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Mavs Notes: D. Williams, Nowitzki, Carlisle

December 1st, 2016 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite his team’s NBA-worst record, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban stated earlier this week that he has no interest in tanking this season. In Cuban’s view, the benefits of tanking don’t necessarily outweigh the risks, since even the league’s worst team only has a 25% chance at the first overall pick, and clubs risk creating a losing culture by deliberately angling for a top draft pick.

Still, as Kevin Herrington of The Dallas Morning News explains, it wouldn’t be hard for the Mavs to engaged in a “natural tank.” With a handful of veteran players banged up and dealing with various injuries, there’s no need to push those players, says Herrington. It makes more sense to let them get healthy, perhaps trading a veteran or two, and to let the club’s younger players take on larger roles. No team this year looks as bad as last season’s 10-win Sixers, so the Mavs could very well end up with one of the NBA’s worst records even if they stay competitive, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes.

Let’s round up a few more notes out of Dallas…

Mavs point guard Deron Williams has partnered with local MMA coach Sayif Saud to open a new MMA gym in Dallas, according to Mark Francescutti of The Dallas Morning News. Williams says his MMA training has helped lessen the effect of physical impact on his body, and hasn’t ruled out the idea of competing in the sport after his NBA career ends.
With the Mavs struggling and his troublesome Achilles keeping him out of action, Dirk Nowitzki is “mired in basketball misery” at the moment, says Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. While Nowitzki likely won’t be afforded the luxury of finishing his career on a title contender like Tim Duncan did, he’ll still be remembered as one of the NBA’s great players when he calls it a career, as Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich asserts. “What they’ve done is iconic, unique,” Popovich said of Nowitzki and Duncan. “They deserve whatever accolades they get from whatever source. If each of them played seven more years and couldn’t do anything, they still deserve it.”
Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News takes a closer look at the impact that Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle is having on younger players like Justin Anderson and Dwight Powell in Dallas this season.

Players With Incentive Bonuses For 2016/17

November 7th, 2016 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

According to Bobby Marks of The Vertical, there are 33 players around the NBA who can potentially earn incentive bonuses this season based on their own durability or performance, or based on how their team performs. Although Marks doesn’t identify all 33 players who have incentives included in their 2016/17 contracts, he discusses over half of them, passing along a number of interesting tidbits about those potential bonuses. Here are some of the highlights:

Minutes/games played bonuses:

NBA bonuses are deemed either “likely” or “unlikely,” using the previous season’s statistics as a benchmark, so if a player didn’t appear in many games during the previous year, a team can include a games-played benchmark and call it an unlikely incentive. For instance, John Henson‘s contract with the Bucks features incentives if he plays 60 games or 75 games this season. He appeared in just 57 contests in 2015/16, so neither of those marks is viewed as likely.

Miles Plumlee (Bucks), Luis Scola (Nets), Greivis Vasquez (Nets), and Deron Williams (Mavericks) are among the other players who have incentives in their deals for games played or started.

Individual statistic bonuses:

The Trail Blazers got creative with Maurice Harkless‘ new contract this summer, including an incentive bonus in the deal that can be triggered based if he keeps his three-point percentage above a certain level. Jeremy Lin, meanwhile, not only has a three-point percentage incentive, but also has bonuses linked to assists, turnovers, and threes and free throws attempted per 36 minutes.

Individual achievement bonuses:

Players like Bismack Biyombo (Magic), Evan Fournier (Magic), and Will Barton (Nuggets) have incentives related to their individual performances as well, but they’re related to awards and honors, rather than raw statistics. Biyombo gets a bonus if he makes the NBA’s All-Defensive team, Fournier gets some extra money for an All-Star appearance, and Barton would get $250K if he wins the Sixth Man of the Year award.

Of course, some of these incentives are more realistic than others. For instance, Thaddeus Young (Pacers) probably shouldn’t be counting on the $500K incentive bonus that he’d earn if he wins the league’s MVP award.

Team performance bonuses:

Several players, including Fournier, Jon Leuer (Pistons), and Joe Ingles (Jazz) have bonuses related to their teams making the playoffs. Many of those postseason incentives are tied to another condition. For example, for Taj Gibson to earn his bonus from the Bulls, he must appear in at least 60 games, play in at least 75% of Chicago’s playoff games, and average 25 or more minutes per game during the regular season.

Some players also have incentives linked to their teams’ win total, and once again, some are more attainable than others. For example, Nikola Mirotic could earn an extra $800K, but he’d need the Bulls to win 65+ games, so there’s a good chance his shot at that bonus will disappear about halfway through the season.

Be sure to check out the full breakdown from Marks for many more details on players who could earn incentive bonuses in 2016/17.

Southwest Notes: Matthews, Williams, Barnes

September 17th, 2016 at 6:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks feel like they have an all-new starting backcourt this season, even though Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams are both returning, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. The Mavs signed both players during the summer of 2015, but they were dealing with injuries that limited their effectiveness. Matthews was coming off surgery for a ruptured left Achilles tendon and was noticeably slower throughout the year. Williams, who received medical clearance this week to participate in the start of training camp, underwent surgery for a sports hernia after Dallas was eliminated from the playoffs.

“I hope D-Will can stay healthy,” said Dirk Nowitzki. “I think when he was healthy last year, he was a key player for us, at times even our best player, so hopefully he can stay healthy. And I’ve heard Wes was a beast in the gym basically since we lost [in the playoffs]. I hear he’s in unbelievable shape and ready to go. It should be another fun, hopefully exciting and competitive year.”

There’s more news out of the Southwest Division:

Harrison Barnes hasn’t been a featured scorer since high school, but Dallas is counting on him to be one this season, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com. After Barnes became expendable when Kevin Durant committed to the Warriors, the Mavericks gave him a four-year, $94MM contract and projected an expanded role for him in their offense. Barnes averaged 10 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in four years with Golden State.
Monty Williams, who joined the Spurs Friday as vice president of basketball operations, hasn’t ruled out a return to coaching someday, tweets Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. In the meantime, the Spurs will groom Williams for a front office role.
The Rockets swapped out one frequently injured player for three, write Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders in the site’s season preview of Houston. Dwight Howard may have taken his back problems to Atlanta, but Rockets signed three free agents in Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon and Nene who have long injury histories of their own.

Mavs Notes: Williams, Harris, Hammons, Brussino

September 11th, 2016 at 12:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks point guard Deron Williams has received medical clearance to participate in the start of training camp, tweets Mike Fisher of radio station 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. Williams underwent surgery for a sports hernia shortly after Dallas was knocked out of the playoffs and took three months off from playing basketball. He appeared in 65 games for the Mavericks last season, averaging 14.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per night. Dallas will open camp September 26th.

There’s more news today out of Dallas:

The health news isn’t as good for Mavericks guard Devin Harris, according to Tim MacMahon on ESPN Now. Harris is still recovering from offseason toe surgery and expects to be limited for at least the first week of camp. The 33-year-old had operations on his left big toe and left thumb after last season ended. Harris is entering his final season with a fully guaranteed contract.
Rookie center A.J. Hammons may see his chance for playing time increase as the season wears on, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. A second-round pick out of Purdue, Hammons will enter camp behind Andrew Bogut, Salah Mejri and Dwight Powell on the depth chart. But Bogut’s long injury history may create opportunities at the position later in the year. The 24-year-old Hammons averaged 15.2 points, 8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game during his senior season at Purdue.
Argentinian Nicolas Brussino is a worthwhile gamble for the Mavericks, Sefko writes in a separate piece. The 23-year-old swingman signed with Dallas in July for a $100,000 guarantee. He has a reputation as a decent shooter and rebounder, but Sefko states that he will have to prove in camp that he can handle the NBA game.

Western Notes: Lakers, Jianlian, Singler

August 19th, 2016 at 9:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers have hired Jud Buechler, Brian Keefe and Theo Robertson as player development coaches, BA Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Casey Owens has also been hired as an assistant coach/advance professional scout, while Will Scott has been named a video coordinator to round out Luke Walton’s staff. Brian Shaw, Jesse Mermuys and Mark Madsen had previously been named as assistants by Walton.

In other news around the Western Conference:

Veteran coach Del Harris believes Yi Jianlian’s second foray into the NBA will go much more smoothly than his first one, Kevin Wang of ESPN.com reports. Jianlian signed a one-year deal with the Lakers this week that could be worth as much as $8MM. Yi bounced around the league for five seasons before returning to China in 2012. Harris, who is familiar with Yi after coaching the Chinese national team, said Yi’s style of play fits Walton’s offensive scheme. “I think that is the right team for him,” Harris told Wang. “He should be able to play for them and will really fit the style Luke employed so well last year [with the Warriors].”
Mavs guard Deron Williams believes LeBron James solidified his legacy by winning a championship with the Cavaliers, he said in an NBC Radio interview that was excerpted by the Dallas Morning News. James formed a “super team” with the Heat but proved he could win it all with an arguable lesser cast, according to Williams. “He went back to a team that won – what? – 20 games before he got there, and took them to the Finals, and now they won a championship,” Williams said. “And if you take him off that team, I don’t know where they’d be, they’d still be a good team, but they wouldn’t be competing for a championship.”
Thunder small forward Kyle Singler is preparing himself for a much larger role in the wake of Kevin Durant’s decision to join the Warriors, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. Singler got in the gym right after the season and worked out with the summer league team, Horne continues. “When I was trying to think about how I want to maximize my summer, my first thing I wanted to do was play as much basketball as possible,” Singler told Horne. Oklahoma City doesn’t have another small forward with Singler’s combination of size, length and shooting ability, making him a prime candidate to receive the bulk of Durant’s minutes, Horne adds.

Mavericks Rumors: Williams, Cuban, Hammons

July 23rd, 2016 at 4:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Point guard Deron Williams is confident he’ll be healthy when training camp opens, he told NBCDFW.com. Williams underwent sports hernia surgery shortly after the Mavs were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. “It’s healing pretty well, I’m doing a lot of work on and off the court. I haven’t got the full-go clearance yet but that’s coming soon,” Williams said. “I’ll be ready to go definitely by the time training camp rolls around.” Williams re-signed with Dallas this month on a one-year, $10MM contract, though he was hoping for multi-year deal. “Would have liked a little longer deal but I’m back for one year and hopefully can build on last year and improve,” he added in the interview.

In other news involving the Mavericks:

Owner Mark Cuban offered Dallas as a possible destination for this season’s All-Star Game after the NBA removed the event from Charlotte, he said in a radio interview with 105.3FM The Fan’s Ben and Skin Show. Cuban doesn’t expect the league to choose Dallas but he supports the league’s decision to switch the venue in reaction to a controversial North Carolina law. “When it came up, I told (commissioner) Adam Silver Dallas is ready, willing and able to host if they decide to move,” Cuban said. “But honestly I haven’t heard anything back from him on that, so most likely it won’t happen. … I think it’s the right move. I know it’s controversial and I know you can’t make everybody happy but I think it’s the right move.” New Orleans has emerged as the likely destination for the All-Star Game.
The Mavs made a smart move by drafting big man A.J. Hammons in the second round, Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News opines. Hammons was productive while playing in a major conference and brings youth, size, defense and rim protection, all areas of need for the club. With the trade acquisition of veteran center Andrew Bogut, the team can afford to develop Hammons at a slower pace, Gosselin adds.

Contract Details: Conley, Jefferson, Speights

July 18th, 2016 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has updated many of the team-by-team salary pages at Basketball Insiders with new information, and while it’s worth checking out the full breakdown for your favorite team, we have a few noteworthy items from the latest series of updates to pass along. Let’s dive in…

Mike Conley‘s five-year max deal with the Grizzlies includes an early termination option for the fifth year, which essentially functions like a player option. If Conley choose to waive that ETO and opts into the final year of his contract, his $34.5MM salary would be guaranteed for $22.427MM. However, if Conley plays in at least 55 games in either 2018/19 or 2019/20, that salary becomes fully guaranteed.
The third year of Al Jefferson‘s three-year contract with the Pacers is only partially guaranteed. The team currently owes him $4MM for the 2018/19 season, but if he stays on the roster, he’d earn his full $10MM salary.
Marreese Speights‘ minimum-salary deal with the Clippers is for two years, not just one. However, Speights has a player option on that second year, so he’ll likely opt out if he has a good year in Los Angeles.
Deron Williams‘ one-year contract with the Mavericks is actually worth $9MM rather than $10MM on the cap, though he has $1MM in unlikely incentives.
Dorian Finney-Smith, Jonathan Gibson, and Nicolas Brussino all got nearly-identical three-year, minimum-salary deals from the Mavericks. Gibson is the only one whose first year is fully guaranteed though — Finney-Smith and Brussino will start with just $100K guaranteed apiece.
When Paul Zipser‘s agent announced his rookie contract with the Bulls, he said it featured two guaranteed years. There’s also a third year on that pact worth the minimum salary that’s not fully guaranteed.

Southwest Notes: Nowitzki, Cuban, Jones, Stephens

July 17th, 2016 at 8:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

There was never a chance that Dirk Nowitzki would emulate Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade and leave his long-time team, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Nowitzki agreed to a two-year, $40MM deal to stay in Dallas, and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he never thought the situation would end differently. “Dirk wasn’t going anywhere,” Cuban said. “Dirk and Dallas, Dallas and Dirk, they’re synonymous. I understand and respect why D-Wade did what he did but there was never any doubt [about Nowitzki staying in Dallas], Dirk gets what Dirk wants.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Durant’s decision to join Golden State benefited the Mavericks, who were able to trade for Andrew Bogut and sign Harrison Barnes as the Warriors worked to clear cap space. Cuban likes the look of his new squad, Washburn writes in the same piece. “Yeah, Golden State south,” the owner said. “Harrison will get a chance to expand his game and [Wesley Matthews] will be fully healthy. Deron Williams, Harrison, Dirk, Andrew, that’s not a bad starting five, and we’ve got some of our guys coming back. So we’ll be all right.”
Jameel Warney is trying to decide whether to attend training camp with the Mavericks or accept an offer in South Korea, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Warney, a three-time America East Player of the Year at Stony Brook, was part of the Mavs’ Summer League team.
The Pelicans‘ Anthony Davis is happy to have Terrence Jones as a teammate again, he said in an interview with Nancy Armour of USA Today on NBA A to Z. New Orleans reached a deal with Jones on Thursday, signing the ex-Rocket for one year at the minimum salary. Houston elected not to submit a qualifying offer to the four-year veteran, making him an unrestricted free agent. ”He’s very physical and he can put the ball on the floor, great slasher and can drive to the basket,” Davis said. ”I think not a lot of bigs can guard him. I think me and him played very well with each other at Kentucky and hopefully we can do it here in New Orleans.”
The Grizzlies will bring former University of Memphis guard D.J. Stephens to camp, new coach David Fizdale said in an interview on NBA.com. The 25-year-old Stephens has three games of NBA experience with Milwaukee in 2014.

Mavericks Re-Sign Deron Williams

July 7th, 2016 at 4:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Apr 13, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Deron Williams (8) leaves the court after the loss to the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. The Spurs defeat the Mavericks 96-91. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jerome Miron / USA TODAY Sports Images

JULY 7th, 4:04pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.

JULY 3rd, 10:13pm: Veteran point guard Deron Williams has agreed to terms on a new deal to stay in Dallas, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The contract will pay Williams $10MM for one season.

Williams, 32, appeared in 65 games for Dallas in 2015/16 after signing as a free agent following his buyout in Brooklyn. He averaged 14.1 points and 5.8 assists per night.

Last month, Williams opted out of his contract, which would have paid him $5,621,026 next season. He and J.J. Barea will handle the point guard duties for Dallas next year, but it’s uncertain whether free agent Raymond Felton will be back to join them.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Beaubois, Duncan, Rockets

July 6th, 2016 at 5:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Unlike a year ago, the Mavericks don’t anticipate any snags before the moratorium is lifted on Thursday, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. Last summer, Dallas looked like a huge winner in free agency before DeAndre Jordan changed his mind and re-signed with the Clippers. This year should feature a lot less drama, as Dallas is expected to finalize a trade sending Jeremy Evans to Indiana before moving on to its committed free agents. The Mavericks will complete deals with Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut and re-sign Deron Williams and Dwight Powell. The team may decide to shed some more salary, with Sefko mentioning backup center JaVale McGee as a possibility.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Former Maverick Rodrigue Beaubois will be given a chance to make the roster next season, posts Tim McMahon on ESPN Now. The 28-year-old point guard spent four years in Dallas at the start of the decade, but hasn’t played in the NBA since 2013. He spent this season with Strasbourg in France.
Tim Duncan hasn’t made an official announcement about his future, but Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News notes that his career could end with him being waived by the Spurs. Waiving Duncan and stretching his $6.4MM salary over the next three seasons would not only help San Antonio’s cap situation, it would make sure Duncan gets all the money owed to him. All signs point toward Duncan retiring, but McDonald says if he comes back the Spurs will be able to fit him and new free agent signee Pau Gasol under their cap.
Today’s deal with Nene makes the Rockets‘ battle for roster spots more interesting, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston now has 13 players under contract for 2016/17, and must decide by August 1st whether to pick up a $1,015,696 option on reserve point guard Andrew Goudelock. The 27-year-old appeared in just eight games after signing with the Rockets in March when he completed his season in China. Combo forward Michael Beasley is in the same position, but a source told Feigen that Houston intends to keep him. The 13 roster spots don’t include restricted free agent Donatas Motiejunas or second-round draft pick Chinanu Onuaku (Twitter link).
There is “growing skepticism” that Alessandro Gentile will join the Rockets next season, tweets international journalist David Pick. It was reported last month that the Italian wing player, whose rights belong to Houston, was interested in playing for new coach Mike D’Antoni.