Salah Mejri Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavericks Rumors: Cuban, Ex-Jazz, Iguodala

November 22nd, 2015 at 1:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban expects the soaring salary cap to bring significant changes to the league next season, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. In a wide-ranging interview, Cuban touched on the planning implications that come with an increased cap. “It’s going to change a lot,” Cuban said. “More from a strategy perspective, it makes the value of draft choices go through the roof because they’re pegged at a certain price. Minimum contracts will go through the roof. Anybody that signs for the mid-level, the value goes through the roof.” He added that it will be more difficult for teams to assemble multiple stars when they’re each making more than $30MM per season.

Cuban also addressed this week’s firing of Rockets coach Kevin McHale, who guided the team to the Western Conference Finals last season, but stumbled to a 4-7 start. “So I’ve said it before, the hardest thing for an NBA owner to do is hire a coach,” Cuban said. “The easiest thing to do is fire a coach. The reason it’s hard to hire a coach, coaches are great at date-face, they know exactly what your weaknesses are and they know exactly how to sell to those weaknesses, so it’s really difficult to pick it right and it’s 90% luck.”

There’s more news out of Dallas:

After adding Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews and Jeremy Evans over the summer, the Mavericks are taking on the look of the old Jazz teams, writes Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. Devin Harris is the fourth former Utah player on the roster, which Evans said helped to ease the transition when he signed with Dallas. “We always have something we can talk about — when we were in Utah, the times that we were together, the teammates there and what happened that year,” Evans said. “We know those guys and have fun here.”
Cuban insists the team was “20 minutes away” from acquiring Andre Iguodala from the Sixers in 2012, tweets Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Instead, Philadelphia traded Iguodala to the Nuggets.
The Mavericks have recalled Justin Anderson and Salah Mejri from the D-League, the team announced today. Anderson, a 6’6″ guard, is averaging 3.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10 games with Dallas, while Mejri, a 7’2″ center, hasn’t scored and has five rebounds in four games.

Western Notes: Rondo, D-League, Bledsoe

November 21st, 2015 at 11:31am CST by Eddie Scarito

The one-year, $9.5MM deal that the Kings inked Rajon Rondo to this past offseason looks like a bargain based on the point guard’s early season play, James Ham of CSNBayArea.com writes. Rondo gives much of the credit for his hot start to embattled coach George Karl, Ham notes. “Coach, it has to do with coach, it has to do with team, it has to do with freedom,” Rondo said. “They all play a role. I worked my butt off this summer and I’m continuing to get better.” Despite leading the NBA in triple-doubles, Rondo believes he can get better , the CSN scribe relays. “Now, I still have room to improve,” Rondo said. “I want to improve my shooting, my free-throw shooting, keeping my turnovers down. I still have a lot of room to grow. Like I said, it starts with your coach. If your coach doesn’t believe in you, then as you see, it can happen to anybody.”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Mavericks assigned swingman Justin Anderson and center Salah Mejri to the Texas Legends, their D-League affiliate, the team announced via a press release. These are the first D-League assignments of the season for Dallas.
The Suns‘ backcourt tandem of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight is beginning to show promise, with Bledsoe playing some of the best basketball of his career, something the front office credits to his offseason work ethic, writes Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic. “None of us were happy with the way last season ended, losing 10 of 11 games,” GM Ryan McDonough said. “But Eric was in the gym five days a week, showing up at eight in the morning during the dog days of summer. He told us, ‘Just let me know what you need me to work on.’ It’s something Eric really took seriously.”
Bledsoe’s maturation as a player has silenced a number of his critics, and McDonough believes the young point guard’s struggles of a season ago were directly related to the unsettled roster and personnel changes, Bickley notes in the same piece. “It’s important to remember last year was his first full season as a starter,” McDonough said. “I think he was just trying to figure it out. There was also a lot of turmoil with our team internally. Some players didn’t accept their roles as well as they should’ve and were shipped out at the trade deadline. So we put a lot on Eric’s shoulders. And I thought he handled it well. Eric kept his mouth shut and played hard, giving great effort defensively.“

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.

Southwest Rumors: Duncan, Mavs, Grizzlies

October 19th, 2015 at 10:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tim Duncan is trying to sort out where he fits into the Spurs’ pecking order with the emergence of small forward Kawhi Leonard and the addition of power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. With high-scoring Aldridge at power forward, Duncan is likely to spend more time in the high post and use his passing skills, Wright continues. “My role has changed a little bit this year,” Duncan told Wright. “I’m trying to figure that part of it out. But it’s fun to be out there. It’s fun to be with the guys that I’ve been with for so many years and some new guys that I’m learning.” Even before Aldridge joined the Spurs, Duncan’s role in the offense was reduced, Wright notes. His usage rate of 22.2% last season was the lowest of his career but his true shooting percentage of .560 tied his best since 2006/07, Wright adds.

In other news around the Southwest Division:

International veteran Salah Mejri has fought his way into the mix for a rotation spot with the Mavericks, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports. The 7’2” Mejri gives the Mavs length at center and has displayed shot-blocking and rebounding skills during the preseason, Sefko continues. However, he needs to work on his strength, Sefko adds. Mejri received a guaranteed rookie minimum of $525,093 from Dallas.
Power forward Jarnell Stokes seems to have fallen out of favor with the Grizzlies and that could help journeyman center Ryan Hollins gain a roster spot, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. Stokes only played six minutes in the team’s preseason game on Sunday, while coach Dave Joerger has made a point of praising Hollins, Herrington continues. With Marc Gasol as the only other true center on the roster, Hollins might fill a bigger need, Herrington adds. Stokes has a guaranteed contract worth $845,059 this season, while Hollins’ $947,276 deal is not guaranteed.
Rookie center Joshua Smith is getting extensive court time as he battles for the Rockets‘ final roster spot, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Injuries to big men Dwight Howard, Terrence Jones and Clint Capela have allowed Smith, who has a non-guaranteed deal worth $525,093, to make an impression on the coaching staff. “You look at a guy in my position – just trying to make the team – any chance you get to start, you have to take advantage,” Smith told Feigen. “I’m humbled they’re giving me a lot of opportunities. I just have to keep trying to make the best out of them.”

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.

Western Notes: McDaniels, Barton, Babbitt

August 2nd, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Here’s a look at the latest contract news from the Western Conference:

The three-year contract that K.J. McDaniels signed with the Rockets is worth exactly $10MM, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders shows (Twitter link).
Will Barton will make $3,533,333 in each season with no options in his new three-year deal with the Nuggets, according to Pincus.
Luke Babbitt‘s two year deal with the Pelicans is for the minimum salary, reports Pincus (Twitter link).
Salah Mejri is receiving a guaranteed rookie minimum of $525,093 this season, the first on his three-year deal with the Mavs, tweets Pincus.

Will Joseph contributed to this post.

Mavs Sign Salah Mejri

July 30th, 2015 at 4:14pm CST by Zachary Links

4:14pm: It’s a partially guaranteed three-year deal, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, so the Mavs are using cap space.

3:51pm: The Mavericks announced that they have signed center Salah Mejri. Terms of the deal were not disclosed in the press release, though Marc Stein of ESPN.com recently reported that the Mavs made a three-year offer to the big man.

Mejri played in 34 games with Real Madrid last season and averaged 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in 8.6 minutes on the way to helping his team win the Spanish League title. In championship play, he increased those averages to 5.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 10.3 minutes across eight games. While Mejri didn’t play much last year, Dallas is intrigued by his energy, mobility, and length, as David Pick of Eurobasket.com noted recently (Twitter link).

A native of Tunisia, Mejri was a member of the Tunisian National Team that competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The team secured its bid to the London Olympics by winning the 2011 FIBA African Championships where Mejri was named MVP.

Sportando’s Orazio Cauchi first reported the interest from Dallas. The Cavs were reportedly interested earlier this year.

Western Notes: Mejri, Asik, Jordan, Suns

July 25th, 2015 at 9:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks have made a three-year offer to Tunisian center Salah Mejri, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The 7’1″ Mejri didn’t see much playing time last season with Real Madrid, but Dallas wants to find out if he can succeed at the NBA level. Mejri has the physical tools, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com, who cites his energy, mobility and “giraffe length” (Twitter link). Mejri was recently released by Real Madrid and is reportedly leaning toward trying the NBA.

There’s more news from the Western Conference:

Back spasms will prevent the Pelicans‘ Omer Asik from competing for the Turkish team in Eurobasket 2015, according to John Reid of The Times Picayune. Even though he has to miss the September competition, there are no worries that the back problem will affect Asik when the Pelicans open camp. The center recently signed a five-year, $58MM deal to remain in New Orleans, although only the first four seasons are guaranteed at nearly $45MM.
The Clippers‘ DeAndre Jordan knows it will take time for the controversy surrounding his free agency change of heart to die down, writes Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. Jordan, who committed to the Mavericks before staying in Los Angeles, understands the hard feelings in Dallas. “It’s absolutely not behind me,” he said. “I think over time, it will be. Just, there are people making this out like I committed some huge crime, like I’m an enemy of the state.” Jordan said he chose the Clippers because he wants to be associated with just one team during his NBA career.
The Suns‘ offseason moves could make them a dark horse playoff contender in the West, according to Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders. The addition of Tyson Chandler gives the team a rim protector and a veteran leader, Taylor writes. Also, the trade that sent Marcus Morris, Reggie Bullock and Danny Granger to the Pistons cleared more than $8MM in cap room and created more playing time for T.J. Warren and Archie Goodwin, who both were impressive in summer league play.

Mavs Eye Salah Mejri

July 22nd, 2015 at 1:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavericks are interested in Tunisian free agent center Salah Mejri, sources tell Sportando’s Orazio Cauchi. Sources told Sportando colleague Emiliano Carchia earlier today that Mejri has an offer from an NBA team, and Cauchi hears the 7’1″ 29-year-old is leaning toward playing in the NBA. The Cavs were reportedly interested as of this past spring, though it’s unclear if they remain so.

Real Madrid of Spain informed Mejri of his release a few days ago, as David Pick of Eurobasket.com reported. The Arn Tellem client didn’t see much playing time for the Spanish club this past season, having averaged only 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game, fewer minutes than he saw for Real Madrid in 2013/14.

Multiple reports from last week indicated that the Mavs have held interest in free agents Ryan Hollins, Elton Brand, JaVale McGee, Samuel Dalembert, Kevin Seraphin and Tyrus Thomas as they seek to complement trade acquisition Zaza Pachulia and fill the void left when DeAndre Jordan broke his deal to sign with the team. Thus, Mejri appears to be one of many options for Dallas, which has cap space still to burn.

Eastern Notes: Mejri, Dudley, Jackson, Ennis

July 22nd, 2015 at 11:47am CST by Chuck Myron

Tunisian center Salah Mejri, in whom the Cavaliers were reportedly interested this spring, has an offer from an NBA team, sources tell Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia (Twitter link). Real Madrid, his Spanish club, informed Mejri a few days ago that he would be released, as David Pick of Eurobasket.com reported (Twitter link). Mejri went undrafted in 2008, so no NBA team holds his rights, unlike center Sasha Kaun, Cleveland’s own draft-and-stash prospect who’s reportedly been in talks recently with GM David Griffin. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Jared Dudley will miss approximately three or four months after undergoing surgery Tuesday to fix a herniated disk in his lower back, the Wizards announced. The team was aware that he was playing in pain last season before acquiring him via trade from the Bucks this month, according to Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. The timetable means he stands to miss nearly a month of the regular season, though it also indicates he could return before opening night.
Top free agents don’t often choose to go to Detroit, so the Pistons had little choice than to pay top dollar to retain restricted free agent Reggie Jackson, argues Terry Foster of The Detroit News. Jackson’s five-year, $80MM deal is receiving widespread criticism, but coach/executive Stan Van Gundy thinks the conventional wisdom will change, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press relays. “We’re excited about that and I think that also … that as we get two years down the road and look at what’s going on in this league and where the numbers are gonna go and the way we know that Reggie’s gonna play, we know this is going to be a bargain in this league,” Van Gundy said.
James Ennis struggled mightily in summer league, and the Heat would be on the hook for at least 50% of his salary this season if he remains on the roster through August 1st. However, the team has given him positive feedback and is paying for him to take part in a skill development camp in California, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Jackson suggests that’s a sign that the Heat will retain Ennis through the looming guarantee date. The Herald scribe speculates that Henry Walker, who’d earn a $100K partial guarantee if he sticks through that same August 1st date, is at greater risk to be let go, since the Heat held him out of summer league.