Dirk Nowitzki Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Texas Notes: Mavs, Nowitzki, Rockets, Messina

July 16th, 2014 at 2:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavs‘ offer to Lance Stephenson was for two years and $20MM, rather than three years at that total, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, who corrects his earlier report (Twitter link). Chris Broussard of ESPN.com confirms that the sides had a “handshake agreement” on a two-year, $20MM pact contingent on the Rockets matching the Dallas offer to Chandler Parsons. Of course, the Rockets declined to match, and Stephenson wound up with Charlotte instead. There’s more on another offer the Mavs have made amid the latest from the Lone Star State:

Dallas is willing to give summer league swingman Eric Griffin a partially guaranteed deal, reports Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. Griffin, who went undrafted out of Campbell in 2012, was in camp with the Heat last autumn. It’s unclear whether he’ll accept what the Mavs have on the table, indicating other NBA clubs may have interest, though that’s just my speculation.
A source close to the Lakers denied that the team floated a maximum-salary offer to Dirk Nowitzki, telling Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News that the Lakers would never have done so.
The Rockets intend to sign second-round pick Nick Johnson this summer, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (Twitter link). The shooting guard from Arizona went 42nd overall in last month’s draft.
The Spurs officially hired European coaching star Ettore Messina as an assistant coach Tuesday, the team announced, more than a month after GM R.C. Buford denied a report that they were close to a deal. Messina appeared to be a strong candidate for the Jazz head coaching vacancy this spring and was mentioned in connection to the Lakers head job, too.

Mavs Re-Sign Dirk Nowitzki

July 15th, 2014 at 4:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 15TH: The deal is official, the team announced via press release, and it’s for less than previously reported so that Dallas could accommodate its deal for Chandler Parsons, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s a three-year, $25MM contract, Stein tweets. Nowitzki turned down max offers from the Rockets and the Lakers to remain with the Mavs, Stein reports (on Twitter).

JULY 3RD: 3:52pm: The deal includes a player option after the second season and a no-trade clause, Stein writes in his full story.

3:33pm: The Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki have come to terms on a three-year deal, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). No free agent has seemed more certain to re-sign with his team than Nowitzki, with only the length of the contract and the financial terms in any doubt. The value of the deal is believed to be around $30MM, Stein adds via Twitter.

Nowitzki and the team had agreed to hold off on finalizing a deal until after the club’s Wednesday meeting with Carmelo Anthony so as to retain maximum cap flexibility, but with ‘Melo’s visit through, the team has locked up its own star. It’s not clear whether the deal is an indication that the team is more or less likely to sign ‘Melo than it had been before the meeting, but the terms of Nowitzki’s agreement fall in line with what Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com suggested he would likely end up with.

The money is a steep decline from Nowitzki’s salary of more than $22.7MM this past season, and he could have signed a deal worth as much as nearly $23.9MM for next season alone. The 36-year-old’s age is the chief reason he’ll wind up with less, but his loyalty to the Mavs also comes into play. Dallas has been attempting to find another star to go alongside Nowitzki in recent years, and that will be easier now that Nowitzki won’t be making nearly as much.

Nowitzki made the All-Star game this past season, and his performance this year justified the selection, as the 7-footer averaged 21.7 points and 6.2 rebounds with 39.8% three-point shooting and a 23.6 PER. He spoke in May of wanting the club to respect his continued ability when it put together his deal, even as he acknowledged there was no realistic chance he’d sign elsewhere. To that end, it appears he’ll continue to make an eight-figure salary, or close to it, as he nears age 40.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Western Notes: Mavs, Dirk, Calathes, Woodson

July 9th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Cray Allred

The Mavs‘ top three free agent targets for next summer are LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, and Kevin Love, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas. Here’s more from out West:

Dirk Nowitzki has already agreed to re-sign with the Mavs at a discounted rate, but Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the Rockets have a standing max offer with the future Hall-of-Famer.
Nick Calathes says he hasn’t asked the Grizzlies to release him, even though it would be to his financial benefit if they did, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal details. He’s on a non-guaranteed contract for the minimum salary this season, and the team seemingly intends to keep him, Two European teams loom with three-year, $6.5MM offers, but Calathes is undecided about whether he prefers to remain with the Grizzlies or sign overseas, as he tells Tillery. “Once you see a big offer on the table you’re going to think about it,” Calathes said. “You think about it always. That kind of money obviously can change your life. I’m playing the game I love so I’m real blessed. Whichever way it goes, I’m going to be happy.”
Mike Woodson will return to the bench next season as a member of Doc Rivers‘ assistant coaching staff with the Clippers, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Since being fired by the Knicks at the close of this past season, Woodson has maintained his interest in returning to the bench, but hadn’t been linked with any teams seeking a head coach this offseason.
Chris Mannix of SI.com suggests that patience on the part of the Wolves could pay off regarding Love, as additional suitors with better assets could surface once the biggest free agent movements are done (via Twitter).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Mavs Notes: Anthony, Hayward, Gasol

July 6th, 2014 at 8:28am CST by Eddie Scarito

A source told Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Carmelo Anthony is going to re-sign with the Knicks and that his inclusion of the Mavericks on his recruiting trip was a “charade.” Anthony has also met with the Lakers, Bulls, and Rockets.

Western Rumors: Nowitzki, Frye, Sefolosha, Love

July 1st, 2014 at 1:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavs have had advanced discussions with Dirk Nowitzki but both sides have agreed to put off sealing a deal until after Wednesday’s meeting with Carmelo Anthony, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears. That’s to let the team keep maximum flexibility, the same desire that also prompted the sides to decide against an extension. The Mavs and Nowitzki engaged in extension talks before he became a free agent, so Dallas has a strong idea of what the perennial All-Star wants, Stein writes. There’s more on the Mavs amid the latest from the Western Conference:

The Mavs have interest in D.J. Augustin, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com details.
The Suns are making a push to re-sign Channing Frye amid interest from the Cavs and Warriors, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
The Clippers, Mavs and Rockets have scheduled meetings with Thabo Sefolosha, but the Thunder haven’t reached out to him, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link).
Kevin Love trade talk between the Wolves and Warriors is still stalemated over Minnesota’s request for the inclusion of Klay Thompson and Golden State’s hesitancy to give him up in a deal, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
The Lakers, Rockets and Mavs followed through with their interest in Jordan Hill and made contact over night, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). Hill, like Pau Gasol, warmed to the idea of a remaining with the Lakers when coach Mike D’Antoni left, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News details.
The Mavs are interested in unrestricted free agent Al-Farouq Aminu, according to MacMahon.
Dallas is making progress toward new deals with Devin Harris and Vince Carter, tweets Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
The Lakers were extremely active in the hours after free agency began, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The Lakers were working the phones “like crazy” and talked to a lot of free agents, Kennedy says.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Lawrence’s Latest: Boozer, ‘Melo, Grizzlies

June 28th, 2014 at 4:56pm CST by Charlie Adams

There’s genuine fear within the Bulls’ front office that owner Jerry Reinsdorf will refuse to use the amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer this summer, passes along Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Chicago will have a hard time creating the cap room necessary to pursue marquee names if they don’t find a way to get Boozer off the books. Here’s more from Lawrence:

Carmelo Anthony would be interested in teaming up with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, says Lawrence, but the Lakers are unlikely to have the cap space to bring in both superstars.
It sounds as if the Rockets‘ pursuit of ‘Melo is unlikely to result in a success. “The only reason Carmelo will go to Houston to listen (to the Rockets) is because of Kevin McHale,” a source told Lawrence. “If the coach wasn’t a top-50, all-time player or was a lesser-name coach, then ‘Melo wouldn’t even visit there. But he’ll listen because it’s Kevin McHale.“
The Grizzlies are interested in bringing aboard former Knicks president Glen Grunwald to come in and serve under Chris Wallace for two years before taking over the reins as GM, Lawrence writes. That echoes an earlier report from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com but appears to add an expiration date for Wallace’s time in charge of the front office.
One league source told Lawrence that he wasn’t sure if Bruno Caboclo was even worth a second-round selection. The Raptors selected Caboclo with the 20th pick in the draft, and Lawrence writes that it’s virtually impossible to find a GM who agrees with their decision.
Utah’s decision to draft Dante Exum isn’t surprising since the the Jazz aren’t sold on Trey Burke as a franchise point guard, reveals Lawrence.
Dirk Nowitzki won’t even consider signing with a team other than the Mavs this summer, Lawrence confirms.

Mavs Notes: Dirk, LeBron, Melo, Chandler

June 26th, 2014 at 8:46am CST by Zachary Links

Dirk Nowitzki is thrilled to have Tyson Chandler back in Dallas, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. “He helped me get a championship, so we had great chemistry together,” Nowitzki said when asked about the trade when it was heavily rumored last night. “So if it is true, I will be thrilled.” Dirk went on to say that he’d “love” to welcome Carmelo Anthony to Dallas and will help to recruit him if he’s interested in coming aboard. Here’s more out of Dallas..

The Mavs are real players for LeBron James and Melo after the trade, a team source told Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
Dirk also told reporters, including Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) that he expects a short and quick meeting with owner Mark Cuban before coming to terms on a new deal.
The Mavs initiated the Chandler talks weeks ago and were very motivated to get a deal done, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report tweets.
Chandler and his camp feel “great” about the trade, a source tells David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link).
Mark Cuban isn’t admitting a mistake by re-acquiring Chandler, writes MacMahon. “It’s apples and oranges,” Cuban said via an email. “You couldn’t get from there to here.”
There won’t be any drama from Dirk in free agency, as Jeff Caplan of NBA.com writes.

Texas Rumors: Nowitzki, Rockets, Spurs

June 18th, 2014 at 10:03am CST by Chuck Myron

Dirk Nowitzki has said he wants the Mavs to keep in mind that he’s still a productive player when they negotiate a new contract for him this summer, but he doesn’t foresee a stumbling block, as he tells Brian Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com. The 2014 All-Star, who turns 36 on Thursday, hits unrestricted free agency July 1st.

“We all know that [owner Mark] Cuban took care of me for a long time. He was loyal to me,” Nowitzki said. “This deal is not going to be about squeezing out the last dollar. This is about being respected as a player that I still am, and that’s about it. There’s nothing more that we’re trying to squeeze out. We’ll just have to wait and see what the years and the final number are. I’m sure it’ll be very respectable for both sides.”

There’s more on the soon-to-be free agent who’s probably more likely to return to his current team than other player on the market amid the latest from the Texas Triangle:

Signing a deal that reduces Nowitzki’s nearly $23.9MM cap hold before the end of the July Moratorium will be crucial for the Mavs, and Nowitzki looks ready to cooperate in that regard, too, as Gutierrez notes in the same piece. Nowitzki also dismisses the idea that he couldn’t play with Carmelo Anthony and urges Mavs to consider signing ‘Melo, who reportedly has Dallas on his list of preferred destinations.
Anthony is also on the mind of Dwight Howard, who says he’d love to play with him or LeBron James but isn’t planning to recruit the stars to the Rockets, as he tells USA Today’s Sam Amick.
Gregg Popovich, who retains Spurs front office power in tandem with GM R.C. Buford, doesn’t plan on following up the championship with a splashy summer of moves, as Raul Dominguez of The Associated Press chronicles. “I haven’t sat down with R.C. and talked about what we want to do, but one would think it’s logical to not make major changes with the group,” Popovich said. “Usually we don’t make major changes anyway, so, I wouldn’t anticipate any.”

And-Ones: Messina, Embiid, Gordon

June 10th, 2014 at 10:56pm CST by Cray Allred

Fort Wayne Mad Ants president Jeff Potter is under the impression that his club will indeed have affiliations, with 13 NBA teams this coming season, as he tells Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Mad Ants will feature no more than four players on assignment from the NBA at any a time, with the spots alloted to NBA clubs on a first-come, first-served basis, Potter adds. Here’s more from around the league:

Spurs GM R.C. Buford denied an earlier report that claimed Ettore Messina was joining San Antonio’s coaching staff as an assistant, telling Mike Monroe of San Antonio Express-News that there has been no contact made with Messina, let alone a hire. “Is someone leaving our staff that I don’t know about?” Buford said. “We have not had one conversation with anyone about a coaching position for next season.”
Joel Embiid is in Cleveland to undergo a physical with Cavs doctors in the hopes of alleviating concerns about his back, but Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider only) says that it will take more than medical clearance for Embiid to land at No. 1 in the draft. Ford writes that owner Dan Gilbert’s anxiousness to win immediately has influenced Cleveland’s draft choices in recent years. While scouts tell Ford that Embiid has the most potential of any 2014 prospect, they don’t expect him to be a steady contributor in his rookie season.
Dirk Nowitzki tells Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he is likely to meet with Mavs owner Mark Cuban hastily regarding his impending free agency (Twitter link).
The Celtics will work out Isaiah Austin and Sam Dower tomorrow, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com.
The Wolves have been trying unsuccessfully to arrange a workout with Aaron Gordon, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. The Wolves are struggling to convince top tier prospects to work out in general. Wolfson notes that the Wolves think more highly of Noah Vonleh and Julius Randle than they do Gordon (all Twitter links).
John Calipari acknowledged that he had been approached by multiple NBA teams before signing an extension to stay with Kentucky in an interview with Kentucky Sports Radio (transcription via Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News). “It was significantly more money for me to leave than to stay,” Calipari said. “It kind of tells you where my mind is.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Southwest Rumors: Messina, Nowitzki, Jock Tax

June 10th, 2014 at 7:16pm CST by Cray Allred

The Spurs will take another shot at slowing down LeBron James tonight in Game 3. James has scored 32 or more points in four of the last six Heat/Spurs Finals games dating back to last year. Here’s a look at the Southwest Division:

Ettore Messina is close to being hired as an assistant coach with the Spurs, a development first reported by Daniele Labanti of Corriere di Bologna (via Twitter) and confirmed by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Messina was once considered a candidate for the Jazz head coaching vacancy, and still had the potential to become an assistant in Utah after Quin Snyder won the head job.
The Rockets are reportedly targeting Dirk Nowitzki in free agency this summer, but the All-Star laughed off the idea that he’d wind up in Houston, observes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
The Tennessee legislature has repealed the “jock tax” on visiting players who play in Memphis, and commissioner Adam Silver prevailed upon Grizzlies owner Robert Pera to support the end of the tax even though the revenue went directly to the team. TNT’s David Aldridge has that and other details about the end of the law, which won’t come off the books for another two years. It will nonetheless no longer apply to players on 10-day contracts, Aldridge adds.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.