Dirk Nowitzki Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Knicks, Dirk, Pacers

June 3rd, 2014 at 11:11pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Knicks president Phil Jackson is flying to Turkey in mid-June for his son’s wedding and “desperately wants” to have the team’s head coaching search wrapped up before his trip, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Though Jackson recently admitted a natural interest in coaching the team himself, he conceded that he physically wouldn’t be able to handle it. To further ice the notion that Jackson could return to the sidelines, Berman reports that Jackson will need a second knee replacement in the future.

You can find more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes below:

Per Berman, a source within Mark Jackson‘s inner circle says that the former Golden State head coach may be reluctant to coach the Knicks with too heavy an influence coming from the president’s office.
In response to tonight’s report that Dirk Nowitzki will be among the Rockets’ free agent targets this summer, Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW says that the 35-year-old Mavericks forward won’t be leaving Dallas this summer.
Pacers president Larry Bird isn’t looking to make any major shakeups to the current roster; however, he did suggest that the Indiana could look to trade into the first round of this year’s draft as a means of improving the team, according to a report from the Associated Press.
Yesterday, we passed along that Alvin Gentry was scheduled for a second interview with the Jazz today. Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times clarifies that Gentry flew to Utah today and will actually have his second interview tomorrow. Also, sources tell Turner that the Warriors want Gentry to join Steve Kerr‘s coaching staff as an associate head coach (Twitter links).
Free agent Greg Stiemsma would love to return to the Timberwolves, as he tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). That probably won’t happen, since the team will priortize point guards and wing players, according to Wolfson.
Following a pre-draft workout on Sunday, T’wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders told reporters that he expects Kevin Love to play in Minnesota next season, writes Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s David Blatt and former Lakers assistant/current CSKA Moscow head coach Ettore Messina are two international head coaches who warrant consideration for the Lakers’ coaching vacancy, opines Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.

Mavs To Pursue ‘Melo, Tyson Chandler

May 6th, 2014 at 10:46am CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavs are optimistic that they’ll be on the list of teams that Carmelo Anthony plans to meet with this summer and that he’ll give them legitimate consideration, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Dallas will also try to acquire another Knick, with Stein asserting that they’ll be first in line should New York make Tyson Chandler available via trade. The Mavs will attempt to court LeBron James, too, though Stein suggests that’s a longshot effort.

Dallas only has about $28.2MM in commitments for next season, but that doesn’t include the roughly $2MM non-guaranteed portion of Samuel Dalembert‘s contract or new deals for Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, Vince Carter and Devin Harris. The team has expressed interest in keeping all of them, and the team’s “working assumption,” according to Stein, is that Nowitzki will sign for $10-12MM per year. That doesn’t leave much wiggle room for a max offer to Anthony, who can draw a starting salary of up to $22,458,401. Still, Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com wrote Monday that the Mavs wouldn’t have interest in ‘Melo if he demands his max.

While the Mavs could net Chandler as part of a sign-and-trade involving Anthony, that would be extremely difficult, given Chandler’s salary of nearly $14.6MM next season. The reacquisition of the center who was the defensive anchor of the Mavs’ 2011 title team would probably preclude Anthony from heading to Dallas, and it would make it difficult for the Mavs to accommodate any other marquee free agent this summer. Stein reiterates McMahon’s report from yesterday indicating that the Mavs will likely target Luol Deng but take a pass on any pursuit of Lance Stephenson.

The Mavs have some concern about their ability to keep a couple of their own free agents, too, according to Stein. They’re worried that they’d have to cut deeply into their cap flexibility to fend off suitors for Vince Carter and, in particular, Shawn Marion. Carter and Marion have expressed their preference to re-sign, though such statements are commonplace for soon-to-be free agents at this time of year, and they don’t always translate into a new deal that keeps them in place.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Dirk, Randolph, Grizzlies

May 5th, 2014 at 8:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of the Southwest Division..

Dirk Nowitzki is staying put this summer, Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson tells reporters, including Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. “Obviously, you know, Dirk’s not going anywhere,” Nelson said. “He’s built this franchise and he’s been with us since Day 1. Certainly, there’s a negotiation that’s going to take place, but he loves this city and he wants to call it his home. We certainly reciprocate those feelings, and our hope is that we’ll get something done that’s not only in Dirk’s best interest but also affects the flexibility of the future of the Mavericks.”
Count Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger among those hoping that Zach Randolph returns this summer, writes Teresa M. Walker of the Associated Press. ”He knows he’s loved,” Joerger said Sunday. ”He knows he’s wanted here. We have a good relationship. A really, really good relationship. He was not difficult for me to coach at all. I really enjoyed coaching him. We’re really on the same page, so I hope we can continue that.” Randolph holds a player option worth $16.5MM. He led Memphis in scoring at 17.4 points per game and rebounding at 10.1 this season and was the team’s leading scorer against Oklahoma City with 18.2 points a game until his suspension.
While it seems likely that Randolph will stay in Memphis, Ed Davis’ future with the Grizzlies is up in the air, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. If Memphis brings Randolph back, they may be priced out of keeping the 24-year-old restricted free agent. The Grizzlies can’t afford to spend a ton of money on a backup big man, so while they would love to keep Davis and do have the option to match any contract he receives, they can’t afford to go into luxury tax territory.

Mavs Rumors: Bledsoe, Stephenson, ‘Melo, Dirk

May 5th, 2014 at 2:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mavs GM Donnie Nelson promises an “action-packed summer,” but he indicated today that he’s pleased with the roster as is, notes Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter links).

“I think if we had the same cast or crew come and lace ’em up next year, I’d feel real good about our chances,” he said.

Fellow ESPNDallas.com scribe Tim McMahon doesn’t buy it, writing that the Mavs front office knows it needs significant improvement to contend. There’s more from McMahon’s piece amid the latest on the Mavs:

McMahon throws Eric Bledsoe‘s name into the mix of likely targets that already included Marcin Gortat and Luol Deng, though he acknowledges that it’ll be “extremely difficult” to pry Bledsoe, or even Gortat, away from their respective teams. The Mavs are unlikely to make a run at Lance Stephenson, according to McMahon.
The Mavs would like to get involved in the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes, but not if he demands a max contract, McMahon writes.
Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs have made it clear that they fully intend to strike a new deal this summer. Nowitzki acknowledged today that he doesn’t think it will resemble Kobe Bryant‘s massive two-year, $48.5MM extension, but he does want the team to respect his continued on-court prowess in negotiations, as Gutierrez observes (Twitter links). McMahon, in his piece, suggests Nowitzki is likely to sign a three-year, $30MM deal.
Shawn Marion, who turns 36 on Wednesday, plans to play two more seasons, tweets Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com, noting that while there’s strong mutual interest in a return to the Mavs, the forward will also think about signing elsewhere. Still, he intends to retire as a Mav one way or another, Gutierrez notes (Twitter link).
Soon-to-be free agent DeJuan Blair is hopeful that he’ll re-sign with the Mavs this summer, as Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram chronicles.
We passed along news of the Mavs’ mutual interest in Devin Harris earlier today.

Western Notes: Warriors, Young, Lakers

April 10th, 2014 at 5:54pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob told reporters that he, coach Mark Jackson and GM Bob Myers all get along, refuting reported dysfunction within the team, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group transcribes. Lacob referred to the re-assignment of assistant coach Brian Scalabrine and the firing of fellow assistant Darren Erman as “minor setbacks.” A little over a week ago, Myers gave Jackson a public vote of support, saying that he’s done a tremendous job; however, we’ve also relayed the belief from some writers who think that Jackson’s future in Golden State could be tied to how the team fares in this year’s postseason.

Here are a few other notes to pass along out of the Western Conference this evening:

Lakers swingman Nick Young is “very confident” that he’ll reach an agreement to remain with the team beyond this summer, reports Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News. This isn’t the first time that the Los Angeles native has gone on record saying he’d like to stay, but he also hinted that it could be difficult to pass up a hefty pay raise somewhere else if the opportunity presented itself.
Some members of Lakers brass are high on the idea of bringing in a young, up-and-coming head coach who wouldn’t command too much money, making him cheap to get rid of if he doesn’t pan out, according to Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding.
In addition to making the argument that Dirk Nowitzki ranks among one of the NBA’s 12 greatest players, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle thinks that Dirk – currently the 10th highest scorer in NBA history – has plenty left in the tank to surpass a few more names on that list: “He’s got a lot more good basketball left in him…A lot more great basketball. So I think he’s going to pick off a few more guys going up the ladder” (ESPN’s Marc Stein reports).
The Kings have assigned Willie Reed to their D-League affiliate in Reno, according to GM Pete D’Alessandro.
Former Spurs training camp invitee Courtney Fells has signed a deal with Bucaneiros de la Guaira in Venezuela, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Fells played in 47 games for the Spurs’ D-League affiliate in 2013/14, averaging 20.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 40.4 MPG.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Nowitzki, Draft, Parker

March 31st, 2014 at 7:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Dirk Nowitzki eschews an agent and has mentor Holger Geschwinder negotiate his contracts for him, but the Mavs star isn’t fond of free agency, as he tells TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Nowitzki reiterates that he fully intends to re-sign with Dallas this summer.

Western Notes: Love, Papanikolaou, Jazz

March 28th, 2014 at 7:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

There are rumors circulating that the Lakers will attempt to use this year’s high lottery pick to assemble the sort of trade package that finally convinces the Timberwolves to part with Kevin Love and end the uncertainty that hangs over this franchise even before the 25-year-old enters the final year of his contract, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Many in NBA circles believe that Love will eventually end up in Los Angeles, either via trade or free agency. He grew up in California, attended UCLA and his father, Stan, played for the Lakers, notes Stein.

Western Notes: Mavs, D-League, Iguodala

March 1st, 2014 at 6:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mark Cuban was in the news today for his thoughts on the possibility of the NBA raising the age requirement for players entering the league. Cuban took it further, and believes that if the minimum age isn’t raised then the NBA D-League should work to convince players to play there instead of a single college season, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Cuban stated, “I think what will end up happening — and this is my opinion, not that of the league — is if the colleges don’t change from the one-and-done, we’ll go after the one. The NCAA rules are so hypocritical, there’s absolutely no reason for a kid to go [to college], because he’s not going to class [and] he’s actually not even able to take advantage of all the fun because the first semester he starts playing basketball. So if the goal is just to graduate to the NBA or be an NBA player, go to the D-League.”

Odds & Ends: Nowitzki, Colangelo, Fredette

February 28th, 2014 at 4:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Rockets GM Daryl Morey said today that he asked Mark Cuban about acquiring Dirk Nowitzki this summer out of fears the Warriors would keep Dwight Howard from coming to Houston, according to ESPN (Twitter link). Cuban didn’t realize Howard hadn’t committed to the Rockets, and interpreted the proposal as a taunt over the Mavs‘ failed pursuit of Howard. Morey made his remarks at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and we’ve got more from that meeting of the minds as we pass along the latest from the NBA:

Former Raptors and Suns GM Bryan Colangelo admitted that he attempted to tank a few seasons ago, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Presumably, that happened during his Raptors tenure.
Jimmer Fredette piqued the interest of the Celtics, but it “wasn’t a good fit for either side,” as president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told reporters today, including Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves have no interest in Fredette for “myriad reasons,” according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
Some within the Lakers organization wanted to retain Pau Gasol through the trade deadline to keep his Bird Rights, but Gasol writes in his blog that L.A.’s financial advantage to re-sign him won’t play into his decision (translation via HoopsHype). The 7-footer says he wants to go where he can help a team win a title, but he’s not ruling out a return to the Lakers.
Caron Butler‘s role on the Heat would have been similar to the one Mike Miller played in recent years, and part of his decision to instead join the Thunder centered on the chance for more playing time, notes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter links).
The top half of the lottery picks in this year’s draft will be a star-studded bunch, but there are still other potential franchise-changing players in the mix, writes Zach Harper of CBSSports.com, who examines five potential steals.

Southwest Rumors: Nowitzki, Grizzlies, Daye

February 24th, 2014 at 2:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets are apparently on the mind of Charlie Villanueva as the possibility of a buyout from the Pistons looms, while the Grizzlies are interested in Lester Hudson, who last played in the NBA two years ago with Memphis. Here’s the rest of what we’re hearing from the Southwest Division:

Dirk Nowitzki said last month that he’ll probably re-sign with the Mavericks on a two- or three-year deal this summer, but the 35-year-old can envision a series of one-year deals after that, keeping him in the NBA past his 40th birthday. Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the details.
The Grizzlies were willing to make a trade that put them a hair over the tax line, but they weren’t going to give up Ed Davis, an object of desire for many teams, as TNT’s David Aldridge writes in his latest “Morning Tip” column for NBA.com.
Austin Daye was overjoyed when he heard about Thursday’s trade that sent him to the Spurs, telling reporters, including Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, that he screamed into his pillow in a moment of exuberance upon hearing the news. Daye, whose contract is partially guaranteed for next season, said the Spurs have been one of his favorite teams since childhood, McDonald adds (Twitter links).