Luka Doncic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Zion, Pelicans, Kidd, Klay, Grizzlies

October 25th, 2024 at 9:36pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing the Pelicans‘ regular season opener on Wednesday, Zion Williamson was cleared to make his season debut on Friday in Portland, writes Anne M. Peterson of The Associated Press. Head coach Willie Green, who said it was “huge” to get Williamson back, told reporters that the star forward will be on a minutes restriction, though he didn’t share a specific target.

“It won’t be full throttle, but we’ll see how he feels once he gets on the floor,” Green said.

Williamson took Dejounte Murray‘s place in the Pelicans’ starting five after the team’s new starting point guard went down with a broken bone in his hand on Wednesday.

As Christian Clark of NOLA.com points out (via Twitter), after months of speculation about what New Orleans’ new starting lineup would look like, the Murray injury resulted in the team’s starters on Friday looking nearly identical to last season’s group, with Daniel Theis taking departed center Jonas Valanciunas‘s place. Since Murray it expected to be sidelined until at least late November – and likely into December – it will be a while before Green get a chance to get a look at his preferred starting five.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Many people within the Mavericks organization believe head coach Jason Kidd is “uniquely suited” to maximize the contributions of star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes. In an in-depth feature story, MacMahon explores how Kidd has gotten the most out of Doncic and Irving and how the Mavs coach will handle the new challenge of incorporating future Hall of Famer Klay Thompson this season.
Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link) takes a closer look at Thompson’s early days with the Mavericks, detailing the steps the veteran sharpshooter has taken to fit in and get acclimated to his new NBA home. “When you’re on such a talented team, you don’t have to be a hero,” Thompson said of adjusting to his Mavs role. “That’s what attracted me to come here. I think these guys can help me get the best out of myself. And have fun. When you’re playing with a smile on your face, basketball is the best.” As we detailed earlier today, Klay had 22 points in 26 minutes in his Mavs debut.
The Grizzlies are missing multiple rotation players due to injuries and begin their season with six games in nine days, so head coach Taylor Jenkins plans to rely on his depth to get through that stretch and avoid leaning on any of his starters too heavily in the early going, writes Michael Wallace of Grind City Media. That approach includes using reserves like rookie Jaylen Wells, who admitted he was surprised to be one of the first players off the bench in Wednesday’s season opener. “I was not expecting that,” Wells told reporters. “I’m not even going to lie. I think they (yelled for) Scotty (Pippen Jr.). And I thought they only said, ‘Scotty!’ And then they said my name a second time. And I definitely wasn’t expecting that.”

Mavericks Notes: Thompson, Doncic, Gafford, Lively, Hardy

October 25th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The uniform was different, but otherwise Klay Thompson delivered a familiar performance Thursday night. Playing his first game for the Mavericks, Thompson hit six three-pointers and scored 22 points in 26 minutes in a win over San Antonio. In addition to providing the defending Western Conference champs with another outside shooting threat, Thompson showed he can still impact the game in other ways, collecting seven rebounds and three steals, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

“Great debut,” he said. “It’s only one game in October, but it feels good just to get that first one out of the way. … Just a ton of excitement, really just an awesome feeling. And you only get the first time of something so often.”

Last night marked the first time Thompson has played alongside Luka Doncic, who missed the entire preseason due to a left calf contusion. They seemed to have instant chemistry, as four of Thompson’s threes came directly off Doncic passes.

“What an incredible talent,” Thompson said. “I mean, it doesn’t make any sense because what we’re taught growing up as far as being the best basketball player is you got to jump the highest, you got to run the fastest, but somehow Luka defies that. He plays at his own speed and manipulates the game as good as I’ve ever seen anyone do it. And it’s great to be a recipient of that and get great looks.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Even though he finished with finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, Doncic felt the effects of sitting out the preseason, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. He shot just 8-of-21 on the night and felt like he played “terrible” despite nearly posting a triple-double. “I was telling someone that I was rusty the whole first half,” Doncic said. “The third quarter, it kind of opened up. The legs were back. It felt great just to be out there playing basketball.”
Head coach Jason Kidd wouldn’t reveal his starting center in his pregame meeting with reporters, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required), but he chose to go with Daniel Gafford and use Dereck Lively II off the bench. Both were productive, as Gafford had nine points, six rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes, while Lively put up 15 points, 10 rebounds and tied his career high with six assists in 27 minutes. “It’s an opportunity to start Gaff here, and we’ll look somewhere down the road to start D Live,” Kidd said. “But what I love about D Live coming off the bench is his energy, and that’s something that’s contagious. When you look at a team, there are going to be nights when we might be low energy, but D Live, as we’ve talked throughout preseason, we plug into him, and guys, you know, recharge or feed off that energy. He has a big responsibility with that second group.”
With a new three-year, $18MM extension in hand, Jaden Hardy appears to be an important part of the Mavericks’ second unit, Afseth adds. Kidd said Hardy has improved his play-making skills to complement his outside shooting as he begins his third NBA season.

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Spurs, Kennard, Rockets, Ingram, Zion

October 16th, 2024 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks star Luka Doncic likely won’t play in the team’s preseason finale vs. Milwaukee on Thursday, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters today. However, Doncic went through a full practice on Wednesday and did “really, really well,” Kidd said, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter link).

Doncic was diagnosed with a left calf contusion during the early days of training camp. At the time, it was deemed a minor injury that wasn’t expected to affect his availability for the team’s regular season opener on October 24.

Despite the fact that Doncic may not end up playing a single minute this preseason, it still doesn’t sound as if his ability to return for next Thursday’s game vs. San Antonio is in any doubt, given that he’s fully participating in practice more than a week out from opening night.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Based on the way Gregg Popovich has managed his rotation this preseason, it appears likely the Spurs will open the season with a starting five of Chris Paul, Julian Champagnie, Jeremy Sochan, Harrison Barnes, and Victor Wembanyama, with Keldon Johnson, Stephon Castle, Zach Collins, and Blake Wesley also getting regular minutes, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). However, Popovich said his rotation isn’t set in stone yet, and obviously it’s subject to change once Devin Vassell is ready to return from his foot injury, Orsborn notes.
The Spurs received $2MM in cash from the Kings in the Jalen McDaniels trade, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Marks also fills in the cash details from a couple of the Spurs’ offseason trades, confirming that San Antonio received $1MM from the Pacers for moving from No. 35 to No. 36 in the draft and $110K from the Hornets in the Devonte’ Graham salary dump.
Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard was feeling some soreness in his foot after Monday’s game in Indiana, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins, who said that Kennard may have to miss some time as a result of the ailment (Twitter link via Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal).
The Rockets‘ preseason win over New Orleans on Tuesday showed how they can benefit this fall from offseason continuity after making significant roster changes in 2023, says Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “We’ve been playing with each other since last year,” veteran forward Jeff Green said. “We know what we want to do. We know what the goal is out there.” As Christian Clark of NOLA.com observes, Tuesday’s game was the first of the preseason for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, while Zion Williamson sat out for what head coach Willie Green called a “rest day.”

Southwest Notes: Mavericks, Jenkins, Barnes, Fultz

October 12th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Injuries have hampered the Mavericks as they try to get ready for the upcoming season, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. The most pressing absence is Luka Doncic, who has been sidelined by a left calf contusion he suffered shortly before the start of training camp. He’ll miss another game Monday, but there’s hope he might be ready for Thursday’s preseason finale.

P.J. Washington, who is projected to be the starting power forward, hasn’t played in the preseason either due to tightness in his left hip. Maxi Kleber is dealing with a sprained left ankle, and Dante Exum is expected to be out of action for three months after surgery on his right wrist.

“We have to be prepared for (players not being available) and that’s what we’re looking at right now is who can handle the backup point guard (role) if Spencer (Dinwiddie) has to start,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We’ll look at different lineups here. We have two games left. One in L.A. and one at home, just to see and be prepared if some of the guys who are hurt can’t go on the 24th (for the season opener).”

There were some encouraging signs on Saturday as Washington was able to practice and Doncic participated in a non-contact session, Curtis tweets. Curtis notes that the team went through a similar situation last October when Doncic suffered a calf strain in camp, but was able to return for the start of the season.

“For us, it’s almost normal,” Kidd said. “This was last year’s training camp. We’ve had some injuries. You just deal with it. You gotta teach and coach the guys that we have. You have to be prepared. We have always taken that approach that if guys are hurt, we have to go with the guys that can play … the nice thing is P.J., Luka and Maxi have been in the system so they understand what we’re trying to do, so it shouldn’t take them that long.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

With his star players returning from injuries, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins wants his team to play at a faster pace, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Memphis tended to slow games down last season with Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. all missing significant time. “It’s going to be a matter of how we convert, whether it’s stops, rebounds, turnovers, even after made baskets,” Jenkins said. “Our ability to get the ball up the floor quicker — last year, we were trying to get into more of a positionless style of offense. We’re still going to lean into that, but there are things we’ve been tracking and practicing (with) the switch from defense to offense. Pace is a numerical thing, but it’s really a mentality thing.”
Harrison Barnes‘ high basketball IQ makes him a natural fit for the Spurs‘ starting lineup, Iko adds in the same piece. Throughout his career, Barnes has been a play-maker and low-maintenance glue guy who fits well around star players like Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul.
Free agent Markelle Fultz seems like a good option as a backup guard for the Grizzlies, especially if Morant, Bane and Marcus Smart are all going to be starters, Iko tweets. Iko contends that Fultz would be ready to handle minutes right away, while Yuki Kawamura and Scotty Pippen Jr. need time to learn.

Mavericks Notes: Thompson, Irving, Prosper, Doncic

October 11th, 2024 at 2:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The anticipation of his first game with the Mavericks led to a rare bout of nerves for Klay Thompson, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. After sitting out Monday’s preseason opener, Thompson was in his new uniform for the first time Thursday night, hitting three three-pointers and scoring 10 points in 18 minutes against Utah.

“I hadn’t been that nervous since the 2015 [NBA] Finals, Game 1,” Thompson said. “It felt so good to just get out there and play, and work those jitters out, because it was a new experience. It’s a natural feeling when you’ve been somewhere so long. … To finally put the uniform on, it felt amazing.”

The former Golden State star missed his first three attempts, but he discovered his shooting touch in the second quarter after returning to the game following a brief rest. Thompson admitted he needed to “sit down and breathe and realize it was just basketball,” and he felt more comfortable the rest of the way. Thompson added that his back “tightened up” later in the game, but he doesn’t believe it’s anything serious. Coach Jason Kidd expects him to play in the first half of Monday’s road game against the Clippers.

“I think Klay’s a weapon, no matter how fast he gets it or how closely he’s guarded,” Kidd said. “He’s able to get his shot up and he’s done that his whole career. For him tonight, there’s a lot of positives. He had some great looks that we all know he’s capable of making. He never rushes. He never forces anything. He probably turned down some shots that we would encourage for him to take. We trust that he’s making the right decision if he does turn it down to get something better.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Thursday also marked the first preseason action for Kyrie Irving after having offseason surgery on his left hand, notes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link). Irving scored 12 points in 16 minutes, and Kidd said he has already developed a great relationship with Thompson. “The chemistry with those two has been strong in practice,” Kidd said. “Seeing them together in a game setting was great, and it’s only going to get better as we keep working toward the regular season.”
Injuries to P.J. Washington and Maxi Kleber have created an opportunity for 2023 first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who was on the court for 33 minutes Thursday night, Afseth adds. He posted 10 points, 10 rebounds and two steals and put constant pressure on Utah’s ball-handlers. “It feels great to be out there starting with the guys,” Prosper said. “I’ve been working hard on defense, and I want to bring energy every night. I know there’s a lot to learn, but I’m getting more comfortable in the system, and the coaches and my teammates are helping me grow.”
Luka Doncic sat out the first two preseason games with a left calf contusion, and it’s not clear if he’ll play Monday. Kidd told reporters, including Afseth, that it’s good preparation in case Doncic is sidelined for an extended stretch during the regular season.

NBA GMs High On Thunder’s Offseason Moves, Celtics’ Title Chances

October 8th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder made the best roster moves during the 2024 offseason, according to the NBA’s general managers. Within his annual survey of the league’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 37% of his respondents picked Oklahoma City as having the best summer, with the Sixers coming in second place at 33%. The Knicks got 20% of the vote share, while no other club received more than a single vote.

It was one of many favorable outcomes in the survey for the Thunder, who were overwhelmingly selected as the team with the best young core — 60% of GMs selected OKC, compared to 20% for the second-place Magic.

New Thunder guard Alex Caruso was chosen by general managers as the most underrated offseason acquisition, receiving 23% of that vote share, while last year’s Most Valuable Player runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was picked as this year’s MVP favorite (40%), narrowly edging Mavericks star Luka Doncic (30%).

The Thunder also received a handful of votes from the league’s GMs as the team that will win the 2025 NBA Finals, but at 13%, they finished a distant second to the Celtics, who earned a whopping 83% of the vote. Besides those two clubs, only the Mavericks (3%) received a vote to become this season’s champions.

Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

New Sixers forward Paul George got 60% of the vote as the offseason acquisition who will have the biggest impact in 2024/25, followed by new Knicks Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns at 13% apiece. The Towns trade, meanwhile, was named the most surprising offseason move, eking out George leaving Los Angeles for Philadelphia (27% to 23%).
Unsurprisingly, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was the overwhelming choice (77%) for which player the GMs would most want to start a franchise with. Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic each earned three votes in that category, while Doncic got one.
The league’s general managers are high on No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard — the Rockets‘ guard is their pick to win the Rookie of the Year award (50%) ahead of betting favorite Zach Edey of the Grizzlies (30%). Sheppard also comfortably received the largest vote share (43%) when the GMs were asked which rookie will be the best player in five years. Spurs guard Stephon Castle (17%) and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (13%) were the runners-up in that category.
There was no consensus among the GMs on which 2024 draftee was the biggest steal. Wizards guard Carlton Carrington, Kings guard Devin Carter, Pacers wing Johnny Furphy, Lakers forward Dalton Knecht, Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon, and Thunder guard Nikola Topic each received three votes to lead the way.
Among newly hired head coaches, Mike Budenholzer of the Suns is the one GMs feel will have the biggest impact on his new club. Budenholzer received 40% of the vote, beating out Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons (20% apiece). Meanwhile, Spurs guard Chris Paul (30%) and Raptors guard Garrett Temple (20%) are the active players that GMs feel would make the best head coaches down the road.
Asked what they’d change about the NBA, 20% of GMs said the rules related to the tax aprons, trades, and roster construction are too restrictive and/or should be “indexed to (a) team’s market,” per Schuhmann, making it the top response.

International Notes: McGruder, Pokusevski, Abu Dhabi, International Stars, Korkmaz

October 5th, 2024 at 11:39am CST by Tristan Tucker

Former NBA guard Rodney McGruder has signed with Italian club Reyer Venezia, according to a release from the team (hat tip to Sportando).

McGruder appeared in 317 games (132 starts) from 2016-23, registering career averages of 5.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per contest. He played most extensively for the Heat during that time, making 112 of his starts in a Miami uniform. In his first season in the league, McGruder finished in eighth in Rookie of the Year voting after starting in 65 of the Heat’s games. He dealt with an injury the following year but opened the 2018/19 season as a full-time starter for Miami, averaging over 10 PPG and shooting just under 40.0% on three-pointers through the New Year.

However, McGruder fell out of the rotation that year and was eventually cut at the end of the season as it became clear the Heat wouldn’t make the postseason. He was waived in order to make room for back-end roster shuffling moves, including the conversion of Duncan Robinson from a two-way deal to a standard contract.

McGruder then played for the Clippers for one season before spending the subsequent three years of his career with the Pistons. Detroit appreciated him as a veteran leader, but opted not to re-sign him in 2023. He landed on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Warriors last offseason but didn’t ultimately make the team. McGruder then played for Olimpia Milano in Italy last season.

We have more international notes:

Former first-rounder Aleksej Pokusevski returned to Europe this offseason, signing with Partizan Belgrade after spending four seasons in the NBA with the Thunder and Hornets. According to Eurohoops, he’s open to an NBA return in the future but is thankful to be with a club that’s helping him develop further. “I think I’ve already gotten better, and that was one of the main reasons I came here,” Pokusevski said. “Overall, we’ve gotten better as a team, we’ve grown closer, and I think it’s going to be a good season for us.” He averaged 7.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in 168 career games (65 starts).
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Abu Dhabi’s chairman of Department of Culture and Tourism, has been a driving force of the NBA’s high-profile preseason games in United Arab Emirates, Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes. The league is deepening its relationship with the Middle East, which is continuing to be a more viable business partner for the NBA, Windhorst explains in a piece highlighting the growing relationship between the two sides.
Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo have requested to NBA commissioner Adam Silver that the NBA host games in their respective home countries of Slovenia, Serbia and Greece, according to Sportando. “It’s a difficult task because hosting these games requires an incredible amount of resources and, frankly, it doesn’t make financial sense as a one-off event,” Silver said, per Sportando. “It works in places like Mexico City, Paris or here in Abu Dhabi because it is part of a long-term initiative. I really appreciate the enthusiasm of the fans in Serbia, Slovenia and Greece, as well as the efforts of players like Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Doncic to bring NBA games to their countries. But it is not easy to organize. We will continue to explore this possibility, even though the cost of organizing these events increases every year. I want to find a way to honor these great players”
After signing with AS Monaco this offseason, Furkan Korkmaz suffered a leg injury, according to BasketNews. He’s expected to miss multiple weeks as a result of the ailment.

Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Marshall, Thompson, Kleber, Edwards

October 2nd, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The left calf contusion that forced Mavericks star Luka Doncic to miss the second day of training camp is considered to be minor, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. The team will give Doncic a week to rest before reevaluating his condition, which means he’ll miss a “Fan Jam” open practice on Sunday as well as the preseason opener Monday against Memphis. Barring any unexpected complications, he should be back soon after that.

“He got hit in the calf,” coach Jason Kidd said. “Reported it tight yesterday so they went and got an MRI. We’ll reevaluate him in a week and see where he stands.”

Curtis recalls that Doncic suffered a strain in his left calf last October when the Mavs were in Spain. He was limited to five minutes in an exhibition matchup with Real Madrid, his former team, and sat out the last game of the preseason, but was ready for opening night.

Doncic’s teammates don’t seem concerned about having him miss a week or more of training camp.

“I don’t think it’s going to be hard because when he’s on the court, it’s easy to play with him,” P.J. Washington said. “For us, it’s just learning our spacing and learning where we need to be. He’s going to be Luka, so we’re not really worried about him. It’s just us getting in our right spots, making sure we know the plays and defenses and all of that type of stuff.”

Sources tell Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link) that there are no concerns about Doncic’s availability for the October 24 opener.

There’s more from Dallas:

The Mavericks signed Naji Marshall to be a defensive stopper after losing Derrick Jones in free agency, but Marshall may provide an offensive lift as well, Curtis states in a separate story. Klay Thompson was raving about Marshall’s shot-making after the first day of camp. “Naji played incredible,” Thompson said. “The guy was making floaters, pull-ups. I thought he played really well. I was impressed with Naji. He scored a couple of times on me. His jumper was fluid and his mid-range was nice.”
Thompson had to “get the nerves out” in his first day of training camp with a new team after spending 13 years with the Warriors, Curtis adds in another piece. “It feels like transferring schools,” he said, “but it’s a feeling you want to embrace because it’s so rare to get those butterflies as a player. It’s awesome.”
Maxi Kleber and Kessler Edwards were both held out of the start of camp, although Kidd didn’t provide a reason, according to Curtis. Kleber missed much of last season’s playoff run with a right shoulder AC joint separation.

Mavs’ Doncic Sidelined With Calf Contusion

October 2nd, 2024 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

All-NBA guard Luka Doncic has been diagnosed with a left calf contusion, the Mavericks announced today (via Twitter). According to the team, Doncic will be reevaluated in approximately one week.

Doncic has a history of left calf issues, though in the past he has dealt with primarily non-contact injuries (strains), whereas his latest ailment is the result of the calf taking a hit during a weekend workout in Dallas, per NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).

While it doesn’t sound as if the injury a serious one, it’s worth noting that the one-week timeline provided by the Mavericks doesn’t necessarily mean that Doncic will be recovered by that point — just that he’ll be evaluated then.

Still, there’s no reason to believe at this point that the superstar’s availability for the Mavs’ regular season opener on October 24 vs. San Antonio is in jeopardy, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN confirms (via Twitter).

Doncic was an MVP finalist last season after leading the NBA with 33.9 points per game to go along with 9.2 rebounds and a career-high 9.8 assists per contest. He also set new career bests in three-point percentage (38.2%) and three-pointers per game (4.1), then led Dallas to the first NBA Finals appearance of his career.

Mavs Notes: Lively, Gafford, Thompson, Morris, Dinwiddie

October 1st, 2024 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Daniel Gafford was the Mavericks‘ starting center down the stretch and in the playoffs last season, but second-year big man Dereck Lively has a chance to overtake him for that role this fall. As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) writes, head coach Jason Kidd has suggested Gafford and Lively could compete for the job, but said on Monday, “We’ll probably start D-Live with the first group and see how that goes.”

Lively’s teammates are excited to see the strides he makes in year two after his All-Rookie season in 2023/24.

“Just seeing him this offseason, the workouts and pickup games that we’ve played, he’s in really great shape and he’s gonna continue where he left off,” forward/center Maxi Kleber said. “It’s a privilege to play with him.”

While it’s possible Gafford will end up coming off the bench in his first full season in Dallas, both centers figure to play key roles for the Mavericks in 2024/25, so the veteran isn’t worried about whether or not he retains his starting job.

“When it comes to the anticipation of me and D-Live, I just feel like we can be two good old cowboys out here. Doing our thing, just having fun, catching lobs,” Gafford said. “We just come in every day and make each other better. … I get that somebody will have to start at the end of the day, but I don’t think we’re gonna make a big deal out of it.”

Here’s more on the Mavericks:

Star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving expressed excitement on Monday about the arrival of veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Doncic said the spacing that Thompson will help create is “going to be perfect for us,” while Irving added, “I feel like our dreams (of a championship) can be possible because he’s here now.” Informed of his new teammates’ comments, the former Warrior was “visibly appreciative,” Vardon writes. “It means a lot,” Thompson said. “It gives me confidence to keep working hard and be myself. … It really means a lot that they believe those things, because I do too and I am excited to get to work.”
Markieff Morris told reporters on Monday that he was trying to get twin brother Marcus Morris on the Mavericks’ roster this offseason, but it didn’t pan out, tweets Townsend. Marcus is once again a free agent and is looking for a new NBA home after being cut by New York, but if Dallas retains Markieff along with its 14 players on guaranteed contracts, there wouldn’t be room on the regular season roster for anyone else.
After choosing the Lakers over the Mavericks on the buyout market last season, Spencer Dinwiddie is happy to be back in Dallas this fall, writes Sasha Richie of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Dinwiddie played some of the best basketball of his career during a previous stint in Dallas from 2022-23, averaging 17.1 points per game with a .404 3PT%. “Probably the most consistent basketball I’ve played has been in a Mavs jersey. The farthest I’ve gone in the playoffs — the Western Conference Finals — was in a Mavs jersey,” Dinwiddie said. “These guys are my friends. I’m still familiar with over half the team.”