JaVale McGee Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavs Waive Maurice Ndour

October 26th, 2015 at 2:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:53pm: Mavs owner Mark Cuban confirmed the move to Charania, calling it “a really tough decision.” Charania indicates the decision came to down to keeping Ndour and Salah Mejri, who has a fully guaranteed rookie minimum salary but no guaranteed salary beyond that. A stress reaction that Ndour suffered in his left leg that has him out indefinitely weighed heavily in the team’s thinking, Charania writes.

2:10pm: The Mavericks are releasing Maurice Ndour, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). A league source told Charania the move has already taken place, though the Mavs have yet to make a formal announcement. The subtraction of Ndour leaves the Mavs with 15 players, the regular season roster limit. That includes Dwight Powell, who has a non-guaranteed salary, and JaVale McGee, who’s salary is partially guaranteed, so presumably this signals that both have made the opening night roster. Presuming that’s the case, Powell earns a full guarantee on his one-year veteran’s minimum salary of more than $845K, while McGee’s partial guarantee jumps from $500K to $750K.

Ndour’s salary of $525,094 for this season, $1 more than the rookie minimum, is fully guaranteed, and his deal also included a partial guarantee of $437K for 2016/17, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reported. All of that stays on the books for Dallas unless he clears waivers.

The undrafted power forward out of Ohio University impressed while with the Knicks for summer league, and while the Knicks reportedly tried to get him to back out of his deal with the Mavericks, but that effort was to no avail. Ndour, 22, averaged 4.8 points in 22.8 minutes per game across four preseason appearances with Dallas.

Texas Notes: Howard, Lawson, West, McGee

October 1st, 2015 at 10:25am CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard can opt out of his deal at season’s end, but he isn’t planning for the sort of hype that surrounded the last time his contract became an issue, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Howard declined to talk Wednesday about his potential to become a free agent next summer, though Rockets GM Daryl Morey said last week that he intends to keep the core of the team, including Howard, together for more than just this coming season, Feigen notes. Howard shrugged off the notion that he’s headed into an age-related decline.

“I’m 29 years old,” Howard said, accoring to Feigen. “Regardless of me being in the league for 12 years, I’m still fairly young. I’ll give everything I’ve got for these 10, 11 years I have left.”

See more on the Rockets amid the latest from around the Texas Triangle:

Ty Lawson asked James Harden to push the Rockets to trade for him shortly after last season’s Western Conference Finals were over, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The initial rush of major moves in late June and early July passed with Lawson still on the Nuggets, but Houston finally traded for the point guard in late July.
David West has been saving money since his rookie season with the idea that when he came to the end of his career, he could make professional decisions based on basketball only and not worry about finances, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio-Express News details. That’s just what he did this summer, when he turned down a $12.6MM player option from the Pacers and signed for a $1,499,187 minimum salary with the Spurs. “There are a lot of people making a whole lot less than we make that live comfortable lives,” West said to McDonald. “I’ve always kept that in perspective. So when it came down to year 13, knowing you’ve got more yesterdays than tomorrows, you say, ‘Take the money off the table and go where you want to go.’”
JaVale McGee is showing frustration as the rehab process from stress fracture in his left tibia drags on, but even though he probably won’t be ready for opening night, the dearth of other center options on the Mavs makes it likely the team keeps him, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. That means the Mavs would end up cutting one of 15 players with a fully guaranteed contract to accommodate McGee’s partially guaranteed deal on the regular season roster. “We know what he’s capable of doing,” coach Rick Carlisle said of McGee. “He has a body of work. We know he’s an NBA player, and we know he has the ability to be a starting player in the NBA. We know he’s very motivated to play. He’s just had a very odd rehab situation that’s been addressed and he’s doing much better. So that’s something that we’re going to have to evaluate and kind of see what’s what as time goes along, but we consider him a guy that’s a great prospect.”

Southwest Notes: Williams, Parsons, McGee, Butler

September 29th, 2015 at 3:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Deron Williams admits he bought into the idea of himself as a reduced player the past few seasons with the Nets, but both he and Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle are optimistic about what the 31-year-old point guard can do in Dallas, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com details.

“I want to prove myself wrong,” Williams said Monday. “I started to doubt myself in the past. Mentally, it took a toll on me. I just got to get out of that rut that I was in the last couple years mentally, and I look forward to this situation. I think I’m past that. This fresh start has definitely helped that a lot. I’m looking forward to this year. It’s a better situation.”

The Mavs invested a two-year, $11MM deal in the hopes that Williams can indeed perform better. See more on the Mavs and their Southwest Division rivals:

Chandler Parsons spoke about his close relationship with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in an interview with GQ’s Alex Wong that further addressed the Mavs’ failed effort to recruit DeAndre Jordan this summer. “He didn’t do anything illegal. I’m not mad at him,” Parsons said of Jordan. “At the end of the day, he’s a grown man and he’s entitled to do whatever he wants,” Parsons says. “He’s one of the best young centers in the NBA, and I wanted to play with him. He could have made us great. But he screwed us over.”
JaVale McGee is unlikely to be healthy enough to play at the start of the regular season, MacMahon tweets. McGee, who continues to recover from a recurring stress fracture in his left tibia, has a partially guaranteed contract, and his continued place on the Mavs roster depends on how other players perform in camp, MacMahon says. McGee’s partial guarantee of $250K jumps to $500K if he remains under contract through the end of business today.
Rasual Butler‘s deal with the Spurs is non-guaranteed for the minimum salary and only covers this season, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
Jeff Adrien‘s one-year, minimum salary contract with the Pelicans is non-guaranteed, reports Pincus also reports (Twitter link). The team’s non-guaranteed pact with Corey Webster is for two years, not three, as initially reported, Pincus reveals.

Southwest Notes: Cuban, Vaughn, Pelicans

September 22nd, 2015 at 10:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Clippers coach and executive Doc Rivers had been critical of some comments reportedly made by Mavs team owner Mark Cuban in the wake of DeAndre Jordan changing his mind about signing with Dallas in order to return to Los Angeles this offseason. In an interview on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Cuban fired back at Rivers (h/t Dallas Morning News), saying, “First of all [Rivers] obviously didn’t actually hear or see what I said. Because I didn’t say a whole lot. I think I said — I responded to DJ’s Twitter apology, and that’s pretty much it. I haven’t said a whole lot about it at all, so I don’t know where he’s getting what he’s got. But I think the most interesting thing is, it shows you what someone will do when their entire future is vanishing in front of them. And that’s exactly what Doc did and I give him credit for it. His professional life was over if he didn’t get DJ. And so his back was against the wall and he did what he needed to do. More power to him. Sometimes the deals you don’t do are the best ones, so we’ll see. But Doc obviously hadn’t heard what I had said because I really didn’t say anything.”

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks will begin training camp without three key contributors being fully cleared for basketball activities, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. Swingman Wesley Matthews, small forward Chandler Parsons and center JaVale McGee are all expected to gradually work themselves back into full participation in practices as they continue to recover from major injuries, MacMahon notes.
The Spurs announced today that former Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn has been hired by the team as a pro scout. The news that San Antonio was to hire Vaughn was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Pelicans GM Dell Demps says that the blueprint of assembling an up-tempo team with ample depth that he envisioned three years ago is finally coming to pass, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. ”We set out a plan three years ago to be exactly where we are right now,” Demps said. ”This is a big year for us. We’re really looking for this group jelling and taking that next step. I think we have over 20 games on national television, which is a great sign that people have expectations on us. We look forward to it and embrace the opportunity. We can’t wait, we’re really excited. I think it’s really going to be exciting for the fans to watch. I think it’s going to be great for the players.”

Southwest Notes: Holiday, Aldridge, McGee

September 4th, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday has made sufficient progress in his recovery from the surgical procedure he underwent in May that the team expects him to be cleared to participate in basketball related activities when training camp begins, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. ”What I think we’re trying to do is not push him anywhere,” coach Alvin Gentry said. ”We’re going to monitor obviously his practices. I doubt there will be a situation where we’ll let him go two-a-days. It’s just doesn’t make sense right now.” Holiday has missed a combined 90 games over the past two campaigns because of recurring problems with his right leg. The NBA had ordered the Sixers to pay $3MM to the Pelicans last season for not fully disclosing the extent of Holiday’s injury prior to shipping him to New Orleans.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Rick Barnes, who coached LaMarcus Aldridge at the University of Texas, doesn’t think that his former player will have any difficulty adapting his game to the Spurs‘ system, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News relays. “What he wants is to win an NBA championship,” Barnes said. “He’ll do whatever he feels he has to do to make that happen.” Aldridge had expressed some level of concern to San Antonio assistant Ime Udoka about him being more of a scorer than the Spurs typically feature during the team’s recruitment of him, McDonald adds. “He’s a tremendous teammate. He’s a team player,” Barnes continued. “He knows he’s a franchise-type guy, but he also has to have people around him. Credit to him for wanting to be part of something special.”
Mavs big man JaVale McGee believes that his athleticism will set him apart from the other centers on Dallas’ roster, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com writes. “Well, I definitely feel like we’re different players, the centers that we have, so it’s definitely going to be good competition,” McGee said. “But that’s what basketball is for, competition, so it’s definitely going to make us all better. It’s definitely a positive thing, being a leaper as I am and a shot blocker and a dunker, so that’s definitely what teams need. I’m just somebody who keeps it simple, who dunks the ball, blocks shots and is just a presence in the paint. … [coach Rick Carlisle] just wants me to keep it simple, and just play as hard as I can and be a presence in the paint.”

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 8/15/15

August 15th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

JaVale McGee has shown flashes of becoming an impact player in the NBA. When the former No. 18 overall pick agreed to a buyout with the Sixers last spring, he failed to generate much interest as a free agent. His lack of development, along with his health concerns, were major reasons why teams weren’t champing at the bit to sign the center.

The Mavs finally signed McGee earlier this week. Dallas previously had serious concerns about the center’s health, but it has apparently cleared that hurdle, as the Mavs remain confident that his injured leg will heal in time for the 27-year-old to join the team in training camp.

McGee’s deal, which covers two seasons, is only guaranteed for $250K, with another $250K becoming guaranteed if he remains on the roster past September 29th. Dallas currently has 20 players under contract, as our Roster Counts page shows, but it needs to trim that down to 15 by opening night. The Mavs have 15 players with fully guaranteed deals on the roster and opening up a regular season roster spot for McGee will be especially difficult, as the team only has six players who are eligible to be traded prior to the season.

Dallas has shown a willingness to eat guaranteed money in the past, waiving Bernard James and Gal Mekel last fall despite their fully guaranteed salaries. Even if McGee makes the roster, he will face competition for minutes at the center spot. Samuel Dalembert and trade acquisition Zaza Pachulia are likely to see significant minutes. The team presumably will prioritize getting free agent signee Salah Mejri on the court to give the 2011 FIBA African Championship MVP a chance at locking down the team’s open starting center spot.

If McGee can defy the long odds of becoming the team’s starter at the five, or at least crack the rotation, he could put himself in great position to remain relevant in the NBA and potentially raise his stock for the summer of 2017, when he could become a 29-year-old free agent. Dallas is a franchise that has a history of rehabilitating player values, as I illustrated in the Free Agent Stock Watch of Wesley Matthews. The team employs Rick Carlisle, who is one of the best coaches in the league and has demonstrated he can get the most out of players.

So here’s the topic of the day: Will JaVale McGee make an impact on the Mavs? Can a good environment in Dallas rehabilitate his value? Will he even make the team?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to reading what you have to say.

Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, shoot me a message at hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter at @CW_Crouse to submit topics or ideas for what we should present in future posts.

And-Ones: Rose, McGee, Jordan

August 13th, 2015 at 9:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks have hired former NBA player Malik Rose as their manager of basketball operations, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter). Rose confirmed the news via his personal Twitter account. Rose will report to coach Mike Budenholzer, who remains in charge of player personnel as president of basketball operations. The 40-year-old spent 13 seasons in the NBA as a player with the Hornets, Spurs, Knicks, and Thunder.

Here’s more from around the league:

The first year of JaVale McGee‘s deal with the Mavericks is partially guaranteed for $250k, with another $250k becoming guaranteed if he remains on the roster past September 29th, and an additional $250k will become guaranteed if he is still on Dallas’ roster past October 27th, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The second season of the arrangement is non-guaranteed, Pincus adds.
McGee is still undergoing rehab for his injured leg, but the Mavs remain confident that he will be ready to play in time for training camp, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com relays (on Twitter).
Former St. John’s University shooting guard Rysheed Jordan is considering playing overseas or joining the NBA D-League for next season, Keith Schlosser of SBNation writes. “I don’t know yet. It’s either overseas or the D-League, two options,” Jordan told CityofBasketballLove.com. “It depends whether I would prefer to go far or stay local.” Jordan departed the Red Storm after his sophomore season, and back in June said, “Playing professional basketball has always been a goal of mine. I believe I am ready to take the next step in my basketball career and plan to work hard to achieve my dream of playing in the NBA. I am thankful for the opportunities and support St. John’s University has provided to me. This decision was made with my family’s best interests in mind.“

Mavs Sign JaVale McGee

August 13th, 2015 at 1:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavericks have signed JaVale McGee, the team announced, as Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com tweets. The team had initiated talks with the center last month, as Shams Charania of RealGM had reported, but it seemed like that door was closed when the Mavs signed Samuel Dalembert and others to bring themselves to 15 fully guaranteed deals. Dallas also had serious concerns about McGee’s health, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, but it appears as though the Mavs are willing to take a risk. The Mavs have been holding on to their $2.814MM room exception, but McGee will see only the minimum in his contract, which covers two years with a team option on the final season, Stein tweets.

The Wasserman Media Group client had reportedly rejected a similar offer from the Celtics late last season, preferring a player option instead. Boston and McGee had seemingly been close to a deal at that point, and plenty of rumors have surrounded the 27-year-old for the past several months as he’s lingered in free agency. The Sixers waived him shortly after acquiring him from the Nuggets at the trade deadline. Philadelphia did so even though McGee still had $12MM coming to him for this season, but the center’s deal with Dallas, which will pay him the seven-year veteran’s minimum of $1,270,964 this season, means the Sixers are eligible to withhold as much as $212,953 via set-off rights.

The Mavericks reportedly held strong interest in McGee this spring after talks with the Celtics fell through, and the Warriors, Raptors, Rockets and Heat were also apparently eyeing him, though reports conflicted on just how much Golden State wanted the former 18th overall pick. The Mavs eventually dropped out of the running, too, and while McGee later reportedly backed off his demand for a player option, no deal materialized until now. Reports indicated that the Celtics appeared ready to jump back in the mix after the end of this past season, the Kings set their sights on him in June, and the Clippers planned to talk with him in July, but it was the revived interest from the Mavs that ultimately lured the 7-footer.

McGee has played in only 28 games after suffering a stress fracture early in the 2013/14 season. He’s nonetheless another contender to start at center for the Mavs, whom DeAndre Jordan notoriously spurned after initially having agreed to sign with them. Dalembert and trade acquisition Zaza Pachulia also appear to be in the mix, with free agent signees Salah Mejri, Jarrid Famous and incumbent Dwight Powell also available at the position.

All the new faces leave the Mavs with only six players eligible for inclusion in a trade, notes former Nets executive Bobby Marks (Twitter link), and that’s troublesome, given that McGee is joining a roster that already featured 15 fully guaranteed salaries. Still, Dallas has shown a willingness to eat guaranteed money in the past, waiving Bernard James and Gal Mekel last fall despite their fully guaranteed salaries. Powell, Famous, Jamil Wilson and Brandon Ashley nonetheless face long odds to make it past the preseason, since their salaries aren’t fully guaranteed.

Do you think the McGee signing will work out for the Mavs? Leave a comment to tell us.

Latest On JaVale McGee

August 8th, 2015 at 4:32pm CST by Will Joseph

AUGUST 8TH, 4:32pm: McGee’s current focus is on getting himself healthy, though several teams have expressed interest in the center, sources have informed Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). According to Kennedy, the Lakers and the Mavs appear to be the front-runners to sign McGee.

5:11pm: The interest is mutual, sources tell Stein (Twitter link).

4:54pm: The Mavs are “very concerned” about the center’s health, MacMahon tweets. That casts a pessimistic tone, since McGee’s condition is the linchpin to the Mavs’ interest in him, as Stein reported (below).

1:58pm: The interest would appear to hinge on McGee’s health, but if he checks out, chances are strong that he becomes the team’s top priority, Stein tweets. The sides had their first in-person meeting of substance on Sunday, the ESPN scribe adds.

JULY 13TH, 1:33pm: The talks are on an exploratory level at this point, sources caution to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

JULY12TH, 11:10pm: The Mavs have initiated talks on a potential deal with unrestricted free agent center JaVale McGee, reports RealGM’s Shams Charania (on Twitter).

This, of course, comes after DeAndre Jordan spurned Dallas and re-signed with the Clippers, so the Mavs are still in the hunt for a big man. McGee, 27, has been a free agent since being waived by the Sixers in March. Earlier this offseason, the Kings expressed interest in McGee, as did the Rockets, Raptors and Heat.

McGee put up career lows this past campaign in several categories, including his 11.1 minutes per game across 23 appearances split between Denver and Philadelphia.

Mavs Sign Samuel Dalembert

August 6th, 2015 at 1:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 6TH, 1:27pm: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

JULY 25TH, 1:19pm: The Mavericks have reached a one-year agreement with veteran center Samuel Dalembert, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweets. According to ESPNDallas.com’s Tim MacMahon, Dalembert will receive the veteran’s minimum (Twitter link).

This comes as no surprise, as ESPN’s Marc Stein reported nearly two weeks ago that the parties had mutual interest. Stein tweeted on Saturday that the Mavs are still looking at other center options, as they are in advanced talks with Tunisian center Salah Mejri and have not ruled out JaVale McGee if he’s healthy.

Dalembert was the Mavs’ No. 1 center as recently as 2013-14, when he started 68 games for them. He was then included in the Tyson Chandler swap with the Knicks. The 34-year-old only played 32 games for New York, including 21 starts, and averaged 4.0 points and 5.3 rebounds.

He gives the club additional depth behind Zaza Pachulia, who wound up with Dallas in a trade with the Bucks after top free agent target DeAndre Jordan decommitted and re-signed with the Clippers.