Southwest Notes: Mavs, Campazzo, Spurs, Rockets, Pelicans

Argentinian point guard Facundo Campazzo has arrived in Dallas, league sources tell veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link). As previous reports indicated and as Stein confirms, Campazzo is on track to sign a one-year contract with the Mavericks after he completes a physical with the team.

The signing will likely become official on Monday or Tuesday, ahead of Dallas’ regular season opener in Phoenix on Wednesday, Stein adds. Because the Mavericks are currently only carrying 14 players on standard contracts, no corresponding roster move will be necessary to sign Campazzo as the team’s 15th man.

Here are a few more notes from around the Southwest:

• While San Antonio’s current players say they’re not thinking about next year’s draft and will be focused on winning games this season, the Spurs figure to be a key player in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, with head coach Gregg Popovich acknowledging that the team won’t be a contender this season, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “To be a championship program, you have to have a couple superstars on your team,” Popovich said. “That doesn’t exist (here) right now. … It’s just a fact, and to avoid that fact seems kind of senseless to me.”
• With Dejounte Murray no longer in San Antonio, the Spurs may be the “Keldon Johnson show” this season, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes, noting that the team’s options on offense will be limited — especially if veterans Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson are traded before the deadline. Hollinger forecasts a 24-58 finish for the rebuilding Spurs, who currently have five teenagers on their roster.
• Like San Antonio, Houston doesn’t have championship aspiration this season, but the Rockets want to make things hard on their opponents as they focus on player development and growth, says Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “There’s a lot of teams around this league that think we’re still in rebuild and we’re still trying to figure things out,” Jae’Sean Tate said. “Our whole mindset is … trying to punch guys in the mouth, try to be the aggressors and I think you … are going to see that this year.”
• Zion Williamson will likely have plenty of different frontcourt partners this season, with Jonas Valanciunas, Larry Nance Jr., Jaxson Hayes, and Willy Hernangomez among the bigs he could play alongside. Will Guillory of The Athletic takes a closer look at how the pieces might fit together for the Pelicans.