuck on the going-nowhere Wizards, Daniel Gafford felt a huge sense of relief when he was traded to the Mavericks, he told David Aldridge of The Athletic. “It’s more like, with me, in all honestly, I felt, just, it was a lot of weight that was just lifted off of me,” Gafford said. “Because I felt it was a situation that was going to be better for me, of course. But I hated to leave a team where I’d built a lot of relationships with. It was a good atmosphere, always, when I was in D.C. … one door closed and another door opened for me.”
Vasilije Micic embraced the challenge of an expanded role with the Hornets in his first NBA season after getting traded by the Thunder. Micic, the former EuroLeague star, is entering the second year of a three-year contract. “It was good for me,” he told HoopsHype’s Cyro Asseo de Choch. “I was very happy to get the chance, and to be honest, since I came there, I came up with an idea to face all the challenges that I could potentially face even though I was 29, even though I settled myself so well in Europe. I just wanted that challenge, and so far, it’s going OK.
A more harmonious franchise structure from top to bottom and better player development are some of the keys to turning around the Hornets, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer opines.
University of Florida guard Zyon Pullin is working out for the Heat today and the Magic on Saturday. Currently ranked No. 90 on ESPN’s Best Available list, Pullin hopes to elevate his stock to second-round consideration, he told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Definitely hope to go probably second round,” Pullin said. “Ultimately, I could see myself going somewhere in that ballpark. I’m pretty confident. I know my capabilities. I’m very realistic. I don’t like to live in a fictional world. Whatever that is at the end of the day, I’m confident that it’s just another stepping stone.”

Mavs Notes: Doncic, Porzingis, Lively, Dumont, Washington

June 4th, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA player Chandler Parsons stated on FanDuel’s Run It Back program that Luka Doncic did not like playing with Kristaps Porzingis when the two were Mavericks teammates from 2019-22.

That’s news to Doncic, who denied there was any friction between him and the current Celtics big man.

“They’re wrong. I’ve talked to Chandler Parsons maybe twice in my life, so I don’t know how he would know this,” he said, per Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News. “Me and KP have a good relationship. I don’t know why people say these things.”

We have more from the Mavericks:

Remember when the league fined the Mavericks $750K for resting players during the second-to-last game last season, when they were still in the play-in hunt? It was worth the fine, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon notes, as they wound up drafting Dereck Lively II in the lottery at No. 12 after trading down. Dallas needed to make swift moves to build around Doncic and Kyrie Irving and the Mavs struck gold in the draft. The tank job was a transparent attempt by the Mavs to hang on to the top-10-protected pick they owed the Knicks as the final payment on the Porzingis blockbuster deal.
Patrick Dumont, the franchise’s majority shareholder, knew the team could be a contender this season. But he had no idea the Mavs would be in the Finals when the purchase from Mark Cuban was approved by the league’s Board of Governors in late December. “No, we were just very happy and honored to be able to be here,” Dumont told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “Like, we had no idea. But we knew this team would compete. And we’re very excited about the work they’ve put it in and the results. It’s phenomenal.”
P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford went from lottery teams prior to the trade deadline to now playing prominent roles on a Western Conference champion. Washington feels blessed to be in this position, he told Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “I’m pretty sure he (Gafford) didn’t expect to be here, just like I didn’t,” Washington said. “It’s a lot of emotions coming from Charlotte and not really winning a lot of games to being in the Finals in a matter of months. It’s a quick turnaround and we’re just extremely grateful. We’re not taking anything for granted. As a kid, I never thought I’d be in the position that I’m in now.”
Lively developed quicker than coach Jason Kidd expected, Sefko writes in a separate story. “When we got Lively, we felt it was going to fill one of the holes that Luka was looking for, a vertical guy,” Kidd said. “You could see the future of him being the anchor of the defense. The future just happened to come a lot faster. He wanted that responsibility. Sometimes, young players will shy away from that. But he ran to it.”

Mavericks Notes: Jones, Kidd, Irving, Gafford

June 3rd, 2024 at 10:40am CST by Arthur Hill

The decision to sign with the Mavericks last summer has given Derrick Jones Jr. a chance to play in the NBA Finals, but he could been there with either team, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Jones confirmed to reporters on Sunday that he considered an offer from the Celtics before opting to go to Dallas.

Boston was looking for another wing to back up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but the Mavs gave Jones a chance to start and he has turned out to be a bargain on a one-year minimum deal. He will be back on the free agent market this summer and figures to earn a substantial raise after averaging a career-high 8.6 PPG in 76 games. He’ll more than make up for the money he lost when he decided to turn down a $3.3MM player option with the Bulls.

“I could have accepted my player option in Chicago and still be on the team that’s not in the playoffs right now,” Jones said. “I just decided to bet on myself. I took less money to come here, but the money wasn’t the problem. The money wasn’t the issue. I just wanted to have the opportunity to be on the floor and to showcase what I’m able to do, and it happened for me.”

There’s more from Dallas:

There was speculation that Jason Kidd might have been on the hot seat with an early playoff exit, but instead he’s in the NBA Finals and has a multiyear contract extension, notes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. The Mavericks‘ head coach is grateful to general manager Nico Harrison and new team governor Patrick Dumont for having faith in what he’s trying to build. “And for Nico and Patrick to see that with the extension before we even got past the first round,” Kidd said. “Understanding that they believed in what I could do, and they saw the impact I had on the guys. … It’s definitely a vote of confidence. I actually believed I was doing the right thing. If you looked at our roster, it got better. We all got better.”
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports examines the career paths of Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, noting there was a time where they were nearly traded for each other. It happened before the 2019 deadline, when Irving was near the end of his tenure in Boston and New York was starting to explore deals involving Porzingis. The Mavericks killed the potential trade by offering the Knicks two first-round picks in exchange for Porzingis. Fischer also notes that the Celtics weren’t on Irving’s original list when he asked to be traded out of Cleveland. The Spurs, Knicks, Timberwolves and Heat were his preferred destinations.
Daniel Gafford had exploratory talks about joining the Slovenian national team as a naturalized player, but that won’t happen this summer, sources tell Marc Stein (Substack link). Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney will be part of Slovenia’s coaching staff for an Olympic qualifying tournament next month, and while Luka Doncic is expected to play, he won’t discuss his plans until the playoffs are done.
TNT analyst and former head coach Stan Van Gundy isn’t backing down from his claim that Irving and Doncic are “arguably the best offensive backcourt in the history of the NBA,” according to Howard Beck of The Ringer. Beck compares them to some historically great guard tandems to see how they stack up.