Mavs Sign Josh Akognon To 10-Day Contract
3:49pm: The Mavs have officially signed Akognon to a 10-day deal, the team confirmed in a press release. To create space on the roster, Dentmon was released from his contract before it expired.
8:13am: Justin Dentmon's 10-day contract with the Mavericks is set to expire tonight, and the team will not re-sign him to a second 10-day deal. Instead, the Mavs will continue to audition guards, adding Josh Akognon on a 10-day contract later this week, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
Akognon, 27, was in camp with the Mavericks in the fall, but was cut by the team a couple weeks before the regular season got underway. He spent the season in China, pouring in 29.0 PPG on 54.8% shooting in 36 games for the Liaoning Jiebao Hunters. It was Akognon's second straight impressive season in the CBA, after he averaged 28.2 PPG for the DongGuan New Century Leopards in 2011/12.
The Mavs have had a revolving door of guards occupying their 15th roster spot in recent weeks, including Dentmon, Chris Wright, and now Akognon. Depending on when Akognon's 10-day deal is finalized, it appears it will expire before the postseason, though after last night's loss in Los Angeles, Dallas is extremely unlikely to advance to the playoffs anyway.
Mavs Notes: James, Nowitzki, Carlisle
The biggest game of the Mavericks' season takes place in Los Angeles today, as the Mavs and Lakers square off, each looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. Dallas is currently two games back of the eighth-place Jazz in the Western Conference standings, so a loss would all but crush the team's playoff hopes. As we look forward to what should be an entertaining game, let's check in on a few Mavs notes….
- Mike James has played a key role in the Mavs' second-half surge, having started the team's last 14 games, and tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com that he hopes to continue his playing career beyond this season. "My plan is to play two more years and my hope is to be able to finish my career here in Dallas playing for Rick [Carlisle], Donnie [Nelson] and Mark [Cuban] and with Dirk [Nowitzki]," James said.
- In advance of tonight's game against the Lakers, Nowitzki revealed what he told longtime friend Steve Nash when the point guard signed with the Lakers last summer: "I wished him the best when he signed with L.A. I said, 'Have a great year and I hope you lose to the Mavs'" (link via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News).
- Kevin Sherrington and Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News agree that if the Mavs sneak into the playoffs, it can be attributed more to Carlisle's coaching job than Cuban's approach to roster-building.
- Carlisle, however, doesn't want to hear talk about the coaching job he has done this season, as Sefko details in a separate piece.
Nowitzki On Mavs, Free Agents, Playoffs
In today’s column, NBA.com’s David Aldridge posted segments from his one-on-one chat with the Mavericks‘ Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki discussed his career, the club’s future, and more in a comprehensive interview. Here’s a look at some of the highlights..
Are you still confident the front office can build a contender again?
I think sometimes you just need to gamble a little bit. You need to take chances. You may have to take a contract that people may say is not a good contract. But the great thing is if you have cap space, you can do that. I think with cap space you can still turn a franchise around pretty quick. So, yeah, we’re just gonna go for it this summer and see what’s out there in free agency. If not, maybe sign and trade, or trades. We just have to wait and see. So what we have to do now is just let it all hang out in the last three weeks or so, see if we make the push to the playoffs, and if not, we’ll see what we’ve got going through the Draft, and then July will be a big month for us.
Are you a recruiter now?
I’m obviously gonna be here most of the summer. If they need me to go somewhere or call somebody, I’ll obviously be more than happy to. This is my home. Once you’ve won it all, you want that feeling again. You don’t want to be out of the playoffs looking in. We’d love to have that feeling again. The city was so excited. The franchise was. We’d love to at least play for that again. It’s a big summer for us, and anything I can do, I’ll be here.
How hard is [fighting for a playoff spot] for you?
It’s another challenge for me. We had some years in those playoffs when we weren’t top four (in the West), from four to eight. That already felt like that wasn’t a great year for us. So we obviously are used to high standards around here, the franchise and the city is disappointed in that way a little bit, with us (normally) winning 50 games every year and being right up there and having home court usually in the first round. It’s been tough since we won the championship. Last year we were obviously a seventh, eighth seed, and this year we’re still on the outside looking in. So it’s been a tough year back to back. It’s been written a bunch about the business decisions we’ve made, and we’re moving forward. But we know that this is a big summer for us. We don’t thrive on playing for the eighth seed. We thrive higher. Hopefully we can make some stuff happen this summer and be a great team again.
Odds & Ends: Webster, Wright, Pachulia
In his Weekend Dime piece, ESPN's Marc Stein writes that one of the main reasons for the Wizards dealing Jordan Crawford for Leandro Barbosa's expiring contract – despite Barbosa being out from a season ending injury – was to create more flexibility to increase their chances of retaining Martell Webster this summer. The former Seattle Prep star is arguably having his best pro season in Washington this year, putting up career bests in scoring (11.7), free throw percentage (86.4%), field goal percentage (45.4%), and three-point percentage (43.3%) in 29.3 MPG. Here are a few more tidbits from around the league tonight:
- Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago (via Twitter) expects Mavericks big man Brandan Wright to be an under-the-radar commodity this summer as an unrestricted free agent.
- Hawks center Zaza Pachulia – projected to be out six months after season ending surgery next week – says that he hasn't thought about his future and adds, "I'm still part of this team until July 31," tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
- Derek Page of HoopsWorld held his weekly chat with readers this afternoon, discussing how Nerlens Noel and Cody Zeller are his top overall draft prospects and that the Mavericks won't rebuild until Dirk Nowitzki is finished playing, among other topics.
- Looking back at the summer of 2010, former Suns GM Steve Kerr says that he, along with Phoenix brass and their medical staff, agreed that a large financial commitment to Amare Stoudemire would not have been prudent considering the possible health issues down the line (Frank Isola of the New York Daily News).
Mavs Recall Jared Cunningham
We'll keep track of today's D-League assignments and recalls here, with any additional moves added to the top:
- The Mavs have recalled Jared Cunningham from the D-League, the team announced via press release. Cunningham had been with the Texas Legends ever since his January 28th assignment, and he's produced 15.3 points in 34.5 minutes per game over 15 D-League contests in two stints with the Legends this season. The 24th overall pick last June has barely seen action for the big club in Dallas, appearing in eight games for a total of 26 minutes.
Southwest Rumors: Grizzlies, White, Brewer
The Mavericks are one of only two NBA teams sitting the night out, but the Grizzlies appear to be especially busy, juxtaposing a tough road game against the Knicks tonight with reports that they're apparently seeking a point guard. There's more on that and other news from Southwest Division teams, as we round up here:
- In a piece chronicling the Mavs' run at a playoff spot, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld wonders whether D-League center Jerome Jordan could be a fit for the Grizzlies. With starting center Marc Gasol back from injury and the team linked to Keyon Dooling and Jonny Flynn, there may not be much call for Jordan in Memphis.
- Royce White had his best showing as a pro Tuesday, with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his return to the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers, but he plans on leaving the Rockets' affiliate again when the regular season is over, as he tells David Hinojosa of The Monitor. "I’ll be here until the end of the regular season," the rookie said. "The playoff schedule and how hectic it is in the D-League probably ain’t going be the best thing for me. Going to the playoffs, I want them to have a team that’s going to stick together."
- Corey Brewer says he wants to return to the Nuggets as a free agent in the offseason, but the swingman also reveals that he came close to signing with the Spurs before inking his current deal, notes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. The Celtics were also in the running for Brewer before the Mavs scooped him up and later traded him to the Nuggets.
- Giannis Antetokoumpo of Greece, who plays point guard despite his 6'10" height and 7'3" wingspan, has drawn interest from Rockets GM Daryl Morey, among others, reports Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com. Bryan Colangelo of the Raptors, Masai Ujiri of the Nuggets, and Sam Presti of the Thunder are the other GMs who've traveled to scout Antetokoumpo, who has an affordable buyout clause in his contract for next season with Zaragoza of Spain, according to Sheridan. While there appears to be some confusion about the spelling of his last name, he's No. 32 on the DraftExpress list of the top 100 draft prospects.
Free Agent Stock Watch: O.J. Mayo
When the Mavericks missed out on Deron Williams a year ago, the team moved on to Plan B, which involved adding a number of players on one-year contracts via free agency and trades. Of the Mavs' non-rookie additions last offseason, only O.J. Mayo received more than a one-year deal, as the 25-year-old's contract included a player option for 2013/14. However, after emerging as the second-best scorer on a Dallas team in the hunt for a playoff spot, Mayo appears poised to turn down that option in search of a new contract this summer.
Mayo's 16.4 PPG is a significant step up from his scoring averages in his final two seasons in Memphis (11.3 and 12.6 PPG), but he's also seen a major boost in minutes since arriving in Dallas, playing 35.7 per game after averaging 26.8 during his last two years with the Grizzlies. As such, Mayo's points per 36 minutes average this season is actually right in line with his career mark.
Nonetheless, the improvement in Mayo's free agent stock shouldn't be viewed as entirely artificial. He's scoring his points more efficiently than he did in his first four seasons, averaging career-highs in FG% (.462) and 3PT% (.416), while taking fewer shots per 36 minutes than he ever has before. That efficiency is reflected in his PER as well, which presently sits at a career-high 15.2. Throw in a career-best assist rate, and it's not hard to see why Mayo is in line for a raise in July.
Coming off his fourth year in Memphis in 2012, Mayo didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Grizzlies, but still landed an offer from the Mavs that would have been worth most of the mid-level exception, at $4.02MM (Dallas signed him using cap space). If we assume the former third overall pick is a lock to turn down his $4.2MM option for 2013/14, it's probably also safe to assume that he'll be seeking a starting salary worth more than the mid-level.
Of course, just because Mayo will be looking for that sort of salary doesn't mean he'll receive those offers — he was seeking more than the MLE last July, and didn't have any luck. But given his performance this season, I'd expect Mayo to earn at least one or two offers worth north of $6-7MM annually. That would rule out taxpaying teams, who can't offer more than the mini MLE and can't acquire players via sign-and-trade. Over-the-cap teams could work out a sign-and-trade for Mayo, so there may be a few that enter the mix, but it's the clubs with cap room that figure to be the primary suitors.
The Mavericks are one team poised to have cap room again, and if they're going to keep any of the players currently on one-year deals with the club, Mayo appears to be the best bet. He'll likely be a Plan B again, since the team wouldn't be able to afford to pursue this year's top-tier free agents with Mayo on its books. But there are scenarios in which the Mavs could conceivably have room to bring back Mayo and sign another second-tier free agent such as Brandon Jennings or Paul Millsap.
Multiple Detroit-based writers have suggested Mayo could be near the top of the Pistons' wish list this summer, and the team is expected to have a good chunk of cap room at its disposal. It's hard not to mention the Hawks as a potential suitor for just about everyone, since the team has less than $20MM in guaranteed commitments on its books for next season, and has given no real indication of what its plan will be. Other possible fits might include the Bobcats, Cavaliers, and Suns.
Having already played his way into what should be a nice payday this summer, Mayo could improve his free agent stock even more with a strong finish to the 2012/13 season. A year ago against the Clippers, Mayo laid an egg in the first round, scoring 8.9 PPG on 27.4% shooting, and you could certainly make an argument that the performance cost him a few bucks in free agency.
The Mavs are extremely unlikely to make a run at a title this season, but a playoff berth certainly appears within reach, given the recent struggles of the Lakers and Jazz. If Mayo could help the team sneak into the postseason and perhaps win a first-round game or two against a team like the Thunder or Spurs, it may convince a few NBA execs that he can be a go-to scoring option on a contending team. In that case, I'd expect him to easily exceed the mid-level deals signed by shooting guards like Jamal Crawford, Louis Williams, and Jason Terry in 2012.
Odds & Ends: Jazz, Hoiberg, Raptors, Gay
Earlier today, the Mavericks made their signing of Justin Dentmon official after letting Chris Wright's 10-day contract expire. The Mavs can give Dentmon a new deal in a week-and-a-half, but odds are that they'll let him walk as well. Dallas is reportedly looking to audition three different point guards and they'll likely go back to the D-League well to find their next pickup. Here's more from around the Association..
- Tyrone Corbin reiterated his comments from earlier this week about his team's free agents, saying that it "might" have impacted the squad while crediting them for blocking out distractions, tweets Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune. Both Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap will hit the open market this summer and all signs point to Utah keeping one or the other, not both.
- Fred Hoiberg has the tools to be a successful coach in the NBA, writes Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com. Last night we learned that the Iowa State coach is being targeted by multiple teams as a head coaching candidate this summer.
- While Raptors head coach Dwane Casey thinks that the club may shut Rudy Gay down for the season, the forward doesn't think that his year is over, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun.
Mavericks Sign Justin Dentmon
MONDAY, 11:06am: The Mavericks have officially signed Dentmon to a 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release.
SATURDAY, 11:45am: The Mavericks are set to sign Justin Dentmon to a 10-day contract, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (on Twitter). Dentmon will fill the spot left by Chris Wright since the Mavs are not going to re-sign him to a second 10-day deal.
The Mavs are quite familiar with Dentmon, who plays for their D-League affiliate Texas Legends. The 27-year-old has been strong in 2012/13, averaging 22.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.7 APG this season for the Legends and the Austin Toros. Last year, Dentmon received 10-day contracts with the Spurs and Raptors and was named the MVP of the D-League.
Dallas is apparently looking to audition multiple guards between now and the end of the season. After Dentmon they'll likely test out one more backcourt option before making a final determination.
Odds & Ends: Ayon, Brooks, Mavericks
Bucks center Gustavo Ayon expressed some frustration about not being able to find court time in Milwaukee, and told reporters that he could return to Europe when his contract runs out, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. Though coach Jim Boylan reportedly likes what he sees from the Mexican-born center, there hasn't been enough practice time to incorporate him into the rotation. We've got a few more tidbits to share from around the league tonight, and you can find them below:
- In addition to wondering what the 76ers will do with Andrew Bynum, Tom Moore of Philly Burbs also ponders the future of Evan Turner, who will be eligible for an $8.7MM qualifying offer after he finishes his fourth year option worth $6.7MM next season. Moore adds that if Turner doesn't figure to be in the team's plans, the Sixers could look to trade him this summer or during next year's trade deadline.
- HoopsWorld's Derek Page held his weekly chat with fans earlier today, and here are some of the highlights: he sees DeMarcus Cousins as a max-level player, thinks Josh Smith could be the biggest name to move in free agency, predicts that Dwight Howard and Chris Paul remain in Los Angeles beyond this season, and isn't sure that O.J. Mayo or Tyreke Evans are long-term solutions for the Mavericks.
- Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK delves into what could have been as he revisits Scott Brooks' challenging contract negotiations with the Thunder last summer, and discussing the possibility that he could have joined the Trail Blazers.
- Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram reeled in some quotes about upcoming free agency from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban: "Our goal is to win championships, not win the summer, and so we have to see what’s available and what’s out there…We do the same thing we do every year and be opportunistic. We’re going to be opportunistic, and depending on how things go, we’ll make our decision."