Derrick Jones

Heat Notes: Draft, Two-Way Players, Bam, Jones, Cap, More

June 8th, 2024 at 8:52am CST by Rory Maher

The Heat began hosting prospects for pre-draft workouts this week, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, who reports that Providence guard Devin Carter, USC guard Isaiah Collier, Indiana center Kel’el Ware, Arizona forward Keshad Johnson and UConn guard Tristen Newton are among the players who are taking part. The Heat control one first-round pick (No. 15 overall) and one second-rounder (No. 43).

One of the draft’s risers, Carter was a standout performer during athletic testing at the combine. The 22-year-old is rumored to have a lottery promise, with the Heat reportedly viewed as his floor at No. 15. The son of former Heat guard and assistant coach Anthony Carter, Devin is ranked No. 13 on ESPN’s big board.

Collier (No. 22) and Ware (No. 24) are other possible options with Miami’s first-round pick, Chiang notes, while Johnson (No. 50) and Newton (No. 68) are viewed as potential second-rounders.

Here’s more on the Heat:

In a separate article for The Miami Herald, Chiang examines what’s next for the Heat’s trio of players — Jamal Cain, Cole Swider and Alondes Williams — on two-way contracts. All three players will be free agents this summer. As Chiang writes, Cain was dominant at the G League level in 2023/24 and he’s hoping to be promoted to a standard deal, whether it’s with Miami or elsewhere. Swider and Williams, meanwhile, are expected to play for Miami’s Summer League team and will continue to work out with the team in the offseason, Chiang adds.
Appearing on the Point Game podcast with John Wall and C.J. Toledano, big man Bam Adebayo discussed how he views the Heat’s culture. “To me, it’s just a standard,” Adebayo said, according to Chiang. “People try to make up these myths and [expletive] like that. The biggest thing I could say about it is it’s a standard. Every year, [Heat coach Erik Spoelstra] comes in and is like, ‘This is what we’re trying to get. We’re trying to get the trophy.’ Sixteen wins, whatever that may be, but it’s a standard because every day our coach walks in and challenges us. Every day, he walks in and is like, ‘You’re going to be prepared for what’s about to happen in this season.’ That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to execute. But it’s the standard of always having to be that way, having to come in there and really lock in every day to the point where like you get in the playoffs, it’s second nature.” Adebayo also talked about his potential role with Team USA at the upcoming Olympics in Paris, among other topics.
Former Heat forward Derrick Jones has “found new life” with the Mavericks, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Ever since I stepped foot in Dallas, they tell me to be me, play my game, go out there and be the best defender I can be,” Jones said. “Whenever I get shots, opportunities, I take the shots, I drive the ball, I finish the ball, make another play for a teammate.” Jones, who signed a one-year, minimum salary deal with Dallas as a free agent last summer, will be an unrestricted free agent again this offseason.
In a pair of subscriber-only mailbag articles for The Sun Sentinel, Winderman answers questions about the Heat’s postseason potential going forward as well as the team’s future cap outlook. According to Winderman, Miami has no viable way to move off their top players to free up cap space without becoming a lottery team. And since the Heat have already traded away two future first-round picks, rebuilding probably isn’t a realistic option, as Miami is constantly striving to be as competitive as possible.

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.

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Jones, Irving, Murphy

May 19th, 2024 at 3:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Thanks to the help of perhaps his most talented supporting cast thus far, Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic has made the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three years, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic.

The Mavericks rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half of a Game 6 clash at home, ultimately beating the Thunder by a single point, 117-116, to clench their second-round series.

The team’s cadre of talented new bigs, led by 25-year-old Daniel Gafford, 20-year-old rookie lottery pick Dereck Lively, and 25-year-old P.J. Washington, has had an outsized impact on its run this spring. Dallas also seems likely to be able to further grow in the coming years. Among the team’s rotation pieces, only 32-year-old Kyrie Irving and Maxi Kleber are older than 28.

All Dallas’ key rotation players are under contract long-term, with the exception of forward Derrick Jones Jr., who’s averaging 10.8 points (on .510/.375/.684 shooting), 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 assists per game across 12 postseason contests thus far — all starts. He scored a critical 22 points in Game 6 and helped the club close out the series with some clutch buckets in the second half.

Jones and his agent recently suggested to Cato that they’d like to work out a new deal with the Mavs above the veteran’s minimum this summer. Dallas will only hold the forward’s Non-Bird rights, limiting the team’s ability to offer a raise.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd supports the notion that Doncic has major confidence in this year’s supporting cast, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “He’s one of the best players in the world, but sometimes we lose sight that it’s not just built [around Doncic],” Kidd said. “One guy can’t get you there. You need a team. Right now, he’s got a team that he believes in.”
The collaboration and connection between the Mavericks’ star backcourt of Doncic and Irving has improved both players’ games, a fact of which they’re keenly aware, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). “He helped me mature a lot and realize how to see the game in a different way,” Doncic said. “On the court, it’s amazing to play with a guy like him. I go out there and enjoy.” For his part, the well-traveled Irving says he has enjoyed watching Doncic blossom: “I think this guy next to me has pushed me to continue to work on my game and continue to develop as a young leader. I think the big word that we both can agree on is maturity. Coming into Dallas, I was dealing with a lot mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. They embraced me with open arms.”
Pelicans swingman Trey Murphy impressed with some extended run this season. Still on his rookie scale contract for now, he’ll be eligible for a contract extension when the 2024/25 league year officially begins on July 1. Christian Clark of NOLA.com speculates about what Murphy’s next deal could look like. “Obviously, we are going to try to do what’s best for me and the Pelicans,” Murphy said. “I hope we can get something done. At the end of the day, it’s not about money. I just want to play basketball. Hopefully, we can get something done.”

Mavericks Notes: Jones, Doncic, Irving, Lively

May 15th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Four years after nearly being dealt to the Mavericks in a trade that fell apart over a miscommunication, veteran forward Derrick Jones chose Dallas last summer over a handful of rival suitors, including the Bulls and Suns, reports Tim Cato of The Athletic. According to Cato, Jones ultimately narrowed his options to the Mavs and Celtics before deciding to sign with Dallas.

Speaking to Cato, Jones’ agent Aaron Turner said he encouraged his client to sign with the Mavericks because it was the situation where the forward would get the best opportunity to display his full skill set and claim a major role if he impressed the coaching staff.

“You’ve got to go somewhere not where you’re wanted, but you’re needed,” Turner said in describing the advice he gave to Jones. “Whether (the Mavericks) know they need you yet, it doesn’t matter. They need you.”

Jones ended up starting 66 of 76 games for the Mavs, serving as the team’s primary defensive stopper while establishing new career highs in points (8.6) and minutes (23.5) per game, as well as three-point percentage (34.3%). Head coach Jason Kidd calls Jones a player “we count on” on both ends of the court, and Turner says the 27-year-old would like to be back in Dallas next season.

The Mavericks will only hold Jones’ Non-Bird rights, which allow for a raise of just 20% above his minimum, so they may have to dip into their mid-level exception to make him a competitive offer. Turner expects his client to test the market, but the hope is that the Mavs will be able to put an offer on the table that makes sense for both sides. For his part, Kidd doesn’t want to let Jones get away.

“We understand the business (and that) there’s other teams that can maybe pay him more,” Kidd said. “But we definitely want him back.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

It’s hard to blame Luka Doncic, who’s playing through multiple injuries and may not even be active if this were the regular season, but the Mavericks will need more from him if they hope to advance past the Thunder, Cato says in another article for The Athletic. As Cato notes, Dallas built its roster around defense and relies heavily on Doncic and Kyrie Irving for scoring, so those two stars will likely have to be operating at the peak of their powers to get the team two more wins over Oklahoma City.
How a resilient Mavs team responds in Game 5 after a meltdown in Monday’s Game 4 loss will be a defining moment for this group, as Irving said following that defeat. “This is the telltale sign of whether or not we’re going to be that group that gets over the hump,” Irving said, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “Or we’re going to be one of those groups that looks back and sees OKC (advance) and kind of living with some of the woulda, coulda, shoulda.”
Of the 12 active NBA players who have made at least seven All-Star teams, only Irving advanced past the first round of the playoffs. The veteran guard spoke to Tim MacMahon of ESPN about being the last star standing from the “older” generation this spring, as well as his impressions of the league’s rising young stars. “It’s been pretty much our generation running the Finals, the Eastern Conference Finals, Western Conference Finals,” Irving said. “(The shift has) just been quick. I don’t want to say I know that those guys are looking at the light in the tunnel. I can’t speak for them. But to see this newer generation come in and to see how it’s played out, I’m excited. It keeps me motivated and inspired to continue to lead my generation, because I was the youngest of that generation watching them.”
Mavericks center Dereck Lively and Thunder guard Cason Wallace have both played key roles as rookies for their respective teams in the playoffs. The fact that they’ve each fit in so well and adapted so quickly to playoff basketball makes last year’s draft-day trade involving the two players a win-win, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City moved up two spots to nab Wallace with the No. 10 pick, with Dallas drafting Lively after sliding down to No. 12.

Atlantic Notes: DiVincenzo, Embiid, Melton, Nets, Bridges

April 16th, 2024 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks swingman Donte DiVincenzo is one of several notable players who will be ineligible for end-of-season awards this season despite playing in far more than 65 games, as James Herbert of CBS Sports observes. DiVincenzo appeared in 81 games this season, but technically didn’t meet the NBA’s 65-game criteria.

As we outlined in our glossary entry on the NBA’s new 65-game rule, a game only counts toward the 65-game minimum if the player logged at least 20 minutes. A player is also permitted to play 20+ minutes in just 63 games as long as there were at least two additional games in which he played 15+ minutes.

DiVincenzo played 20+ minutes in 62 games and logged at least 19 minutes in seven more, including one in which he played 19:51. If he had reached the 20-minute threshold in one of those games, he would’ve been award-eligible, but he just missed out. The Knicks wing would have been included on Most Improved Player ballots from multiple voters, including JJ Redick, who took to Twitter to express displeasure with the rule.

As Herbert points out, DiVincenzo’s teammate Isaiah Hartenstein is another player who might have received award consideration but is considered ineligible despite appearing in 75 games, since he played 20+ minutes in just 50 of those contests. Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, another Most Improved candidate, played in 74 games but had 20+ minutes in just 61 of them, so he’s also ineligible.

Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (82 starts), Mavericks wing Derrick Jones (76 games, including 66 starts), and Clippers swingman Terance Mann (71 starts) likely wouldn’t have been serious candidates for any awards, but they’re a few of the other players who paradoxically failed to meet the 65-game criteria due to the nature of the rule. For what it’s worth, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) says he would have put Jones on his All-Defensive Second Team if he could have.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, the Sixers are once again entering the postseason with questions about the health of Joel Embiid, who sat out Sunday’s regular season finale and has played just five games since returning from knee surgery. However, Embiid is on track to play in Wednesday’s play-in game. He practiced on both Monday and Tuesday, per head coach Nick Nurse; 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton (back) did not (Twitter links via Kyle Neubeck and Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports).
After a disappointing season in Brooklyn, the Nets‘ roster figures to undergo an overhaul this summer, and the players who finished this season with the team are bracing for that possibility, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I don’t think (any) of my years in the league I had the same team two years in a row,” Dorian Finney-Smith said. “Even if you win, teams still make moves, so I can only imagine how this summer’s gonna be.”
Nets forward Mikal Bridges admitted that it was a challenge to maintain a positive outlook during a “really tough” season and said that working on “being better mentally” will be one of his goals for this offseason, Lewis writes for The New York Post. He pointed to a December 27 loss to Milwaukee in which the Nets rested most of their regulars and the disappointing road trip that followed as low points. “The Milwaukee game and losing on that road trip, that was tough. I think that was a part of it. That didn’t help. For the players, I know that I was pretty hurt from that, I was pretty pissed off about that situation,” Bridges said. “That’s just part of it. I think I’ve failed at that part mentally. I was doing pretty good mentally, but I didn’t do a pretty good job of that this year. I let my emotions get to me.”

Injury Notes: Zion, Suggs, Harris, Jones, Suns, J. Porter

January 26th, 2024 at 9:28pm CST by Rory Maher

After being considered a game-time decision leading into Friday’s contest vs. Oklahoma City, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson was later ruled out with a bone contusion in his left foot, the team announced (via Twitter).

Williamson has a history of foot injuries, having missed the entire 2021/22 season with a broken fifth metatarsal on his right foot. Obviously though, this new injury is on the opposite foot, and there’s no indication that it will be a long-term issue — head coach Willie Green said imaging on Williamson’s foot “came back clean,” tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com.

The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 21.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 4.8 APG in 36 games this season. Friday was his ninth missed game in ’23/24.

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

Starting Magic guard Jalen Suggs sustained a bruised left knee on Friday and was ruled out for the remainder of the matchup with Memphis, per the team (Twitter link). As a third-year former first-round pick, Suggs will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.
As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel tweets, Suggs isn’t the only Magic backcourt member injured at the moment. Veteran guard Gary Harris still isn’t doing contact work yet as he continues to recover from a right calf strain, per head coach Jamahl Mosley. Friday was Harris’ 11th consecutive missed game.
Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. was in “tremendous pain” after falling on his left wrist during Friday’s win over Atlanta, according to Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Jones went straight to the locker room and was later ruled out with a left wrist sprain, per the Mavs (Twitter link).
Suns center Jusuf Nurkic exited Friday’s loss to Indiana due to left thumb injury and did not return, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. After the game, Nurkic said he jammed his thumb a few times, but X-rays were negative (Twitter link via Rankin). Guard Bradley Beal also exited Friday’s game after being inadvertently hit in the nose by Myles Turner, but he was able to return to the contest, Rankin adds. Head coach Frank Vogel said Beal may have suffered a broken nose, Rankin tweets. Beal said he didn’t feel any concussion symptoms but he couldn’t breathe out of his nose, with blood continuing to be an issue, per Rankin (Twitter link).
Raptors two-way big man Jontay Porter had to leave Friday’s game vs. the Clippers due to an eye injury he sustained earlier in the week vs. Memphis, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says Porter was cleared by an eye specialist on Friday and he has a follow-up appointment on Saturday (Twitter links).

Western Notes: Kuminga, Moody, Suns, Mavs, Hawkins

January 15th, 2024 at 1:44pm CST by Rory Maher

While the Warriors appear open to various trade possibilities, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic hears Golden State’s front office isn’t actively shopping 2021 lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.

According to Vecenie’s sources, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. places a high value on both young players and prefers to keep them, but he also recognizes that other teams value them as well. It remains to be seen how things will shake out over the next three-plus weeks until the February 8 deadline.

Vecenie’s full article focuses on this season’s trade candidates, with Pascal Siakam, Dejounte Murray and Zach LaVine at the top of his trade board.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Suns‘ “big three” rotation was slow to form with all three players dealing with various injuries in 2023/24, particularly Bradley Beal, who has been limited to 15 games thus far. However, in recent games, head coach Frank Vogel seems to have settled on a substitution pattern he likes, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details.
Star guard Luka Doncic will miss Monday’s game vs. New Orleans — his third straight absence — due to a right ankle sprain, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter). Starting forward Derrick Jones Jr. is a new addition to the injury report — he’s sidelined with a right calf contusion. Rookie center Dereck Lively, meanwhile, will return from a five-game absence after dealing with a left ankle sprain, and Maxi Kleber will be active for the second straight contest after a lengthy absence due to a toe injury.
With the Pelicans near full strength, rookie guard Jordan Hawkins had received erratic playing time of late. That changed in a major way during Saturday’s victory over Dallas, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson all missed the contest — the second of a back-to-back — for various reasons, creating an opening for Hawkins, who responded with a career-high 34 points (on 11-of-19 shooting), five rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes. “I was just playing basketball,” Hawkins said. “Early in the season, I got a chance to play a lot. I wasn’t really nervous or anything. I looked at it like, ‘I’m going to hoop and show what I can do.’ No CJ, Trey, BI or Z. I knew the shots were going to be there. I just had to make them.”

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Spurs, Wembanyama, D. Jones

January 9th, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Don’t expect the Grizzlies to immediately throw in the towel following news of Ja Morant‘s season-ending shoulder surgery, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. While the postseason is a long shot for the 13-23 squad, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are playing as well as they ever have, and Marcus Smart has never been on a team that missed the playoffs, Cole observes.

Still, with Morant and Adams out for the season, the front office can probably start looking ahead to next season and considering what the 2024/25 roster will look like. With that in mind, the coaching staff will have an opportunity in the coming months to evaluate players like Jake LaRavia, G.G. Jackson, and Vince Williams to get a better sense of what the Grizzlies have in those youngsters, says Cole.

Pointing out that Memphis still needs a starting-caliber forward to fill the hole created by Dillon Brooks‘ offseason departure, John Hollinger of The Athletic wonders if the team might actually be more inclined to make an in-season consolidation trade following Morant’s injury. As Hollinger explains, the Grizzlies could “start tackling next year’s problems without worrying so much about the impacts on this season.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

French phenom Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will be one of the teams playing in the NBA’s annual Paris game next season, reports Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Although nothing’s official yet, the Spurs have agreed in principle to participate, sources tell Vardon.
Elsewhere on the Wembanyama front, Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News argues that the Spurs should make the big man’s life easier by finding a way to get him more playing time alongside a traditional point guard, while the 20-year-old spoke this week about getting over the frustration caused by his ongoing minutes restriction. “It’s hard, but my body needs time to adapt to the load and this long season,” Wembanyama said, per Vardon. “Once it’s ready, it’s go time, and there will be no need to be frustrated.”
Derrick Jones‘ one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Mavericks wasn’t among last summer’s biggest free agent deals, but Jones’ impact on Dallas’ defense has been noticeable, according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News, who says the wing’s athleticism , effort, and instincts have helped the team cover up some weaknesses on that end of the court.

Mavericks Move Grant Williams To Bench

December 25th, 2023 at 10:01pm CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks made a change to their starting lineup in Monday’s game against Phoenix, benching Grant Williams in favor of Tim Hardaway Jr., tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. The other four starters were Luka Doncic, Dante Exum, Derrick Jones Jr. and Dereck Lively.

While Hardaway is starting on Christmas, head coach Jason Kidd said before the game that once Kyrie Irving returns from his heel injury, the starting five will be Doncic, Irving, Exum, Jones and Lively, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).

Williams, a 6’6″ forward who was acquired in a sign-and-trade with Boston, inked a four-year, $53.4MM deal as a restricted free agent this offseason. He had started all 26 games in which he appeared this season for Dallas, averaging 9.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 1.8 APG on .422/.399/.656 shooting in 26 contests (29.2 MPG).

Exum (two years, $6.15MM; only 2023/24 is guaranteed) and Jones (one-year, minimum salary) signed far less lucrative contracts than Williams, but they’ve both been playing well, especially lately. The Mavs have a plus-14.7 net rating in their 190 minutes on the court together, MacMahon adds.

Williams came off the bench for the majority of his four seasons with the Celtics, so it likely won’t be a difficult adjustment for the 25-year-old. Still, it’s a noteworthy change for Dallas, which currently holds a 17-12 record, good for the No. 5 seed in the West.

Mavs Notes: Exum, Supporting Cast, Luka, Kyrie

December 14th, 2023 at 12:37pm CST by Rory Maher

In his first injury-plagued NBA stint, former No. 5 overall pick Dante Exum was not known for his shooting prowess. However, the Australian guard/forward had an impressive turnaround in his percentages over the past couple seasons in Europe, and after signing with the Mavericks over the summer, Exum is starting to make teams pay for leaving him open.

Exum started the 2023/24 season slowly, as he wasn’t a regular part of Dallas’ rotation. Over his first 17 games, he was just 5-of-22 (22.7%) beyond the arc. But he’s been increasingly earning the team’s trust due to his timely cutting, connective passing and defense, which has led to a jump in playing time (injuries have also been a factor).

As Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com writes, Exum was scorching hot in Tuesday’s victory over the Lakers, finishing with season highs of 26 points and 36 minutes. He was extremely efficient, going 8-of-10 from the floor, including 7-of-9 from deep. Seven made three-pointers was a career-high for the 28-year-old.

It’s an admittedly very small sample size, but Exum is averaging 21.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.0 steal on .639/.667/.750 shooting over the past three games, all victories (34.7 minutes). If he continues lighting it up, his $3MM contract for ’23/24 will look like a bargain (his $3.15MM salary for ’24/25 is non-guaranteed).

Here’s more on the Mavs:

There’s no question that Luka Doncic is the driving force behind the team’s third-ranked offense, but the supporting cast also deserves praise for the Mavs’ 15-8 start, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic, who says offseason additions Exum, Dereck Lively, Grant Williams and Derrick Jones Jr. have all provided solid contributions in ’23/24. The team’s depth is much improved from last season’s 38-win campaign, Cato writes.
Tuesday’s victory over L.A. was the second of a back-to-back for Dallas, which beat Memphis on Monday. With Kyrie Irving (foot), Josh Green (elbow) and Maxi Kleber (toe) all injured, Doncic has been tasked with an extremely heavy workload, playing 44 minutes on Monday followed by 43 on Tuesday. Following the latest win, Doncic, who was listed as questionable leading into the contest with a lower back contusion, said he was surprised he was able to suit up. “I don’t know how I played,” Doncic said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I slept very little today. Everything hurts. I’m getting old, man, but we got two back-to-back wins, which is amazing, especially against a team like the Lakers. So I’m really proud of these guys.”
Irving is wearing a protective boot and using crutches after sustaining a right heel contusion on Friday, MacMahon tweets. Head coach Jason Kidd said there’s still no firm timetable for Irving’s return.

Load More Posts