Dirk Nowitzki Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Barnes, Nowitzki, Duncan

July 15th, 2016 at 12:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks are planning an expanded role for newly signed forward Harrison Barnes, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Dallas gave Barnes $94MM over four years after losing small forward Chandler Parsons to the Grizzlies in free agency. “You’re going to see a lot more to his game than you’ve seen in the past,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said of Barnes. “I think he can do a lot more than he’s been asked to do, and that’s what we expect to see. … Maybe not first year, but I think he’s going to grow into [the role of go-to guy]. Just because a guy hasn’t done things doesn’t mean he can’t do it.” Barnes, 24, averaged 13.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 66 games with the Warriors last season.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Dirk Nowitzki probably would have left the Mavericks as a free agent or requested a trade by now if he hadn’t won a title in 2011, contends Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News. Cowlishaw also gives Dallas a C grade for its performance in free agency and speculates that medical reports on Parsons must have been scary for Cuban to let him go.
The Spurs‘ Tim Duncan, who announced his retirement this week, has officially cleared waivers, according to Real GM. It’s a minor footnote for someone who almost certainly is done with the NBA, but Duncan would be a free agent if he ever does decide to return.
San Antonio has removed its cap hold for 2015 first-round pick Nikola Milutinov, Real GM notes. The move means the 6’11” Serbian center, who played this season with Olympiacos in Greece, will spend at least one more year overseas.
The Grizzlies have withdrawn their qualifying offer to shooting guard Nick Calathes, according to Real GM. Calathes, who spent this season with Panathinaikos in Greece, would be an unrestricted free agent if he returns to the NBA. The 27-year-old spent two seasons in Memphis.

Southwest Notes: Gordon, Harden, Murray

July 11th, 2016 at 10:51am CST by Eddie Scarito

New Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon missed 189 out of a possible 410 games during his time with the Pelicans and never played more than 64 games in a season, but Gordon doesn’t believe he is injury prone, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. “Most of them been fluke injuries,” Gordon said. ”From the first one where I just banged knees and this past year I was on my way to playing 82 games and then end up having a freakish breaking the finger [injury]. They were little fluke injuries that I can easily overcome, but my plan every year 82 games plus more.’‘

[RELATED: Tim Duncan Announces Retirement]

Here’s more from out of the Southwest Division:

Retaining James Harden, who agreed to a four-year, $118MM renegotiation and extension with the Rockets, was a big step for the franchise, given the difficulty the organization has had in landing and keeping star players, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com writes.
By re-signing with the Mavericks for two-years and $40MM, Dirk Nowitzki cost himself a shot at latching on to a contender and chasing another ring before his career comes to a close, but he’ll have the distinction of remaining with the same franchise for his entire career, Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News writes.
Spurs 2016 first round pick Dejounte Murray is trying to maintain his identity as a basketball player while acclimating himself to San Antonio’s system, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com relays. “They still tell me to be myself, [but] just play the right way. The Spurs way,” Murray said. “I know what type of ball they play because I’ve watched them over the years starting with the NBA team, and this is the summer league team. Everybody here is trying to get on the floor in the regular season. So it’s not hard. I’m just going out, [doing] whatever they tell me to do, and I’m learning the system practice by practice, and I’m going out and executing in the games.“

Mavericks Acquire Andrew Bogut From Warriors

July 7th, 2016 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 9:24am: The Mavericks have formally confirmed in a press release that they’ve acquired Bogut and a future second-round pick in exchange for a conditional future second-rounder.

MONDAY, 6:11pm: The Mavs will receive a conditional 2019 second-round draft choice along with Bogut, a league source told Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

3:37pm: The Mavs are sending a future second-round pick to Golden State as part of the deal, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.

1:35pm: The Warriors and Mavs are now in agreement on a trade involving Bogut, Stein reports (via Twitter).

1:29pm: The Warriors and Mavericks are in the “final stages” of negotiations on a trade that will send Andrew Bogut to Dallas, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links). There are still some details to be sorted out, but it looks like a deal will get done, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Stein had reported earlier today that the Mavs had emerged as a strong potential suitor for Bogut, in the wake of Kevin Durant‘s agreement with Golden State.

Because the Warriors need to clear cap room, the Mavs won’t be sending back any salary in the proposed deal, and will absorb Bogut into their own cap space. The other parts of the deal aren’t known yet.

Dallas will have to send something to Golden State in the deal, but it could just be a heavily-protected future draft pick or the NBA rights to a previously-drafted player. If draft picks are involved in the swap, I’d expect the Mavs to land the better pick, since they’re essentially doing the Warriors a favor, allowing Golden State to clear the room necessary for Durant.

A former No. 1 overall pick, Bogut remains a solid presence in the middle when he’s healthy. His 5.4 PPG for the Warriors this past season represented a career-low, but he contributed 5.3 RPG and 1.6 BPG to go along with a .627 FG%. Golden State obviously didn’t lean on Bogut for offense, but the team seemed to miss his rim protection and rebounding in the NBA Finals after he went down with a knee injury.

In addition to finalizing a deal for Bogut, the Mavericks are attempting to secure an agreement with Harrison Barnes, and will look to re-sign Dirk Nowitzki, per Wojnarowski.

Meanwhile, with a probable landing spot lined up for Bogut’s $12.68MM salary, the Warriors intend to fully guarantee Shaun Livingston‘s $5.78MM salary for the coming season, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mavs To Re-Sign Dirk Nowitzki

July 5th, 2016 at 8:25am CST by Luke Adams

After missing out on some of their top free agent targets early in July, the Mavericks have been active over the last couple days filling out their roster, and now the team is set to lock up its franchise player to a new contract. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Mavs have reached an agreement on the framework for a two-year, $40MM deal for Dirk Nowitzki. The second year of the deal will likely be a player option, per Stein.

For Nowitzki, the new deal will represent a significant increase in salary on his last contract, which was worth $25MM over three years. The longtime Maverick opted out of the final year of that deal last month, choosing instead to work out a new, multiyear contract with Dallas. Although there were rumblings that the Warriors – and perhaps other teams – intended to reach out to Nowitzki, the Mavs were always the strong favorites to re-sign him.

Because Nowitzki was on such a modest contract, his cap hold this summer is only worth about $12.5MM. The Mavericks will have to keep that figure on their books as they absorb trade acquisition Andrew Bogut and finalize contracts for other free agent signees. However, once they use up their cap room, the Mavs will be able to go over the cap to finalize Nowitzki’s deal, which will have a salary closer to $20MM in 2016/17.

Although they missed out on top free agent targets like Mike Conley and Hassan Whiteside, the Mavericks have recovered reasonably well, agreeing to acquire Bogut from the Warriors for essentially nothing, and landing Harrison Barnes and Seth Curry in free agency. The team also reached agreements to bring back a pair of its own free agents, Deron Williams and Dwight Powell.

Nowitzki turned 38 in June, but has continued to be extremely productive for the Mavericks, even as the team has slipped from title contention in recent years. In 2015/16, the German big man averaged 18.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.7 3PG. Nowitzki’s field-goal percentage did slip to .448, his worst mark since his rookie season, but he shot a respectable 36.8% on three-pointers and continued to handle a significant offensive load for the franchise.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Southwest Rumors: Rockets, Gentile, Gee, Dirk

June 21st, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Italian wing Alessandro Gentile, whose NBA rights are held by the Rockets, is very interested in making the leap to the NBA this year now that Mike D’Antoni is the new head coach in Houston, as he tells Adrian Wojnarwoski of The Vertical. “My goal is to play in the NBA next year,” Gentile told The Vertical. “I really hope this can happen. For me, Mike D’Antoni is like a legend in Italian basketball, an example for everyone. For him to coach me would be very, very nice.”

While the Rockets have “significant interest” in signing Gentile, according to Wojnarowski, the team may wait to see what happens at the start of July’s free agent period before negotiating a deal with the 23-year-old. It’s also possible that Houston could trade his rights, if the team “becomes hesitant or financially unwilling” to lock him up — in that scenario, Gentile would still want to come stateside. “My dream is that I want to play in Houston with Mike D’Antoni,” Gentile said. “If that’s not possible, my goal is to still play in the NBA next year.”

Here’s more from out of the Southwest:

The Rockets don’t have a first-round draft pick this year, but general manager Daryl Morey thinks they should be able to get back into the first round if they want to. “I think it will be pretty easy to trade (our) picks into the first this year,” Morey tells Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. “There are four teams that have almost half the draft in the first round, and none of them wants to use their pick to trade. Trading in will be easy.” On Monday, we looked at the five teams that control 14 of this year’s 30 first-round picks.
The deadline for Alonzo Gee to make his decision on his player option for 2016/17 had previously been reported as June 21st, but Brett Dawson of The Advocate tweets that the Pelicans forward will actually have until June 27th to pick up or decline that option.
The Pelicans haven’t been shy about dealing first-round picks for veteran players in the past, and general manager Dell Demps hasn’t ruled out the possibility of doing it again with the No. 6 overall selection this year. ESPN’s Justin Verrier examines the pros and cons of trading the pick for New Orleans.
In the wake of a report indicating that the Warriors may attempt to court Dirk Nowitzki in free agency, Mavericks guard Devin Harris tells Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News, “I don’t think the big German is going anywhere.” Nowitzki has opted out of his contract, but is still considered likely to re-sign with Dallas.
Matt Bonner is eligible for free agency this summer, but the 36-year-old veteran hopes to play another year with the Spurs, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News details.

Dirk Nowitzki Won’t Exercise Player Option

June 21st, 2016 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki has decided to turn down his player option for 2016/17, which will make him a free agent on July 1st, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). The option had been worth approximately $8.692MM.

While the Warriors are reportedly eyeing Nowitzki as a potential free agent target this offseason, it would be a major upset if the German big man signed with any team besides the Mavericks. His decision to opt out of his contract is likely about getting a multiyear deal in Dallas, rather than jumping ship for another team.

“It’s probably going to look like (I’ll opt out),” Nowitzki said earlier this month. “Since I felt great and played sort of decent, I might opt out and maybe sign a two- or three-year deal (with the Mavericks). We’ll see how it goes, but that’s probably the plan for now.”

At around the same time that Nowitzki made those comments, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, “Dirk gets to do whatever he wants to do. Period.” If that involves heading to Golden State or another team in an attempt to get one last ring before he retires, the Mavs would presumably let him go and wish him luck, but for now it sounds like the 38-year-old would rather try to win that ring in Dallas.

With Chandler Parsons and Deron Williams expected to opt out of their contracts as well, the Mavericks currently only have about $29MM in guaranteed salary on their books for 2016/17. That gives the team room to pursue top-tier free agents, though if Parsons, Williams, and Nowitzki all re-sign, that cap room could get chewed up quickly.

Warriors May Pursue Dirk Nowitzki

June 20th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors could make a run at Dirk Nowitzki if they fail in their pursuit of top free agent target Kevin Durant, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Warriors owner Joe Lacob and GM Bob Myers have bounced around the idea of adding the Mavericks’ longtime franchise player, who is expected to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent, Kawakami continues. Nowitzki made just $8,333,334 last season in a team-friendly deal that helped them sign free agents Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons. He is scheduled to make $8,692,184 next season.

Lacob told reporters after Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, including ESPN’s Marc Stein, that the club will be “very aggressive” in pursuing roster changes this offseason.

Nowitzki could be the team’s starting center in place of Andrew Bogut, or head the second unit as an upgrade over Marreese Speights or Festus Ezeli, Kawakami points out. However, landing Durant is the top priority while Nowitzki would be a next-tier discussion for the Warriors, who are unsure if Nowitzki would seriously consider leaving Dallas after spending his entire career there, Kawakami adds.

As Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News recently reported, Nowitzki was leaning toward signing a two- or three-year deal with the Mavericks. But if Nowitzki believes the franchise is too far away from serious title contention, he may be persuaded to join a team like the Warriors in pursuit of a second ring. The Mavericks defeated the Heat in the 2011 Finals.

Dallas was 42-40 this past season and lost in the opening round of the playoffs after its top free agent target last summer, DeAndre Jordan, spurned them at the last minute and rejoined the Clippers.

Southwest Notes: Nowitzki, Grizzlies, Diaw, Spurs

June 7th, 2016 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Dirk Nowitzki remains undecided on what he’ll do this summer with his contract — the longtime Mavericks star could exercise his player option and address his deal in 2017, but he indicated today that the more likely scenario would see him opt out in order to sign a new two- or three-year contract with Dallas, as Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News outlines.

“[I] haven’t decided 100%, but I’ve met with Donnie (Nelson) and I just met with Mark (Cuban) once I came back from vacation just seeing what the next few years could bring for this franchise, who’s available, what’s out there, what’s best for both sides,” Nowitzki said. “I don’t think either side has made a decision yet, but it’s probably going to look like it (opting out). Since I felt great and played sort of decent, I might opt out and maybe sign a two- or three-year deal (with the Mavericks). We’ll see how it goes, but that’s probably the plan for now.”

Although Mavericks management will obviously have some say in the outcome, Cuban made it clear today that the decision will be primarily Nowitzki’s, telling Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com, “Dirk gets to do whatever he wants to do. Period.”

Here’s more from out of the Southwest:

In a separate Morning News article, Sefko says that he’d be “scared to death” to offer a maximum-salary contract to Chandler Parsons this offseason, but concedes that the Mavericks probably won’t have much choice if they want to keep the veteran wing.
Even if Mike Conley re-signs with the Grizzlies, it may be time for the team to develop a young point guard to back him up, writes Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. As Tillery observes, Memphis could use the No. 17 overall pick in the draft to address the position.
In an interview with Basket-Infos.com (French link; translation via Christophe Brouet), Spurs forward Boris Diaw said he’s not yet sure whether the team will keep him on its roster and guarantee the remaining $4MM on his $7MM salary for 2016/17. However, Diaw said he’s been told that San Antonio would like to keep him.
The Spurs will be hosting a veteran free agent mini-camp next Tuesday that will includes Chris Copeland and Adonis Thomas, among others, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.

Western Notes: Nowitzki, Ingram, Jazz

June 4th, 2016 at 8:38pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Dirk Nowitzki still hasn’t made up his mind on whether he is going to opt out of his deal with the Mavericks, but he is leaning toward it and he addressed the topic on KRLD-FM 105.3 The Fan (h/t to the Dallas Morning News for the transcript). “Is [opting out] best for the franchise? Just trying to find out from Donnie [Nelson] and Mark [Cuban] what’s out there, what the plan is,” Nowitzki said. “So, 100 percent, my mind’s not made up, but I’m leaning toward opting out and trying to help, and see what’s out there.”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Brandon Ingram (Duke) is scheduled for a private workout with the Lakers on Thursday, sources tell Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Ingram is likely to go in the top-2, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors writes in his Prospect Profile of Ingram.
If Chandler Parsons leaves Dallas this summer, Luol Deng would be a realistic replacement for the Mavericks in free agency, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News argues. Sefko also names Kent Bazemore, Evan Turner and Nicolas Batum as options in free agency.
The Jazz will work out Ron Baker (Wichita State), Jordan Sakho (Spain), Nikola Jovanovic (USC), Chris Smith (Utah State), Codi Miller-McIntyre (Wake Forest), and Tyrone Wallace (California) on Sunday, per the team’s Twitter feed.

Western Notes: D’Antoni, Arseneault Jr., Spangler

June 1st, 2016 at 8:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Rockets officially announced the hiring of Mike D’Antoni as head coach today, a move that team owner Leslie Alexander called a mutual decision between he and GM Daryl Morey, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com relays. “Daryl and I made this choice together,” Alexander said. “I’ve always wanted to play this way.” The team owner is also excited by D’Antoni’s up-tempo style of offense, Watkins notes. “Mike always says players love to play for him,” Alexander said. “Not only because they get better but they get paid. He’ll be a lucrative source for us in free agency.”

Here’s more from out West:

The Kings will not renew the contract of Reno Bighorns head coach, David Arseneault Jr., Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor relays (via Twitter). Sacramento’s D-League affiliate went 33-17 under Arseneault this past season.
The Trail Blazers have finalized their coaching staff for the 2016/17 campaign, with the team announcing that Dale Osbourne has been promoted to lead assistant and scout John McCullough has been moved to assistant coach.
The Rockets‘ new defensive coach, Jeff Bzdelik, discussing the criticism levied against James Harden‘s defense, noted that the shooting guard is a capable stopper, provided he demonstrates commitment on that end of the court, Watkins relays in a separate piece (ESPN Now link). “He can defend as all of them can when they want to and that goes back to everybody needs to be committed and there needs to be a trust,” Bzdelik said of Harden.
The Timberwolves worked out former Oklahoma power forward Ryan Spangler today, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops relays (via Twitter). The 24-year-old is a longshot to be selected this June, with Spangler not appearing among the top 100 prospects according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.
Mavs power forward Dirk Nowitzki hasn’t made a decision regarding his player option for 2016/17 yet, but has met with members of the front office to discuss his future, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com tweets.