Dirk Nowitzki Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavs Interested In Jennings, Not Josh Smith

February 12th, 2013 at 11:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

11:47pm: Following up on his Jennings report, Stein adds that the Mavs aren’t looking at Josh Smith (Twitter link).

11:40pm: The Mavs are interested in point guard Brandon Jennings, and if the Bucks decide to make him available before next week’s trade deadline, Dallas will be one of the teams in the mix, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Mavs owner Mark Cuban, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson and coach Rick Carlisle have all said in recent days that the team is unlikely to make any deadline deals, but multiple reports suggest that’s not the case. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears the team is seeking offers for Shawn Marion, while Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, as part of a chat with readers today, wrote that anyone aside from Dirk Nowitzki and Elton Brand is liable to be dealt.

Bucks GM John Hammond wants an overwhelming offer in return if he’s to part with Jennings, Amico hears. Jennings’ recent change of agents, from Bill Duffy to Jeff Schwartz, could suggest he wants to join a large-market team when he hits restricted free agency this summer. The Bucks will have the opportunity to match, and the team has reportedly told Jennings they’ll do so with any offer sheet he signs. Still, Milwaukee declined to extend Jennings’ rookie deal this past fall when he was reportedly asking for an annual salary of about $9MM to $10MM, and he could receive offers for much more on the open market.

In his chat, Sefko named Rodrigue Beaubois, Dominique Jones, Vince Carter and Brandan Wright as the Mavs players most likely to be dealt. I don’t think a package involving any combination of them or Marion would be enough to bowl Hammond over to the point that he’d be ready to deal. Though the Mavs have a wealth of expiring contracts, it will be hard for them to match salaries for Jennings, who’s making just $3.179MM this season in the final year of his rookie deal. They’d probably have to take back one of Milwaukee’s less desirable contracts, like that of Drew Gooden, who’s due more than $20MM between this season and 2015. Since the Mavs have their eyes set on pursuing maximum-salary players like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, I’m not sure they’d be willing to compromise their flexibility to fit one of them under their cap to bring Jennings aboard.

Kyler On Gay, Magic, Smith

February 2nd, 2013 at 12:39pm CST by Sean Highkin

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com took questions from his followers on his Twitter account on Saturday morning, covering the Raptors' acquisition of Rudy Gay along with other topics.

Until they see how Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan play together, the Raptors plan to keep both on the roster.
Bryan Colangelo's next move should be to get out of Andrea Bargnani's contract, Kyler writes.
The Grizzlies offered Gay to the Magic for J.J. Redick, and were rejected.
The Magic would be willing to trade any player on their roster for the right price, Kyler writes, although they value players like Maurice Harkless very highly.
The Hawks would prefer to keep Josh Smith, but they are exploring their options before the trade deadline.
Kyler thinks everybody on the Mavericks is available at the trade deadline, with the exception of Dirk Nowitzki.
The Celtics are very active in trade talks, but don't have many assets to offer.
Given the Kings' ownership situation, Kyler doubts they move Tyreke Evans or any other player before the deadline.
Kyler doesn't think the Jazz will trade Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson unless they can preserve flexibility.

Western Notes: Kobe, Ridnour, Odom

January 26th, 2013 at 10:49pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Although Kobe Bryant registered a season low of 10 field goals on Friday night, his 14 assists proved to be instrumental in the Lakers' rout of the Jazz. Mike D'Antoni praised his star shooting guard's approach, saying that the dip in field goal attempts shouldn't be looked at as a sacrifice if the team ultimately comes out on top, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. McMenamin also takes a closer look at the impending return of Steve Blake, who practiced with the team today and could return to game action next week. You'll find the rest of tonight's Western Conference notes here:

Earlier today, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler answered some of his followers' questions on Twitter, saying that he doesn't think the Lakers aren't looking to move Dwight Howard before the deadline, Mike D'Antoni's job isn't necessarily safe right now, and that the Grizzlies aren't currently looking to make a deal with the Celtics (All Twitter links).
Luke Ridnour has been a productive and dependable stop gap for the Timberwolves in spite of all the injuries he's handled this year, notes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro wants Lamar Odom to be more aggressive on the offensive end, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Another 6'10 forward has been making waves in Los Angeles, albeit for the purple and gold. In another article, Ben Bolch examines Earl Clark's breakout year as a starter for the Lakers.
Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin tells Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune that he wants to groom Gordon Hayward into a player who can be counted on to close games.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says there's no doubt in his mind that Dirk Nowitzki will be an All-Star again, writes Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW.
Jason Smith has played with
a reckless abandon that has earned the attention and respect from his
teammates and the Hornets coaching staff, observes John
Reid of NOLA.com.
Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post makes a case for why Warriors guard Stephen Curry was the biggest snub of this year's All-Star game.

Mavs To Explore Trades, Won’t Move Dirk

January 13th, 2013 at 9:12am CST by Sean Highkin

The Dallas Mavericks figure to be active on the trade market before the February 21 trade deadline, but owner Mark Cuban made it clear that the team has no plans to trade Dirk Nowitzki. Cuban told ESPNDallas.com that Nowitzki has the team's assurances that he is safe:

"I told Dirk we're not going to trade him. He was happy. I think," Cuban said, laughing. "I wanted to make it clear to him. I said, 'We're in this through thick and thin,' and so there's no way I would trade him, no matter what."

Cuban stated that the Mavs will be aggressive in attempting to make a move before the trade deadline, hinting that the team's salary-cap flexibility could put them in a position of advantage to make an unbalanced trade with a team looking to get under the luxury tax.

Dirk Nowitzki Discusses Future, Deron, Dwight

January 11th, 2013 at 10:07pm CST by Sean Highkin

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports has a new interview with Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki, in which the 2011 NBA Finals MVP discusses his career, his future with the Mavericks, various free agents that have been linked to Dallas, and more.

On the possibility that he may be traded:

“That is a tough question. You have to ask that to [owner] Mark [Cuban] and [general manager] Donnie [Nelson] if that's something they would consider. As far as I'm concerned, I think I am going to finish my career in Dallas. I really only have this year and next year left on my contract for big money and then we will see what happens."

On his hopes for the Mavericks' rebuilding efforts:

The good thing is we have [salary] cap space for the first time in my career. We've always been over the cap. We've never been able to sign someone flat-out. We always had to do different deals to get somebody in.

“The good thing with cap space is you can turn your situation around pretty quick. It might look a little ugly at times this year, but you can take chances on a contract and be a player in free agency this year.”

On his relationship with Deron Williams, who considered signing in Dallas before ultimately returning to Brooklyn:

“I talked to him actually. We partied at one of the All-Star Games a long time ago. I've had his number. We've been talking. He's from Dallas, I know that. But he made the decision that was best for him and for his family. I wasn't mad at that. It is what it is. I have to move on.

On the possibility that the Mavs will pursue Chris Paul or Dwight Howard this summer:

“We're not that close. It's going to be tough. Dwight is in L.A. Obviously, CP3 [Chris Paul] is with the Clippers and they're both in great situations. So, we will have to wait and see what the summer brings. Maybe we can still do something at the trade deadline. We still got a couple weeks to get better and you know Mark and Donnie are always working something to make the franchise better.”

On the Mavs' decision not to bring back Tyson Chandler and Jose Barea following the team's 2011 title:

“Great question. What Mark didn't want to do, especially now with the new CBA, was lock himself in where he has a bunch of older guys with big deals. And then when we get too old, you're basically locked in for another two to three years and you can't do any moves. As I understood the CBA more, how the taxes are going to be, I understood his point of view on it.

“But us as players, we would have loved to have kept Tyson, Caron [Butler], J.J., all those guys who really would have had another shot last year. But it is what it is and you have to make tough decisions in this league, and Cuban thought it would be better to have the [salary] cap space for the future.”

Stein On Mavericks, Lottery, Dirk

January 11th, 2013 at 6:42pm CST by Sean Highkin

Marc Stein of ESPN.com discussed the Mavericks in a radio interview with a Dallas station and touched on a number of topics concerning the Mavs' present and future rosters. SportsDayDFW.com has the transcript. Here are the highlights:

Stein suggested the Mavericks should think about tanking to position themselves for the draft lottery:

“The playoffs are out of reach. … There’s just too much ground to make up, and to me, what’s the point anyway? To me, it’s going to come to a point where it’s time to play the young guys, it’s time to focus on development and the reality is, even if this isn’t a good draft, the highest possible lottery pick will benefit this team the most.”

He also suggested that part of the Mavs' planning for the future should involve giving more time to rookies Bernard James, Jared Cunningham, and Jae Crowder:

“It’s time to play James. it’s time to play Cunningham. it’s time to feature Crowder more. I mean, nobody wants to hear that but that’s the reality.”

Stein also dismisses talk that the Mavs may look to trade Dirk Nowitzki:

“It’s just so hard to get players at Dirk’s level that I just don’t see any way the Mavs want to give up their one known, and especially because of the relationship he and Cuban have, what he’s meant to this community. Dirk’s frustrated right now. That’s clear with the stuff he’s been saying all week, but he does not want to go anywhere. He wants to finish his career here. He’s saying all this stuff clearly because he wants to see a fix. He wants the team fixed. It’s not because he wants to leave."

Odds & Ends: Knicks, Cousins, Fernandez, Cavs

January 10th, 2013 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers and Trail Blazers head into today having each won 11 of their last 14 contests, but both teams will be in for tough matchups at home tonight, as the Knicks arrive in Indiana and the Heat play in Portland. As we look forward to what should be a fun TNT doubleheader, let's check in on a few afternoon links from around the NBA:

While the Knicks have inquired on Kenyon Martin, they won't make a decision on the free agent big man one way or another until they determine Rasheed Wallace's timetable, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
One NBA team executive predicts to Ian Thomsen of SI.com that if DeMarcus Cousins becomes available, there won't be as much interest as there might have been in the past. "We do all of this research and background work on players now before we draft them," said the exec. "I think half of the consideration when we look at players now is trying to understand who these guys are as people. I really do think that most teams are going to say they don't want any part of him."
Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News thinks that the Lakers should trade Dwight Howard for Dirk Nowitzki. However, even if the Lakers were interested in such a move, which seems extremely unlikely, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wouldn't be, as he tells David Baumann of Sports Talk Florida: "No knock on Dwight, I just won't trade Dirk" (Twitter link).
Although he signed a three-year deal overseas this past offseason, Rudy Fernandez isn't ruling out an eventual return to the NBA, writes CNN.com's Paul Gittings.
The Cavaliers should attempt to make a play for Rudy Gay, suggests Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post wonders if Wilson Chandler's return to the Nuggets lineup could lead to a trade, either of Chandler or another player.

Dirk Nowitzki Wants To Stay With Mavericks

January 9th, 2013 at 8:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Late last week, Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki questioned some of the Mavericks’ roster building strategies and didn’t seem enthusiastic about their chances of landing a marquee talent after whiffing on both Deron Williams and Dwight Howard. However, the big man told reporters tonight that he doesn’t have any desire to be traded.

“I can’t really see myself anywhere else,” said Nowitzki, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (on Twitter).

Nowitzki has become accustomed to winning during his time in Dallas, but the Mavericks were swept in the first round of last year’s playoffs by the Thunder and currently find themselves with a 13-22 mark after tonight’s loss to the Jazz. Regardless, the 34-year-old is under contract through 2013/14 and sounds committed to helping restore the Mavs to prominence.

Western Notes: White, Nowitzki, Wolves, Blazers

January 8th, 2013 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

So far, votes are virtually evenly split on whether or not the Lakers will earn a playoff spot this season in the competitive Western Conference. You can weigh in with your vote and/or comments on our afternoon poll right here. As the Lakers prepare to face the Rockets tonight in Houston, let's check in on a few Western Conference notes relating to the Rockets and a handful of other clubs….

Royce White appeared on Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, and went into detail in discussing his relationship with the Rockets and the mental health protocol he's hoping to establish. You can listen to the conversation at about the 24:15 mark of the podcast or view the complete transcript over at Slate.com.
Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson says he expects Dirk Nowitzki to remain with the Mavericks for the rest of his career, according to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Nowitzki recently questioned some of the Mavs' roster-building strategies, but insisted he wants to remain in Dallas and not be traded.
Even though Kevin Love will be out for an extended period, the Timberwolves, like every other team in the NBA, aren't currently interested in Kenyon Martin, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey isn't looking to make superficial changes to his team's roster, but is ready to make a move if the right kind of deal arises, as Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes.
Terrel Harris, who was cut this weekend by the Heat, will join the Rockets' D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, tweets Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle clarifies (via Twitter) that Harris won't be part of Houston's 15-man roster, but the Vipers are operated by the Rockets, who want to take a look at the guard.

Western Notes: Lakers, White, Nowitzki, Wolves

January 7th, 2013 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Things aren't getting any easier in Lakerland, where Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Jordan Hill have all been sidelined with injuries. Howard suffered a torn labrum, Gasol has a concussion, and Hill is dealing with a hip issue, meaning the Lakers' frontcourt looks awfully thin in the short-term. While Robert Sacre looks forward to more playing time and we wait to see if the Lakers add another body, let's round up a few more notes out of the Western Conference….

The Lakers haven't reached out to free agent big man Kenyon Martin, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com wonder if the Lakers should consider trading Howard.
The Rockets are prepared to chalk up 2012/13 as a lost season for Royce White and attempt to reach some sort of agreement with the rookie forward in the offseason, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Zillgitt and TNT's David Aldridge have the latest details on White, including his desire for the NBA and the Rockets to sign a document detailing his wishes for the mental health protocol that the team believes would be in violation of the CBA.
Despite recent comments by Dirk Nowitzki questioning the Mavericks' approach to building the roster, owner Mark Cuban tells Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com that Dallas won't be altering that approach. "If you only knew the things [Dirk] has said to me during recent seasons about our team," Cuban joked. "I'm glad I didn't listen."
Nowitzki stressed to reporters today, including Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, that he never said he wanted to be traded.
The Timberwolves have kicked the tires on Sam Young, who was released by the Pacers this weekend, but he's unlikely to land in Minnesota, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Young is currently out with an ankle injury.
It would be a surprise if the Timberwolves don't move Derrick Williams at the trade deadline, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.