JULY 9: McGee’s contract is official, the Mavericks confirmed (via Twitter).
JUNE 30: The Mavericks have been adding some size this offseason. After trading for big man Christian Wood earlier this month, Dallas is set to sign journeyman veteran center JaVale McGee to a three-year contract, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets that the deal is a three-year, $20.1MM agreement, and the final season is a player option.
That figure suggests the Mavs are using their full taxpayer mid-level exception on McGee, but Marc Stein tweets that the team intends to preserve some of that MLE to sign second-round pick Jaden Hardy to a three-year contract. If that’s the case, McGee’s three-year deal will be worth about $17.2MM, tweets Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype.
McGee expects to start at the five for Dallas, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). MacMahon adds that this signing will reunite McGee with former Lakers comrades Jason Kidd, now the Mavericks’ head coach, and Dallas assistant coach Jared Dudley. Kidd served as an assistant coach under Frank Vogel and Dudley was a reserve on a title-winning 2020 Los Angeles team along with McGee.
The seven-footer, a three-time NBA champion, raved about his on-court fit with Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic. “I saw some opportunities out there where I was like, ‘Oh yeah, if they had a rolling big, they could dominate in a different aspect,'” McGee said.
After being selected with the No. 18 pick by the Wizards out of Nevada in 2008, the seven-footer flashed plenty of promise with Washington as a hyper-athletic, rim-rolling center, but was ultimately dealt to the Nuggets in 2012. He was re-signed to a pricey extension in Denver, only to be dealt again, this time to the Sixers, in 2015.
McGee then enjoyed an initial one-year stint with Dallas during the 2015/16 season. He only really blossomed as one of the best low-usage centers in the league after signing with the Warriors in 2017, winning two titles with a star-studded Golden State franchise. McGee then joined the Lakers in 2018, eventually winning his third championship in 2020. The Lakers sent him to the Cavaliers during the following offseason, before he was dealt to the Nuggets and once again became a valuable reserve on a playoff contender. He spent last-season with yet another starry postseason club, the 64-win Suns, on a one-year, $5MM deal.
In 74 games with Phoenix, McGee averaged 9.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 1.1 BPG across just 15.8 MPG. The 34-year-old connected on an excellent 62.9% of his 6.2 field goals per night.
Three years is too long but I guess they had to offer it
Great signing for the Mavs. Starter or off the bench McGee is a impact big man who can make a difference at both ends in small minutes.
You know what though, I’m not sure. I think the Suns brought out the best in him. He was really just a guy for so long and then performed well in spot Duty for the Warriors.., but it was really with the Suns that he took off.
Can he duplicate that on a new team? I guess the Mavericks think so.
Even before the Suns tho he was atleast a solid small minutes contributor with the GSW and Lakers.
He’s an upgrade over Dwight Powell and my guess preforms a similar role
off the bench only. He can’t play heavy minutes at the 5 anymore
McGee got some good money! Hard work paid off after taking some pay cuts. Congrats and good luck!
Wherever Javale goes wins seem to follow. I like Dallas’ chances next season with a balanced roster and arguably the best player in the west.
Frustrated with the Mavs’ offseason. The McGee signing is an overreaction to the Warriors outrebounding them in the playoffs. They ignore the fact that the Warriors outrebound most teams because of their ball movement and penetration putting defenders out of position and long 3’s with long rebounds. I thought this was the motivation for trading for Christian Wood (better rebounding, more versatile scorer). So instead of the Mavs using their MLE to address a 3&D SF/PF where they are thin … they overpaid an aging McGee on a team that already has three centers — two stretch centers in Wood and Kleber — and one traditional screen and roll center in Powell. So now they are left with Powell as an $11MM 4th center and will surely sacrifice even more draft capital (that they had little of) to spare Cuban some money on the luxury tax. Wouldn’t be surprised if they shipped out Kleber too.
Could always trade Powell maybe to Indians or Chicago
Indiana makes the most sense because Carlisle loves him. Powell is a blue collar scrappy energy guy on the court. My fear is now that Dallas will have to attach draft assets to get Indiana to take him, so it will save Cuban on his luxury tax bill.
Chicago is over the cap, and doesn’t have practical matching salaries to make a trade work.
Thin at 3 and D SF/PF?
Bullock and Finney-Smith?
Kleber 3 and D but more of a PF/C
He’s an upgrade rover Dwight Powell, super efficient in small minutes and a good rebounder
When the Mavs go 5 out, it’s been Brunson (now Dinwiddie/Hardaway), Doncic, Bullock, Dodo and Kleber (now Wood takes precedence over him). Off the bench, it’s Josh Green who has not yet measured up and Bertans, who is a catch and shoot guy and a defensive liability. A guy in the mold of a Nic Batum, PJ Tucker, Taurean Prince — though all were priced out of the Mavs range — would have been a much better fit than McGee.
I do agree that McGee is an upgrade over Powell … but now Powell becomes an overpaid liability that the Mavs have to attach draft capital to move. The money allocation is my issue, not with McGee as a player. I think if you’re looking for a traditional big man who is either a bruiser or defender/rebounder, there are plenty of those guys available that the Mavs could have even had at the veteran’s minimum: Biyombo, Harrell, Whiteside, Howard, Deing, etc. And then use that MLE to try and fetch say a SF/PF … Otto Porter (wishful thinking), Bruce Brown, Kessler Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, TJ Warren … or added defensive depth at the guard spot like Payton Jr.
This is a good move for them. JaVale is a solid rim protector, rebounder, center. Can’t just getting passes from Luka.
He can start or be a good bench big. Good move for Dallas. This is why you don’t spend 25 million plus a year on a center unless they’re Jokic, Towns or Embiid. You can get guys who are serviceable enough for todays small ball league for 10 a year
From a one-man Shaqtin reel to a journeyman with a decent career … that’s what getting a ring can do for you.
Congrats McGhee !!
Thought they’d make a push for Bamba and his upside instead of McGee.
They could of done better. Like getting Drummond