Michael Finley's playing career seemed to be over this summer when, having not played in the NBA since the 2009/10 season, the longtime Maverick accepted a job in the Dallas front office. However, Finley will put his career as an NBA executive on hold as he attempts to make a comeback on the court, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
According to Stein, Finley participated in NBA pickup games all summer and continues to work out frequently, attempting to earn one more contract as an NBA player before transitioning into a front office job. Stein adds that the Mavs were set to invite Finley to training camp on a non-guaranteed contract before the 39-year-old suffered a calf injury. Finley is healthy now, and agent Henry Thomas is looking to secure him a deal with an NBA team as a bench shooter and a mentor to young players.
Finley poured in more than 17,000 points in his NBA career, averaging 15.7 PPG in 1103 career contests. However, his production and playing time fell off significantly during his final season with the Spurs and Celtics. In 46 games in 2009/10, Finley recorded 4.4 PPG and a 9.0 PER, both career-lows.