Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavericks Notes: Jones, Prosper, Broghamer, Handy, Russell

July 3rd, 2025 at 10:50am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks have shown interest in re-signing big man Kai Jones, according to Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com, but they’ll have to perform some roster gymnastics to make that happen.

The Mavericks will have 16 players on standard contracts once they re-sign Dante Exum, who was a higher priority for Dallas’ front office than Jones. The former Hornets center appeared in a dozen games with Dallas after the Clippers waived him at the beginning of March.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper is considered to have the most tradable contract among the Mavericks’ expendable margin players, Afseth adds. He’s earning about $3MM in 2025/26 and isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond the coming season.

We have more on the Mavericks:

Josh Broghamer will coach the Mavs’ Summer League team, a roster that includes top pick Cooper Flagg, Afseth reports. Jared Dudley has coached the Summer League team in recent years, but appears on the verge of finding work elsewhere.
Updating his own report that Phil Handy is a candidate for the Mavericks’ coaching staff, Marc Stein tweets that the Knicks also have interest in Handy for Mike Brown‘s new staff in New York. Handy worked for Brown with the Lakers and Cavaliers.
After Stein mentioned Mike Penberthy as a potential target for the Mavericks’ staff on Wednesday, Afseth classifies the Mavs’ interest in the veteran assistant as “serious,” labeling him a strong candidate to join Jason Kidd‘s staff. Penberthy, who was an assistant alongside Kidd with the Lakers during their championship season, is known as a shooting coach and has earned praise from Mavericks star Anthony Davis for helping him improve as a shooter, Afseth adds.
The Mavs were looking for a player to bridge the gap until Kyrie Irving returns from his knee injury and D’Angelo Russell can fit the bill, Christian Clark of The Athletic writes. Russell is coming off one of his worst seasons but he played well for the Lakers the previous year. Russell agreed to a two-year deal in the $12MM range, a very reasonable price for a rotation player.

Coaching Rumors: Knicks, Borrego, Shammgod, Magic, Mavs, More

July 2nd, 2025 at 8:49pm CST by Luke Adams

After being denied permission to speak to five NBA head coaches already under contract with rival teams, the Knicks shifted their focus to Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins, with Jenkins falling behind after “projecting less enthusiasm for the job,” writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

The team spoke to other candidates, including James Borrego and Micah Nori, and Ian Begley of SNY.tv confirms that South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley did, in fact, formally interview for the job as well. However, as Begley writes, the search was always expected to result in the Knicks hiring an experienced NBA head coach.

The Knicks ultimately decided Brown was their man in large part because they believe he’ll bring “leadership and collaboration” to the organization, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday. Casey Powell (aka CP The Fanchise) of Knicks Fan TV (Twitter link) notes that the club is also confident in Brown’s ability to maximize the talent on the roster.

While Brown won’t be forced to retain any of the assistants who worked under Tom Thibodeau, the expectation is that a few will be back, according to Begley, who specifically identifies Rick Brunson, Darren Ermann, Mark Bryant, and Maurice Cheeks as strong candidates to remain in New York.

Brown is targeting Borrego for his lead assistant role, viewing him as an ideal offensive coordinator, Begley writes. However, as Marc Stein of The Stein Line notes (via Twitter), the Pelicans want to keep Borrego as their associate head coach and don’t necessarily have to let him leave for what would be a lateral move in terms of his title.

According to Stein (Twitter link), New Orleans previously denied permission to the Nuggets, who wanted to speak to Borrego about their lead assistant role under David Adelman.

Here are a few more coaching-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

As expected, Mavericks player development coach God Shammgod has reached a deal with the Magic to become an assistant on Jamahl Mosley‘s staff, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Rumors about Orlando’s interest in Shammgod, who had been in Dallas since 2016, had circulated since mid-June.
With Shammgod departing, keep an eye on Phil Handy and Mike Penberthy as possible candidates to join the Mavericks‘ staff under Jason Kidd, according to Stein (Twitter links). Both Handy and Penberthy were part of the Lakers’ staff alongside Kidd when Frank Vogel – Dallas’ new lead assistant – was the head coach in Los Angeles.
Omar Cooper Jr., the twin brother of former NBA guard Sharife Cooper and the son of Ace Bailey‘s agent Omar Cooper, is serving as a guest coach for the Jazz during Summer League, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Cooper Jr. is looking to get into coaching after wrapping up his college playing career at McNeese State this past season.
In announcing its 15-man roster for EuroBasket 2025, the Spanish national team confirmed that former Raptors assistant Sergio Scariolo will be stepping down from his role as Spain’s head coach after the event. BasketNews.com has the story, along with Spain’s roster, which includes Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama.

Mavs To Name Frank Vogel Associate Head Coach

July 2nd, 2025 at 5:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Mavericks intend to make Frank Vogel their associate head coach under Jason Kidd, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Vogel served as a coaching consultant for the team last season.

Generally considered a defense-oriented coach, Vogel has had a good deal of success during prior stops with the Pacers (2011-16), the Lakers (2019-22), and even the Suns (2023-24), although he did spend two seasons (2016-18) struggling to make a misaligned Magic roster soluble.

All told, he boasts a 480-422 (.532) regular season coaching record and a 49-43 playoff mark. Vogel lead the Lakers to a championship in 2020 with Kidd on his staff as an assistant.

As Marc Stein of The Stein Line observes (via Twitter), Vogel is the second former NBA head coach to reach a deal with the Mavs this offseason, joining Jay Triano. Kidd’s staff is undergoing some changes, with lead assistant Sean Sweeney having departed for San Antonio in June after Alex Jensen left for the University of Utah in March.

Another Mavs assistant, Jared Dudley, is in advanced talks to join the rival Nuggets as the lead assistant under David Adelman, Stein notes, while God Shammgod may also end up leaving Dallas for Orlando.

The Mavs’ new-look staff will be tasked with maximizing the potential of a team incorporating No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg to a roster headlined by aging stars Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving (who will be rehabbing an ACL injury for much of the year), and Klay Thompson.

Mavericks Sign Cooper Flagg To Rookie Contract

July 2nd, 2025 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg has officially signed his first NBA contract, the Mavericks announced on Wednesday (via Twitter).

The rookie scale deal will pay Flagg a $13.8MM salary in his rookie year and a total of $62.7MM across his first four NBA seasons.

The top prize of the 2025 NBA draft class, Flagg is coming off a wildly successful freshman season at Duke, where he was earned ACC Player of the Year and AP Player of the Year honors, among several others awards. The 6’9″ forward was the driving force behind the Blue Devils’ 35-4 record and helped the team reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Flagg stuffed the stat sheet in his first and only college season, leading a stacked Duke team in points (19.2), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.4) per game, with a strong shooting line of .481/.385/.840. He made 37 appearances in 2024/25, averaging 30.7 minutes per contest.

Dallas had just a 1.8% chance of claiming this year’s top pick, jumping up from No. 11 to No. 1 when the team won the draft lottery in May.

Western Notes: Kidd, Collins, Bailey, Harper

July 1st, 2025 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are expected to extend head coach Jason Kidd‘s contract again before the start of next season, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line report (via Substack). Kidd received an extension after last season and general manager Nico Harrison indicated last week that Kidd would remain the team’s head coach next season.

Of course, the Knicks were interested in talking to Kidd about their head coaching vacancy. Although the Mavericks denied the Knicks’ request to speak to their head coach, there has been persistent speculation that Kidd would wind up in New York unless he received an extension.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Jazz big man John Collins picked up his $26.5MM option last week. That probably means he’ll remain on Utah’s roster entering next season, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who tweets that there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for Collins, who averaged 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds this past season, but he was limited to 40 games and didn’t return after suffering a left ankle sprain on March 12.
Jazz lottery pick Ace Bailey didn’t work out for the team amid reports that his preferred destination was Washington. Bailey expressed surprise when Utah drafted him but he claims he never considered not reporting to the club. “Not at all,” Bailey said in a press conference on Sunday, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “I mean, just blessed to be in this position. Not a lot of people sit in these chairs and have great teammates as I got on (here). So I’m just blessed to be here.”
No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper, Bailey’s teammate at Rutgers, predicts the Spurs will make the postseason next season, according to ESPN’s Michael C Wright. “That’s going to change really quick,” Harper said of San Antonio’s recent struggles. “We’re going to make the playoffs. I think for the Spurs fans and everyone else, our group is very exciting. There’s a lot to look forward to. The sky’s the limit for this group we’ve got.” Harper could become the team’s third consecutive Rookie of the Year Award winner. “I don’t think I feel no pressure [to win ROY], but I definitely want to keep that going,” Harper said. “That’s definitely a goal of mine.”

Mavericks Sign D’Angelo Russell To Two-Year Contract

June 30th, 2025 at 6:12pm CST by Rory Maher

July 6: Russell’s deal is official, according to the Mavericks (Twitter link).

June 30: The Mavericks are signing free agent guard D’Angelo Russell to a two-year contract, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The second year will be a player option, Charania notes (via Twitter).

While Charania states that Russell’s deal is worth $13MM, veteran reporter Marc Stein hears (via Twitter) it’s just shy of $12MM.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks confirms (Twitter links) that Russell will be signed using the taxpayer mid-level exception, which will hard-cap the Mavs at the second tax apron. Dallas is about $1.6MM below the second apron, Marks adds.

Stein reported multiple times leading up to free agency that Dallas was the frontrunner to sign Russell to a two-year deal using the taxpayer version of the MLE. Assuming he received the full amount, he will earn $11,654,250 over the next two years.

Russell is a one-time All-Star who is taking a steep pay cut, having earned $18.7MM in 2024/25.

The second overall pick of the 2015 draft, Russell is coming off a down season in which he averaged 12.6 points, 5.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 58 combined appearances with the Lakers and Nets (25.5 minutes per game). 12.6 PPG and 25.5 MPG represented career lows for Russell, who also posted career-worst percentages from the field (39.0%) and from three-point range (31.4%).

While he is a talented scorer and play-maker who is capable of carrying an offense for stretches, Russell tends to be quite streaky and is a subpar defender. The 29-year-old will likely be the starting point guard for the Mavs until Kyrie Irving is able to return from the torn ACL he sustained in early March.

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Jerome, Kennard, Capela, Lakers, Bulls, More

June 30th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

In their latest round-up of scuttlebutt ahead of the start of free agency on Monday, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) reiterate or confirm a few of the rumors that have been percolating in recent days, writing that Dennis Schröder appears to be on track to join the Kings on a two-year deal worth the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, while D’Angelo Russell is widely expected to join the Mavericks on a two-year deal that utilizes the taxpayer mid-level.

Stein and Fischer also stress that the Grizzlies are increasingly regarded as the favorites to land free agent guard Ty Jerome, with rival teams expecting him to sign for a deal in the neighborhood of $9-10MM annually (Twitter link).

Additionally, Stein and Fischer confirm that the Rockets are now eyeing Luke Kennard in addition to Dorian Finney-Smith. Besides Houston, the Hawks and Nuggets are considered potential suitors for Kennard, one of the league’s best outside shooters, according to The Stein Line duo.

Here are a few more fresh pieces of intel from Stein and Fischer:

The Clippers are viewed as a viable candidate to land free agent center Clint Capela. Los Angeles is known to be in the market for an Ivica Zubac backup, with Drew Eubanks not expected to return.
If the Lakers end up losing Finney-Smith in free agency, they’re expected to express interest in another talented perimeter defender, De’Anthony Melton, Stein and Fischer report. Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link) has also heard that there’s mutual interest between Melton and the Lakers. The veteran guard signed for the full non-taxpayer mid-level a year ago, but seems unlikely to land another deal in that range after missing nearly the entire season with a torn ACL.
There’s a “strong expectation” that free agent point guard Tre Jones will remain with the Bulls, Stein and Fischer say. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network previously reported that the odds of a reunion between the two sides were rising following the team’s Lonzo Ball trade.
The Bucks are working on potential Pat Connaughton trade scenarios and have a couple possible pathways to a deal, per Stein and Fischer. Milwaukee would likely have to attach a sweetener to move Connaughton, but perhaps could acquire a player in return who would upgrade the rotation.
The Wizards have been gauging the trade market for a pair of veterans on expiring contracts, guard Marcus Smart and big man Kelly Olynyk, Stein and Fischer write. Olynyk technically isn’t even a Wizard yet, as the deal sending him from New Orleans to Washington will become official after the July moratorium — it sounds like there’s a chance he’s flipped to another team.
DeMarre Carroll and former Wizards assistant Brian Randle are expected to have two of the front-of-bench spots on Jordan Ott‘s coaching staff, but the new Suns coach is still seeking a lead assistant who has previous head coaching experience, according to Stein and Fischer.

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Jerome, Finney-Smith, Turner, Russell, T. Jones, Paul

June 30th, 2025 at 8:49am CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies appear to be the leaders in the race to sign free agent guard Ty Jerome, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Jerome is coming off a breakout season, but his salary demands are too high for a Cleveland team on the brink of the second apron, so he’s considered a “lock” to leave in free agency. Stein previously mentioned Charlotte and Utah as other teams to watch for Jerome, but Memphis might be separating itself from the pack.

The main question, according to the authors, is how much the Grizzlies are willing to pay Jerome, who is believed to be seeking a deal starting around the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to Jerome. Memphis has been operating recently with the goal of creating enough financial flexibility to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr. while matching any offers for restricted free agent forward Santi Aldama, so any offer for Jerome couldn’t get in the way of those goals.

League sources tell Stein and Fischer that the Grizzlies tried to find a taker for Cole Anthony over the weekend. Sending out Anthony’s $13.1MM contract could enable Memphis to acquire Jerome via sign-and-trade.

There’s more inside information from Stein and Fischer:

As reported on Sunday, the Rockets appear to be the top threat to sign Dorian Finney-Smith away from the Lakers. Houston has the $14.1MM MLE available, but the authors hear that its offer may cover four years at a little less than the full amount. L.A. is still hoping to re-sign the 32-year-old forward, who was a part-time starter after being acquired from Brooklyn in December. Finney-Smith turned down a $15.4MM player option on Sunday, and Stein and Fischer report surprise throughout the league that his announcement wasn’t accompanied by a new deal with the Lakers.
There’s “no tangible expectation” that Myles Turner will leave the Pacers in free agency, according to Stein and Fischer. There was some speculation that Indiana might reconsider a new deal with its starting center in the wake of Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles injury, but coach Rick Carlisle seemed to squash that when he said on a radio interview last week that re-signing Turner remains the team’s “No. 1 priority.”
The Mavericks are expected to use their $5.7MM taxpayer MLE to sign Nets guard D’Angelo Russell to a two-year deal, Stein and Fischer add. Even with that addition, which would be the team’s 15th standard contract, they state that Dallas still hopes to open a roster spot to re-sign Dante Exum. The authors expect the Mavs to search for a team willing to take on Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s $3MM contract for next season. The 2023 first-round pick has a $5.3MM team option for 2026/27, so it’s potentially a one-year commitment.
The Magic‘s decision on Sunday to decline an $11MM option on Moritz Wagner and a $2.1MM option on Caleb Houstan could create an opportunity to sign free agent point guard Tyus Jones. If Jones leaves Phoenix, Stein and Fischer speculate it could lead to Chris Paul returning to the Suns, as they first reported on Sunday.

Point Guard Rumors: Paul, Suns, Clippers, Hornets, Ty. Jones, Magic

June 29th, 2025 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A return to the Suns is a possible outcome for Chris Paul in free agency, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

As Stein and Fischer explain, the Suns are likely to be in the market for point guard help if Tyus Jones exits in free agency. Paul, meanwhile, is known to prefer to play closer to his family in Los Angeles. While an earlier report suggested the veteran point guard would like to play in L.A., it sounds like he’ll consider other options out west as well.

That doesn’t mean that playing with a Los Angeles team is off the table for Paul, however. According to Stein and Fischer, the Clippers are “weighing” a reunion with Paul, who played for the organization for six seasons from 2011-17. Even with James Harden expected to return, the Clips are known to be in the market for another guard, having been linked to Nickeil Alexander-Walker, among others.

While the Mavericks‘ interest in Paul has been reported for weeks, it doesn’t sound like CP3 is enthusiastic about spending another year in Texas, away his family, after playing in San Antonio in 2024/25. As Stein and Fischer note, there’s also a sense that the Mavs might be headed for a deal with D’Angelo Russell to address the point guard hole created by Kyrie Irving‘s ACL tear.

The Hornets had been mulling a run at Paul, a North Carolina native, but recognized that he was unlikely to have interest in playing for a rebuilding team so far away from his home, per Stein and Fischer. Charlotte pivoted to another veteran guard, having made a deal with Utah this afternoon to acquire Collin Sexton.

Meanwhile, with Jones seemingly headed for a split with the Suns, one of the teams with interest in him is the Magic, according to The Stein Line’s duo. While Jones wasn’t an ideal fit in Phoenix, the 29-year-old still put up solid offensive numbers, including 10.2 points and 5.3 assists per game with a 41.4% mark on three-point attempts.

Stein’s Latest: NAW, Schröder, Jerome, Grimes, Kornet, Nuggets

June 29th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons and the Hawks have been described as the two best bets to sign Nickeil Alexander-Walker away from the Timberwolves when free agency gets underway, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Both Detroit and Atlanta have previously been reported as potential suitors for Alexander-Walker, along with teams like the Clippers and Magic. The expectation is that he’ll command offers in the range of the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which will start at a projected $14.1MM. He might even end up getting more than that, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

While Minnesota has expressed a desire to retain Alexander-Walker, the club has already committed to Naz Reid on a lucrative new five-year deal and is expected to retain Julius Randle as well. Re-signing Alexander-Walker to a market-value contract would likely send the Wolves’ team salary soaring beyond the second tax apron.

As for the Pistons, there has been consistent reporting this week indicating that their free agent guard Dennis Schröder may end up signing with the Kings. While Schröder didn’t exactly confirm that this weekend during a Twitch stream, he suggested he’s unlikely to return to Detroit.

“I want to stay in Detroit for sure, but Detroit ain’t waiting for me, I can tell you that much,” Schröder said (Twitter video link). “Detroit ain’t waiting for me.”

Here’s more from Stein:

The Hornets and Grizzlies have been consistently mentioned as teams expected to pursue free agent guard Ty Jerome, according to Stein. Reporting earlier today indicated that Utah also may be in the mix for the Sixth Man of the Year finalist, who is now considered a “lock” to leave the Cavaliers, per Stein.
Sixers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes is expected to land a starting salary of at least $16MM, Stein reports. Assuming he gets that offer from Philadelphia, it would be enough to outbid any rival suitors that might be willing to give him the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
The Clippers, who are in the market for a center to back up Ivica Zubac, are considered a team to watch for free agent big man Luke Kornet, writes Stein.
The Nuggets, who are eyeing potential assistant coaches for David Adelman‘s staff, have been granted permission to interview Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley and have also exhibited “strong” interest in former NBA guard J.J. Barea, per Stein (Twitter links). Barea had been coaching the Guaynabo Mets in his native Puerto Rico over the past couple years before being let go last month.