Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Australia, McLemore, York, Jerebko, Calipari, Klutch

April 11th, 2024 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Australian national team has revealed its preliminary roster for the 2024 Olympics, announcing a list of 22 players that are in the mix to play in Paris. That group will have to be cut down to 12 players ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Australia’s preliminary roster includes several NBAers, including Thunder guard Josh Giddey, Mavericks guard Dante Exum, Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle and big man Duop Reath, Mavericks wing Josh Green, Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels, Magic forward Joe Ingles, Heat guard Patty Mills, Rockets center Jock Landale, and Grizzlies forward Jack White.

As Olgun Uluc of ESPN notes, the newest addition to the Boomers’ roster is 19-year-old Johnny Furphy, who played for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2023/24 and is projected by ESPN to be a potential first-round pick in this year’s draft.

The most notable absence is Ben Simmons, as the Nets guard underwent back surgery last month that will sideline him for the Olympics. Simmons doesn’t have much history with the Australian national team, so it’s unclear if he would’ve been part of the Boomers’ roster in Paris even if he’d been healthy.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Ben McLemore was arrested and jailed this week in Oregon and faces multiple felony sexual assault charges, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The charges, which include first-degree rape, stem from an alleged incident in 2021, when McLemore was a member of the Trail Blazers.
Former NBA guard Gabe York, who appeared in five games for the Pacers across two seasons from 2021-23, has signed with Basquet Girona, the Spanish team announced this week in a press release. York played for the G League Ignite earlier this season.
Following a two-year hiatus from basketball, Swedish forward Jonas Jerebko is making a comeback, having signed with Puerto Rican team Santeros de Aguada, according to Eurohoops. Jerebko, who turned 37 last month, appeared in 635 NBA regular season games for four teams from 2009-19. He last played professionally for CSKA Moscow in 2022.
Shams Charania and Kyle Tucker of The Athletic take an in-depth look at John Calipari‘s decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas after 15 years with the Wildcats, detailing how Calipari’s deal with the Razorbacks came about.
One Legacy Sports Management, led by veteran agent Mike George, is becoming part of Klutch Sports, CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Jamal Murray, Dillon Brooks, and Shaedon Sharpe are among George’s clients, per RealGM.

Southwest Notes: Sengun, Wemby, J. Green, Pelicans

April 10th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets center Alperen Sengun, who has been sidelined since March 10 due to knee and ankle injuries, had hoped to get back on the court in the season’s final week, but it doesn’t look like it’ll happen, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

“I would say (it’s) unlikely,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “Alperen still has swelling. A lot was going to be based on our results and how we finished the season. No need to really rush him back.”

Sengun enjoyed a breakout year for the Rockets this season, averaging 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 32.5 minutes per game across 63 starts. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension as of this July.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The Spurs will hold Victor Wembanyama out of action on Wednesday at Oklahoma City in the second end of a back-to-back set due to right ankle management, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. San Antonio appears to just be playing it safe with its franchise player as the season winds down, but it means Wembanyama won’t get one more matchup with fellow rookie standout Chet Holmgren. The two big men are virtual locks to be the top two vote-getters for this season’s Rookie of the Year award.
Mavericks wing Josh Green has missed the club’s past 12 games due to a sprained right ankle, but he appears to be on the verge of a return. As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News tweets, Green’s status for Wednesday’s game in Miami has been upgraded to questionable.
The Pelicans are getting more comfortable playing small-ball, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, who notes that Jonas Valanciunas‘ playing time has declined in recent weeks — the veteran center played a season-low four minutes in Sunday’s win over Phoenix. “It’s something I have been watching and studying and feeling for a long time,” head coach Willie Green said. “We are getting more and more comfortable playing a small unit. We got to continue to rebound. We outrebounded them (on Sunday). When we go small, play fast and open up the floor, it’s harder for teams to load up the paint on us.”

Mavs Notes: Washington, Williams, Luka, First-Round Pick, Kyrie

April 10th, 2024 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Two months after being traded from the Hornets to the Mavericks, P.J. Washington returned home on Tuesday night, relishing the opportunity to see his family and to play in front of the fans in Charlotte, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

“It was great, just being able to cheer for me one last time in this arena,” Washington said. “It meant the world to me. Being drafted here and obviously (having spent) my whole career here. So, it just meant a lot for sure.”

It has been a whirlwind couple months for Washington, who is still adjusting to playing for a new NBA team after spending the first four-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Hornets. But he has no complaints about getting the opportunity to play alongside stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for a Mavericks team that clinched its spot in the playoffs with Tuesday’s blowout victory over Charlotte.

“It’s been great,” Washington said. “It’s two of the best to ever play the game, so it makes it a lot easier for me. They bring so much attention, which opens up the game for a lot of different people. So, they’ve made it a lot easier for me for sure.”

Head coach Jason Kidd appreciates what Washington has brought to the club: “(He has) the ability to play both sides — offense and defense. You could see when one of the guys are out — Luka, Ky — he’s stepped up for us. He’s given us an offensive spark. And then when you look at the defensive end, he’s been able to guard 1-5. He’s helped us here since March 7 be the No. 1 defensive team in the league. And he’s a pro. He comes to work every day, never complains, and he’s one of the few that when he runs out, comes out of the game, he gives you five. And that’s just a character thing that he has. He’s about the team and he just wants to win.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

While there were some rumors that Hornets forward Grant Williams wore out his welcome in Dallas or rubbed Doncic the wrong way, Luka said he has no issues with his former teammate. “Grant is a great guy,” Doncic said. “We have a good relationship. Outside, some people say we don’t. But we have (one).”
Williams has been playing better in Charlotte than he did in Dallas, making the deadline deal a success so far for both the Mavericks and Hornets, writes Boone. “Yeah, I think when you look at the trade it is a win-win,” Kidd said. “Grant’s doing an incredible job here (in Charlotte), You look at playing the five or playing whatever position they’ve asked him to play. He’s shooting the ball, he’s making decisions, he’s posting up, he’s guarding the five on the other end. So, I think he’s done an incredible job since the trade.”
Having clinched a playoff spot, the Mavericks will send their 2024 first-round pick to the Knicks, closing the book on the blockbuster 2019 Kristaps Porzingis trade, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (via Twitter). Dallas’ pick currently projects to be No. 25 overall — a year ago the Mavs tanked their final game of the season to ensure they’d avoid sending their top-10 protected first-rounder to New York.
After last season’s second-half collapse, there were some questions about how the backcourt pairing of Doncic and Irving would mesh going forward, but the duo has thrived in 2023/24. According to Doncic, having Irving in Dallas has been a “blessing,” per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “Obviously on the court everybody knows what kind of player he is,” Doncic said. “Off the court he helps me a lot — not just me but the whole team. He knows how to win the championship. He’s a very humble guy. Great guy.”

Kleber Marvels At Doncic, Irving

April 9th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hornets forward Grant Williams says he has harbors no ill will toward the Mavericks for trading him after Dallas added him in a sign-and-trade last offseason, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News tweets. “No hard feelings on my end or, I think, their end,” he said. “We communicated well throughout the process. (Dallas GM) Nico (Harrison), I respect those guys a lot from an honesty perspective.”
Even Mavericks teammates marvel at the ability of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, according to The Athletic’s Tim Cato. “I never play NBA 2K, so I don’t know if there’s a self-created player who does stuff like they do,” Maxi Kleber said. “But it’s just incredible what they do.”

Mavs’ Irving, Celtics’ Porzingis Named Players Of The Week

April 8th, 2024 at 2:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has been named Western Conference Player of the Week, while Celtics big man Kristaps Porziņģis has claimed the Eastern Conference’s weekly honor, the NBA announced (via Twitter).

Irving averaged 31.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 52.4% from the field as Dallas went 3-1 last week. Porzingis averaged 19.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in four Boston victories.

Irving has gained Player of the Week honors five times in his career, but this is his first since the 2014/15 season.

The Suns’ Devin Booker, Lakers’Anthony Davis, Mavs’Luka Doncic, Timberwolves’Rudy Gobert and Spurs’Victor Wembanyama were the other Western Conference nominees. The Magic’sPaolo Banchero, Knicks’Jalen Brunson, Sixers’ Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton were the other Eastern Conference nominees (Twitter link).

Kidd Likes Team's Chemistry Entering Playoffs

April 7th, 2024 at 9:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd likes his team’s spirit with the postseason nearing, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com relays. Dallas pulled out an OT win over the Rockets on Sunday and strengthened its grip on the fifth spot in the Western Conference.

The Mavs’ backcourt duo combined for 85 points.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd likes his team’s spirit with the postseason nearing, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com relays. Dallas pulled out an OT win over the Rockets on Sunday and strengthened its grip on the fifth spot in the Western Conference.

“We have each other’s backs. We’re playing for something bigger than just the back of the jersey,” the Mavericks’ coach said. “We’re playing for one another. You can see the chemistry, the celebration at the end. It takes a long time to build that. That just doesn’t happen overnight. But the beauty of (Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic) hugging there at the end . . . those two trusting in their teammates that were out on the floor was huge.”

In their previous game, which Doncic sat out, the Mavericks got a big game out of midseason acquisition P.J. Washington. He erupted for 32 points, five rebounds, five steals and two blocks and also made the game-winning shot against the Warriors on Friday, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. Washington grabbed 13 rebounds on Sunday.

NBA’s 20 Postseason Teams Set For 2024

April 7th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The 20 teams that will compete in either the playoffs or the play-in tournament (or both) have officially been set following the Rockets‘ loss to Dallas on Sunday, per the NBA (Twitter link).

There’s still much to be decided in the season’s final week, including exactly which six teams in each conference will secure playoff spots without having to win one or two play-in games. However, with the Rockets’ elimination, we at least know which teams from both the West and East will play beyond the end of the regular season next Sunday.

The Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Thunder have already clinched playoff berths in the West, while the Clippers‘ magic number for a playoff spot is down to 1. The Mavericks are also well positioned to claim a top-six seed following their win on Sunday. They’re followed in the standings by the Suns, Pelicans, Lakers, Kings, and Warriors.

Four of those teams will compete in the play-in tournament for two playoff spots, but the exact play-in participants and matchups remain very much up in the air. Of the Western clubs in the back half of the top 10, only Golden State is a virtual lock to be a play-in team, since the Dubs are currently four games out of sixth place.

Over in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are the lone club to secure a playoff berth so far and have also clinched the No. 1 seed. They’re followed by the Bucks, Magic, Knicks, Cavaliers, Pacers, Heat, and Sixers, with the Bulls and Hawks well out of eighth place and locked into the No. 9 vs. 10 play-in game.

The East’s playoff race remains tight, with No. 2 Milwaukee and No. 8 Philadelphia separated by only 4.5 games at the time of this writing.

Injury Updates: Mitchell, Okoro, Luka, Sengun, Pelicans

April 7th, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The struggling Cavaliers, who have lost seven of their past 10 games, will be without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell on Sunday vs. the Clippers, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who tweets that Mitchell is out due to injury management related to his knee.

On the plus side, Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro is on track to return after missing the past four games with a toe injury (Twitter link via Fedor).

At 46-32, the Cavs still hold the No. 3 spot in the East, but they’re only a half-game ahead of both Orlando and New York, so they’re in danger of losing home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

After missing Friday’s win over Golden State, Mavericks star Luka Doncic (right knee soreness) will be back in action on Sunday vs. Houston, the team confirmed (via Twitter). A strong finish in the season’s final week would ensure that the 47-30 Mavs secure a top-six seed in the West — they’re currently at No. 5.
Even with the Rockets slipping out of the play-in race, center Alperen Sengun hasn’t given up hope of returning to the court this season, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Sengun, who injured his right ankle and knee on March 10, estimated that he’s about 60% recovered, per Feigen, and has begun “light mobility work,” according to head coach Ime Udoka. He hasn’t been ruled out for the season, but it would be a bit surprising if he returned to just play a game or two after Houston is officially eliminated from postseason contention. “Maybe he gets on the court, but it’s nothing we discussed yet,” Udoka said.
Pelicans wing Naji Marshall, who left Friday’s game with a left shoulder contusion, didn’t practice on Saturday and is considered questionable to play in Sunday’s game in Phoenix, tweets Erin Summers of Bally Sports. Zion Williamson (left finger contusion) and Jose Alvarado (right oblique strain) are also listed as questionable, but they both practiced on Saturday.

Community Shootaround: Who Will Win The West?

April 6th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

The Celtics currently hold a 14-game lead for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, making them a very strong favorite to reach the NBA Finals, though that outcome is far from assured.

The standings are much more competitive in the West though. The seedings are still up for grabs, but the top 10 teams are all but secured after Golden State beat Houston on Thursday.

The Timberwolves are currently the No. 1 seed due to a tiebreaker over the defending-champion Nuggets, who hold an identical 53-24 record. The upstart Thunder are one game back at No. 3, followed by the Clippers, Mavericks and Suns.

The Pelicans, Kings, Lakers and Warriors are currently the Nos. 7 through 10 seeds, meaning they’d be in the play-in tournament if the season ended today. Only two games separate Phoenix and the Lakers, however, so things could certainly change between now and April 14, when the regular season concludes.

Each of the top teams in the West has question marks ahead of the postseason, mostly due to injuries. Minnesota may not have Karl-Anthony Towns back before the first round, and the team has only advanced past that stage one time in franchise history. Denver, which went 16-4 in last year’s playoffs en route to its first title in 2023, has been playing without star guard Jamal Murray of late, though he may return soon.

Oklahoma City is young and is not playoff tested, plus MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been sidelined recently with a quad injury. Kawhi Leonard is currently dealing with a knee injury for the Clippers.

The Mavericks have dealt with injuries to rotation players throughout the season, though they’re the hottest team in Conference at the moment. Phoenix’s “big three” has only played in 36 games together in 2023/24. New Orleans, Sacramento, the Lakers and Golden State have all been inconsistent throughout the season.

With so many unknowns, it makes it difficult to pick a favorite. That leads us to our question of the day: Who do you think will advance out of the West and make the NBA Finals? Head to the comments and let us know what you think.

Injury Notes: Luka, Warriors, Zion, Ingram, Young, Turner

April 5th, 2024 at 7:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic was ruled out for Friday’s matchup with Golden State due to right knee soreness, as first reported by Marc Stein (via Twitter). Sources tell Stein there’s optimism that Doncic will return on Sunday vs. Houston.

The injury “shouldn’t be long term,” head coach Jason Kidd said (Twitter link via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon).

It will be the 10th missed game this season for Doncic, which will hurt his chances of claiming his first MVP award — frontrunner Nikola Jokic has only missed three games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the other primary candidate for the award, will miss his seventh game of 2023/24 on Sunday in Charlotte.

Mavs big man Maxi Kleber, who played 21 minutes in yesterday’s win over Atlanta, is also out Friday with back spasms, the team announced (via Twitter).

The Warriors will also be shorthanded for Friday’s matchup in Dallas, which is the second of a back-to-back for both clubs. Andrew Wiggins is out with left ankle soreness, while Jonathan Kuminga — who warmed up with the intent of playing — will miss his sixth straight game with knee tendinitis, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter links).

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who is dealing with a left finger contusion, was considered a game-time decision for Friday’s contest vs. San Antonio. However, he was later ruled out (Twitter link via the Pels). Prior to Friday’s game, head coach Willie Green also provided an injury update on Brandon Ingram, who is currently sidelined with a left knee bone contusion. “He’s jogging on the treadmill,” Green said, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link). “He’s in the weight room. Other than that, we don’t have anything new to report.” Green confirmed a recent report that New Orleans is optimistic about Ingram returning before the regular season ends, Clark adds.
On his podcast (YouTube link), Hawks point guard Trae Young provided an update on his rehab from hand surgery, as Brad Rowland relays (via Twitter). “I got another call with the doctor next Monday,” Young said of when he could return. ” … Hopefully next week I can make a fist and I can get out of this cast. And then I can play. So hopefully next week.”
Pacers center Myles Turner suffered a dislocated right index finger in Monday’s victory over Brooklyn, which caused him to miss Wednesday’s rematch with the Nets, but he was back in the starting lineup on Friday against Oklahoma City, the team announced (Twitter link). Turner has dealt with several injuries over the course of his career but he has been relatively healthy in ’23/24, appearing in 73 of 78 games.