Cuban Regrets Not Opening Bidding Process During Mavs’ Sale
Former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban doesn’t regret his decision to sell a large portion of his stake in the team but wishes he’d have opened up the process, he stated during an interview on the DLLS podcast (hat tips to Jasmyn Wimbish of CBSSports.com and Tim Cato of AllDllls.com).
“I don’t regret selling the team, I regret how I did it,” Cuban said. “Would I still sell the team? Yes, for all the same reasons I’ve said 100 times. Would I do it the same way? Absolutely not. I would have put it out to bid, but I didn’t so it doesn’t matter.”
Mavericks are now primarily owned by Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont, her son-in-law and the team’s governor.
Dumont’s role as team governor wasn’t in Cuban’s plans. Cuban kept a 27% stake in the Mavericks intentionally, since a part owner needs at least a 15% stake to remain governor of the team. When the sale was made official, there was nothing to indicate Cuban would continue his role in running the team’s basketball operations. He blames the league for losing his governor title.
“I did have it in writing,” Cuban said. “… Like I said before, there was a clause in there that gave me the right to be in every meeting, every trade discussion, everything, and the NBA took that out.”
Commission Adam Silver denied earlier this year that it was a league decision.
“Any decision as to what Mark’s role would be in basketball operations was a function of an arrangement to be made between Mark Cuban and Patrick,” Silver said in March.
But Cuban reiterated during the podcast that the league was to blame.
“Who the hell do you think took it out?” Cuban said. “I’ve got a letter from my lawyer saying the NBA made us remove it.”
However, Cuban says he has a good relationship with Dumont.
“I still talk to (him) a fair amount,” Cuban said. “He does care. And he cares when we lose. He’s spending time to learn. He’s learn a ton in time. Now I can talk to him about analytics. I can talk to him about our roster.”
However, Cuban says he doesn’t stay in contact with general manager Nico Harrison, who made the controversial trade that sent fan favorite and franchise player Luka Doncic to the Lakers. Cuban made it known publicly shortly after the trade occurred that he had no say in the matter and was against the idea of dealing Doncic.
“We all were hurt when Luka got traded — me as much as anyone, because I felt like I let people down by not being there,” Cuban said. “But what’s done is done. And we got Cooper (Flagg) — the basketball gods were looking down on us and he’s the real deal.”
The entire interview with Cuban can be accessed here.
Community Shootaround: Russell Westbrook
Recent reports indicate that the Kings are the only team with genuine interest in signing free agent guard Russell Westbrook.
However, that comes with a major stipulation — they first have to clear some salary and some playing time to make that happen. Sacramento already signed a veteran point guard in Dennis Schröder, so the only way Westbrook could get a meaningful role is if Sacramento deals either Malik Monk or 2024 No. 13 overall pick Devin Carter.
Both of those guards have been the subject of trade rumors this summer. That’s in part due to the Kings’ interest in trading for Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. One recent report declared that the Kings are still interested in finding a new home for Monk. A subsequent report stated that Sacramento isn’t actively engaged in any discussions about a Monk deal.
Westbrook will be 37 in November but it’s still somewhat surprising that his market is so limited. He appeared in 75 regular season games with the Nuggets last season, including 36 starts, averaging 13.3 points. 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists. He also appeared in 13 postseason games but struggled to make an impact.
He could have guaranteed himself $3.47MM by exercising his player option but chose to test the market instead. There have been no indications in recent weeks that Denver is showing interest in a reunion, and the same goes for his previous two teams, the Lakers and the Clippers.
That brings us to today’s topic: Do you think the Kings will eventually sign free agent guard Russell Westbrook? If not, do you think he’ll find another landing spot and if so, what will be his likely destination?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Lakers Sign Center Kylor Kelley
The Lakers have signed center Kylor Kelley, according to a team press release.
Terms were not disclosed, but it’s a training camp deal, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). The Lakers now have a full 21-man roster for training camp.
Kelley appeared in 11 NBA games (two starts) last season with the Pelicans and Mavericks, averaging 3.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per night. In his first career NBA start with the Mavericks on Feb. 2 at Cleveland, Kelley recorded a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Kelley was also in the Lakers organization last season, though he didn’t appear in an NBA game with them. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract prior to training camp with L.A. and was waived before opening night. He then joined their G League affiliate.
With the South Bay Lakers last season, the 27-year-old appeared in 32 games (27 starts) and averaged 11.5 points on a career-high 68.2 percent shooting from the field, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.4 blocks in 26.7 minutes.
He signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks in January but was waived in early March. He received a pair of 10-day deals with New Orleans in April via the hardship exception.
In addition to his NBA and G League experience, Kelley has competed internationally in Canada (2022), Denmark (2023) and England (2021-22).
And-Ones: ESPN Panel, Top SGs, Lundberg, Hayes-Davis
The Spurs and Hawks are considered the co-favorites to make the biggest leap in the NBA during the upcoming season, according to a panel of ESPN Insiders.
The panel made its predictions on a wide variety of topics, including the team most likely to make a big move before the trade deadline (the Warriors received the most votes) and the next superstar to request a trade (Zion Williamson was the top vote-getter).
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
- Anthony Edwards tops the list of shooting guards ranked by The Athletic’s Zach Harper. Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell fill out tier one — players who are potential MVP candidates — in “The Bounce’s Top 40 Shooting Guards.” Desmond Bane, Klay Thompson, Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine comprised the second tier as players “who can take over” a game.
- Gabriel ‘Iffe’ Lundberg won’t return to Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade, according to Sportando. The Danish guard, according to a TeleSport report, has drawn interest from both Zenit St. Petersburg and Olympiacos. Lundberg had a brief stay in the NBA, playing four games with Phoenix during the 2021/22 season.
- Tel Aviv’s owner Ofer Yannay had a verbal agreement this offseason with Nigel Hayes-Davis in the event that the free agent forward couldn’t find an NBA contract. Hayes-Davis, who played in Turkey last season, wound up signing a one-year deal with the Suns. “We were sure we were bringing Nigel Hayes-Davis. We were sure it was happening. He had an option to go to the NBA, and he basically said, ‘I’ll try to get a contract in the NBA, and if I don’t, I’ll come to you,’” Yannay said, per Eurohoops.net.
Southeast Notes: Spoelstra, Jovic, Labissiere, Coulibaly, Holmes
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra visited Europe last week to watch some of his players in exhibition games prior to the EuroBasket tournament.
That didn’t go unnoticed by forward Nikola Jovic, as Spoelstra went to Belgrade to watch Jovic play for the Serbian national team in an exhibition against Slovenia.
“I was definitely motivated [by Spoelstra watching], he’s one of the best coaches in the world, if not the best,” Jovic said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “He went the extra mile to come see me, I definitely wanted to show that I’ve improved and that I’ll be even better next season.”
Spoelstra believes Jovic will benefit from the experience.
“I love it when he spends time with the national team. Every time he comes back to us, he comes back more mature,” he said in a TV interview. “I think being around a group that knows how to win, that really cares about winning, the team is so connected also. So I think it makes a big impression on him. We’re looking forward to some great things ahead for him with us.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Skal Labissiere‘s NBA G League rights were acquired by the Capital City G0-Go from the Stockton Kings in a four-team swap, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets. That clears the way for Labissiere to join the Wizards‘ affiliate if he’s waived during training camp. Washington agreed to sign the veteran big man to a training camp deal earlier this month. Labissiere, 29, has appeared in 152 NBA games after getting drafted late in the first round in 2016. He was out of the league for four seasons until he appeared in four games with the Kings last season.
- Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly says he’ll miss big man Richaun Holmes, who signed a two-year contract with Panathinaikos, the 2024 EuroLeague champions. The unrestricted free agent played 48 games with the Wizards over the past two seasons. “I love him, I love Rich. He’s probably the hardest player I’ve played with,” Coulibaly told Giorgos Kyriakidis of Basketnews.com. “I’d love to be with him on the court. I think he’s going to fit well with this team. So, good luck to him.”
- In case you missed it, the Magic signed Colin Castleton to a training camp contract. Get the details here.
Community Shootaround: Malik Beasley’s Future
Malik Beasley could be considered the top unrestricted free agent on the market now that he is no longer a target of a federal gambling investigation.
Beasley played a major role in Detroit’s return to relevance last season. He was the runner-up in the Sixth Man of the Year voting after knocking down 319 three-pointers during the regular season, second only to Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards (320).
The investigation – and Beasley’s financial issues – came to light at the worst possible time. He was reportedly poised to sign a three-year, $42MM contract with the Pistons but that offered was pulled during the federal probe.
Detroit pivoted from Beasley and acquired Caris LeVert via free agency and Duncan Robinson in a sign-and-trade to serve as the wings on its second unit. The Pistons still hold Beasley’s Non-Bird rights but can only offer him a starting salary of $7.2MM. On paper, the Pistons don’t really have a pressing need to bring back Beasley.
If Detroit doesn’t re-sign him, Beasley will almost certainly have to take less in the marketplace, considering the salary cap challenges that a majority of teams are facing. Beasley might even have to settle for a veteran’s minimum deal and hope for better luck next summer.
The Knicks are one of the teams believed to have interest in Beasley but they could only give him a minimum deal. The Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Warriors and Sixers are some of the other teams with roster openings that might be looking to add another shooter, but all four clubs project to be taxpayers and have limited cap flexibility.
That brings us to today’s topic: Now that Malik Beasley is no longer a target in a federal gambling investigation, where will the unrestricted free agent wind up? Will he re-sign with Detroit or head elsewhere? Which contender would benefit the most from signing Beasley, one of the league’s premier three-point shooters?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Damion Lee Signing With Israeli Team
Free agent Damion Lee is signing with Israel’s Ironi Ness Ziona, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. The team announced the deal in a social media post (Instagram link).
Lee has been in the NBA since 2017. He made 25 appearances with the Suns last season after seeing action in 74 games for Phoenix two seasons earlier. Lee also had a four-season stint with Golden State from 2018-22.
Lee missed all of the 2023/24 campaign due to a knee injury. He re-signed with the Suns on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract last July, but had a very limited role in his return, playing double-digit minutes in just three games last season.
Overall, he has appeared in 315 regular season NBA contests, averaging 7.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 19.6 minutes per contest.
Shawn Kemp Avoids Jail Time In Shooting Incident
Former SuperSonics forward and six-time NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp was sentenced to 30 days of electronic home monitoring for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot in 2023. He must also serve one year of state Department of Corrections supervision and complete 240 hours of community service, according to The Associated Press.
Kemp entered a guilty plea to a second-degree assault charge in May. At the time, prosecutors recommended a nine-month jail sentence, a year of supervision and pay restitution. However, Judge Michael Schwartz of Pierce County Superior Court found the circumstances surrounding the case warranted a lesser sentence, allowing Kemp to avoid jail time.
Kemp claimed he acted in self-defense and returned fire after one of the men shot at him from inside their Toyota 4Runner vehicle. The defense also claimed that the two men Kemp shot at provoked the shooting by stealing Kemp’s truck, his cellphone and memorabilia in Seattle.
The Toyota 4Runner the men were inside and another vehicle were damaged in the March 2023 shooting, but the men were not hurt.
Kemp’s attorney, W. Scott Boatman, issued a statement from his client to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears (Twitter link) that expressed gratitude regarding the sentence.
“Shawn is extremely grateful that the Court exercised its discretion to not impose any jail time and further based that decision on the fact that Shawn’s actions occurred as a result of a failed attempt of self defense. Shawn is genuinely regretful of certain decisions he made that day and is committed to working with kids to help them understand the potential consequences of not thinking twice or acting impulsively.”
Kemp played in the NBA from 1989-2003.
EuroBasket Notes: Doncic, Player Rankings, Valanciunas, Smailagic
Any concerns about Luka Doncic‘s health were eased on Tuesday when the Lakers superstar guard scored 28 points and dished out 10 assists for Slovenia in a 93-81 exhibition win over Great Britain, Eurohoops.net relays.
Doncic had an injury scare on Saturday when a Slovenian teammate fell on his right leg during an exhibition game against Latvia. It was later diagnosed as a right knee contusion.
Here’s more on the upcoming EuroBasket tournament:
- Doncic ranks third among the NBA players participating in the tournament, according to Neil Paine of ESPN. Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) rank first and second, with Franz Wagner (Germany) and Alperen Sengun (Turkey) rounding out the top five.
- Jonas Valanciunas is the lone NBA player on the Lithuanian squad but he feels his national team can make some noise, according to Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops.net. “I think every team is capable. We have some big names coming. Serbia, Turkey, Germany, we have Slovenia with Luka and, Greece with Giannis,” he said. “… We have a lot of a lot of a lot of big names, but that feel like every team is capable and every team can make some shake.”
- Former Warriors forward Alen Smailagic won’t play for Serbia in the tourney, according to Sportando. Injuries prevented him from participating in prep games. Euro star Dzanan Musa will also miss the event for Bosnia and Herzegovina due to health issues, Basketnews.com relays.
Former Heat Employee Pleads Guilty In Stolen Memorabilia Case
A former Heat employee accused of stealing millions of dollars in team merchandise pleaded guilty on Tuesday to transporting and transferring stolen memorabilia across state lines, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced, according to David Lyons of The Sun Sentinel.
Marcos Tomas Perez, 62, “stole hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other valuable memorabilia belonging to the Miami Heat and sold them to online brokers,” the government said in a statement.
Perez entered the guilty plea to a single count of a criminal information before a district judge in Miami. He was arrested on Aug. 5 after investigators searched his home.
The judge scheduled a sentencing hearing for Oct. 31, according to court records. Perez faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250K fine but a pre-sentencing investigation by the court’s probation office will produce a recommendation under sentencing guidelines for the judge, Lyons adds.
According to a plea agreement, Perez has cooperated with the government, which could lead to a sentence reduction.
Among the items Perez alleged stole was LeBron James’ jersey from Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, which he sold for approximately $100K. The jersey was later sold in 2023 at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.68MM.
The federal investigation was launched in early 2024 after game-worn jerseys from James, Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade — among many other items — went missing from the Heat’s arena, the Kaseya Center.
Perez worked the City of Miami Police Department in November 1992 until he retired in April 2016. He was employed by the Heat as a security officer from 2016-21, then worked for the NBA as a security employee from 2022 until this year.
“During his tenure, Perez worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center, where he was among a limited number of trusted individuals with access to a secured equipment room,” the DOJ’s press release from earlier this month read. “This equipment room stored hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia that the organization intended to display in a future Miami Heat museum.
“During his employment, Perez accessed the equipment room multiple times to steal over 400 game-worn jerseys and other items, which he then sold to various online marketplaces. Over a three-year period, Perez sold over 100 stolen items for approximately $2 million and shipped them across state lines, often for prices well below their market value.”
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s home in April and seized almost 300 items that the Heat confirmed had been stolen from their arena.