Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: EuroLeague, Exum, Reath, Cauley-Stein, Zizic

December 31st, 2023 at 7:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kemba Walker is among several former NBA players struggling to make the adjustment to the EuroLeague, writes Dimitris Minaretzis of Eurohoops. After signing with AS Monaco this summer, the 33-year-old guard is averaging just 4.4 points and 1.1 assists per game as he fights for playing time in a crowded backcourt. Knee injuries plagued Walker throughout the end of his NBA career, and they appear to still be limiting his effectiveness in Europe.

Elsewhere, Minaretzis notes that FC Barcelona’s Jabari Parker is averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while KK Partizan has PJ Dozier at 9.2 points and 3.2 assists per night and Frank Kaminsky at 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

The only players who are standing out after being on NBA rosters last season are Serge Ibaka, who’s averaging 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for Bayern Munich, and Kendrick Nunn, who is at 11.6 points and 2.5 assists per night with Panathinaikos. Ibaka has previous EuroLeague experience, having played in Spain before being drafted in 2008.

There’s more international news to pass along:

After making a surprising impact with their NBA clubs, Dante Exum and Duop Reath are in contention for starting spots with the Australian Olympic team, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Exum, who recently moved into the Mavericks‘ starting lineup because of his strong play, is averaging 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists over his last 10 games, and Uluc notes that he’s given Dallas a secondary ball-handler while serving as a strong complement to Luka Doncic. Reath has become a productive weapon for the Trail Blazers after earning a two-way deal in camp. He provides an outside shooting threat and has reached double figures in scoring in seven of Portland’s last 10 games. Reath posted a career-high 25 points against Sacramento this week and may have surpassed Jock Landale as the Boomers’ best option at center.
Willie Cauley-Stein‘s first venture in Europe has ended after 20 games, per Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Pallacanestro Varese announced that it has parted ways with the 30-year-old center, who averaged 9.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks for the Italian team.
Croatian center Ante Zizic has signed with Virtus Bologna, the team announced in a press release. Zizic, 26, was a first-round pick in 2017 and played 113 total games with Cleveland from 2017 to 2020. He captured a Turkish championship and the President’s Cup last season with Anadolu Efes.

Raptors Notes: Siakam, Trade Rumors, Quickley, Barnes

December 31st, 2023 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

After word of the OG Anunoby trade broke on Saturday, the general consensus among league insiders who spoke to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca is that the Raptors were just getting started, with multiple sources suggesting that the deal with the Knicks may be the first of several moves made by Toronto.

“It’s a reboot around Scottie Barnes, that’s for sure,” one source told Grange.

After previously reporting that league sources expect Pascal Siakam to be on the move sooner or later, Grange adds the Mavericks to the list of teams likely to to pursue the Raptors forward. The Hawks, Pacers, and Kings are the clubs that have been repeatedly cited as presumed suitors for Siakam.

Jalen Johnson was a player the Raptors coveted in previous talks with Atlanta, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, though the Hawks won’t be particularly inclined to include him in an offer in the midst of his breakout season. Along similar lines, the Kings have been unwilling to discuss former No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray, Scotto confirms.

As Scotto has previously observed, Pacers forward Jarace Walker, this year’s No. 8 overall pick, seems to fit the mold of the kind of young, controllable player the Raptors would like. Walker’s lack of playing time so far in his rookie season has some people around the league wondering if Indiana would give him up in a package for an impact player.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Finding a guard who is comfortable playing off the ball and who can space the floor alongside Barnes was a priority for Toronto, according to Grange, who says there’s a lot of enthusiasm among Raptors officials about what Quickley can bring to the team. “Quickley is the perfect pairing next to Scottie Barnes because of the shooting and floor spacing he’ll provide,” one rival executive told Scotto.
While the Raptors’ goal is to add pieces that better complement Barnes, the young forward declined to comment when asked about Saturday’s trade, which sent three of his best friends on the team to New York, Grange notes. “This is the NBA, that’s the thing, right?” Siakam said of the deal. “Like we got to be robots and just move on. Because that’s what it is. We get paid for it, right? So you have to move on… (but) it sucks. It’s not easy. For some people is the first time (they’ve been through it) but I’ve seen it happen. So I understand. … It’s a business and you learn about it every day, and every day you try to just be out there you know, like look out for yourself, look out for your teammates, and do the best that you can.”
Following a loss to the lowly Pistons on Saturday, the Raptors are 12-20 on the season, and postgame comments from Dennis Schröder indicated that the club isn’t exactly a “cohesive, well-oiled” machine, writes Grange. “When I got here, (head coach) Darko (Rajakovic) did a great job just putting this system into the organization,” Schröder said. “But I think we just got to follow that. Everybody just being unselfish, sharing the ball… to be a winning team, we need everybody, Even the guys who don’t really, really play. People got to be grateful, cheering on their teammates when they get a stop, when they get on the floor, dive, pick them up, being excited for one another. I don’t want to go deep into that, but I need to feel that because in the summer I did. … I went to war with all my brothers from the (World Cup champion German) national team. But we knew we had each other. I don’t feel it here yet like that.”

Injury Notes: Mavs, Rockets, Wemby, Kawhi, Huerter

December 29th, 2023 at 10:31pm CST by Rory Maher

It’s been three weeks since Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving sustained a heel contusion that has sidelined him ever since, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Irving has missed the past 12 games, and he’s doubtful for Saturday’s contest against Golden State.

Doubtful typically means the player won’t suit up, but in Irving’s case, it’s actually an upgrade — he’s been listed as out every previous game since November 8, when the injury occurred. Fellow star guard Luka Doncic, who missed Thursday’s game against the Wolves with left quad soreness, is questionable, Townsend adds.

The Mavs got off to a strong start to the season and are still 18-14, but they’re just 2-5 over their past seven games, Townsend notes, and getting whole again would be a welcome sight for the team, especially with Doncic carrying such a heavy workload this month.

“We still have some injuries, so we’ve got to keep it together,” Doncic said. “Everybody’s got to stay together and keep the next-man-up mentality.”

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Rockets were down two starters — Dillon Brooks (oblique) and Jabari Smith (left ankle sprain) — on Friday against Philadelphia, and head coach Ime Udoka was vague in describing a possible return timeline for the two forwards, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “Not exact dates, but hopefully it is a shorter-term thing, two or three games possibly,” Udoka said. “Don’t want to give exact. About a week or so.” However, Udoka added that oblique injuries “can be tricky” to recover from, so Brooks’ timeline is particularly hazy.
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick of this year’s draft, will be on a minutes restriction for a couple weeks until he undergoes another MRI, head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters, including Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Wembanyama suffered a right ankle sprain when he stepped on a ball boy’s foot during warmups last Saturday against Dallas.
Head coach Tyronn Lue previously stated that Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard practiced for “a little bit” on Thursday, but he clarified on Friday that Leonard had a post-practice workout and hasn’t been cleared to resume practicing, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). Lue added that Leonard aggravated an old hip contusion that he sustained earlier this month and had played through. He missed his fourth straight game on Friday.
Kings sharpshooter Kevin Huerter suffered a left hand injury in the first half of Friday’s game vs. Atlanta and was later ruled out, tweets James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com. It’s unclear if the injury is related to the left finger sprain that caused Huerter to miss his lone game of the 2023/24 season back in November.

Southwest Notes: K. Johnson, Smart, Mavs, J. Green

December 29th, 2023 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

A longtime starter for the Spurs, Keldon Johnson has come off the bench in each of the past three games, and head coach Gregg Popovich expects that to continue for the foreseeable future, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).

As McDonald explains, the thinking is that Johnson can breathe some life into a second unit that hasn’t been as effective as hoped this season. The move will also give starters Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama an opportunity to establish more chemistry as they continue working on their two-man game.

Although he had started 230 of his previous 233 games prior to last Saturday, Johnson has no problem with the role change, indicating that he doesn’t need to be sold on it if Popovich believes it’s in the team’s best interest.

“If that’s what we need and that’s what we’re going to try, then that’s what we’re going to do,” Johnson said. “I don’t have an ego about it.”

Johnson’s performances in his first three games off the bench have been up and down, but he’s certainly not getting any fewer offensive opportunities in the new role. After averaging 13.5 field goal attempts in 33.0 minutes per game in his 26 starts, he has launched 15.7 attempts in 28.0 MPG this past week.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Upon returning this week from a left foot sprain that had sidelined him since November 14, Marcus Smart rejoined the Grizzlies‘ starting lineup and has made an immediate impact, notes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. In Smart’s first two games back – a win over New Orleans and loss to Denver – the Grizzlies outscored their opponents by two points in his 52 minutes of action and were outscored by 38 in the 49 minutes he sat.
Explaining the decision to sign Brandon Williams to a two-way contract, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said the team wanted to make sure it still had plenty of point guard depth with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both banged up (Twitter link via Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com). While Kidd indicated that Williams would have a chance to play on Thursday with the two star guards out, he was a DNP-CD, as Jaden Hardy (31 minutes) and Seth Curry (30 minutes) played increased roles.
After getting a vote of confidence from head coach Ime Udoka earlier in the week, slumping Rockets guard Jalen Green showed signs of progress on Wednesday, scoring 23 points in 26 minutes and making 6-of-12 three-pointers. “He was aggressive, hunting his shots … and getting downhill more aggressively and making the right reads,” Udoka said, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “With their big (Jusuf Nurkic) back, he got some easy ones early on and it snowballed from there. He got aggressive looking for the three. That’s what we want him to do on a nightly basis.”

Injury Notes: Brown, Doncic, Payton, Vincent, Nance, Heat

December 28th, 2023 at 3:52pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics wing Jaylen Brown has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against Detroit due to a lower back contusion, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Brown sustained the injury on Monday against the Lakers after being accidentally kneed in the back by LeBron James. Both players were down in pain for a few minutes, but were able to return later in the contest.

Brown, who signed a five-year, super-max extension in the offseason, is averaging 22.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.1 SPG on .478/.335/.734 shooting in 28 games (33.8 MPG) this season for Boston.

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Mavericks will be without Luka Doncic for Thursday’s game in Minnesota, as first reported by Marc Stein (via Twitter). Doncic is dealing with left quad soreness. As Stein notes, it’s the second game of a back-to-back for Dallas, which lost to Cleveland on Wednesday.
Warriors swingman Gary Payton II practiced on Wednesday, according to Jon Schultz of The San Francisco Chronicle. “He had a lot of energy today,” Trayce Jackson-Davis said of Payton. “Had a great practice, and we need them out there. Obviously our guard depth is a little shallow right now, and just having another defensive two-way guard on the floor is going to help us a lot.” However, Payton has been ruled out of Thursday’s contest vs. Miami, per the league’s official injury report. It will be the 13th consecutive absence for Payton, who has been battling a right calf strain.
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Wednesday and will be reevaluated in about eight weeks, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Jarred Vanderbilt is one of the players who will receive more minutes with Vincent out, Turner adds. “It obviously hurt. He’s a big component of what we do,” Vanderbilt said of Vincent. “Great player, great system player. So, obviously health comes first. So, we want him to get healthy. For us, it’s the next-man-up mentality. Continue to play the right way and have some guys step up in his absence.”
Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr. has missed the past month after aggravating a rib fracture, but he’ll be active tonight against Utah, he told Christian Clark of NOLA.com and other media members (Twitter link). Nance has been limited to 14 games thus far in 2023/24.
The Heat have dealt with numerous injuries once again this season and will be shorthanded during Thursday’s contest in Golden State, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Jimmy Butler (left calf strain), Kyle Lowry (soreness), Caleb Martin (right ankle sprain) are all out, Josh Richardson (back discomfort) is doubtful, and Orlando Robinson is away from the team after being assigned to the G League.

Mavericks Waive Dexter Dennis

December 28th, 2023 at 11:29am CST by Rory Maher

In order to sign Brandon Williams to a two-way contract, the Mavericks have waived rookie guard/forward Dexter Dennis, the team announced in a press release.

Dennis, 24, went undrafted in June. He spent his first four college seasons at Wichita State before joining Texas A&M for the 2022/23 season. As a “super-senior” taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility afforded to college players due to COVID-19, he averaged 9.5 PPG and 5.7 RPG on .392/.310/.771 shooting in 34 appearances for the Aggies (28.7 MPG).

Dennis never averaged double-digit points per game in any of his five college seasons and struggled with scoring efficiency. However, he’s a talented defender who earned AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022 for the Shockers.

The 6’5″ wing appeared in four games for the Mavericks in ’23/24, averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 7.5 MPG. He received more extensive playing time with their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, averaging 15.7 PPG and 6.3 RPG on .427/.333/.769 shooting in 13 games during the Showcase Cup (35.8 MPG).

The Mavericks’ 18-man roster remains full after the signing of Williams and release of Dennis.

Brandon Williams Signs Two-Way Deal With Mavericks

December 28th, 2023 at 11:25am CST by Arthur Hill

December 28: The move is official, the Mavericks announced in a press release (via Twitter).

December 27: The Mavericks are planning to sign G League point guard Brandon Williams to a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Williams is currently with the Osceola Magic, where he is averaging 23.9 points and 5.6 assists per game.

Williams, 24, was in training camp with Orlando on an Exhibit 10 contract, but was waived before the start of the season. He reported to Osceola, which is his third G League team in three years.

Williams’ first NBA opportunity came during the 2021/22 season when he signed a 10-day contract with Portland and was able to earn a two-way deal. He averaged 12.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 24 games with the Trail Blazers, making 16 starts, but was waived before the beginning of the next season.

Dallas currently has a full roster, so another move will have to be made before Williams can be signed. Greg Brown, Dexter Dennis and A.J. Lawson hold the team’s two-way contracts.

Southwest Notes: Cuban, Brooks, J. Green, Pelicans

December 27th, 2023 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mark Cuban has clarified his role once the Mavericks‘ sale is finalized, confirming that he will continue to handle most of the team’s personnel decisions, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Cuban spoke with reporters tonight after he finished a pre-game shooting session at American Airlines Arena and said he looks forward to working with the Adelson and Dumont families, who will soon have the controlling stake in the team.

“Nothing’s really changed except my bank account,” Cuban said. “I feel really good. I think it’s a great partnership. It’s what the team needed on the court and off. I’ll still be overseeing the basketball side of it, but having a partner like Patrick and Sivan (Dumont) and Miriam (Adelson) and their ability to build and to redevelop the arena and whatever comes next beyond that just puts us in a much better position to compete. That’s all. That’s what it comes down to.”

Cuban confirmed that there’s “no contractual language” in the purchase agreement that outlines his authority, but he has an understanding with the new owners about what he’ll do. He will keep a 27% stake as the Mavericks’ sole minority owner, but admitted that Patrick Dumont, who will serve as the team’s governor, will have “final say” on every decision.

Cuban expects the new owners to focus mainly on business interests, including a long-term plan to build an arena with a resort hotel and casino. He added that the new facility will be located somewhere within the city of Dallas.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Rockets forward Dillon Brooks sat out tonight’s game with a strained oblique he suffered Tuesday and the team doesn’t have a timetable for him to return, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Jae’Sean Tate took Brooks’ place in the starting lineup, Feigen adds, while rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore both got minutes in the first quarter.
After Tuesday’s game, Rockets coach Ime Udoka told reporters that he has “not thought about” moving guard Jalen Green to the bench, according to Michael Shapiro of The Houston Chronicle. Green has struggled in his first season under Udoka, averaging 16.7 PPG while shooting career worsts from the field (39.4%) and three-point range (31.9%). “Obviously, with [Green] playing that way, if he was playing the other way we obviously wouldn’t struggle as much offensively and have to lean on other guys as much or play other guys minutes,” Udoka said. “We’ll continue to keep him confident, continue to [help] him improve in certain areas, and he’ll take a jump eventually.”
The Pelicans announced the renewal of naming rights this week for Smoothie King Center, relays Rod Walker of NOLA.com. A statement from the team said the name will remain in place “for the foreseeable future.”

Cuban’s Control Of Mavs’ Basketball Ops Not Formalized In Sale

December 27th, 2023 at 2:13pm CST by Rory Maher

While Mark Cuban has been assured that he’ll retain control of the Mavericks‘ basketball operations department, there’s no language in the sale agreement that will guarantee he’ll keep that role in the future, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News had heard differently from his source.

Cuban is selling his majority stake of the franchise to the Adelson and Dumont families. The transaction received unanimous approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors and is expected to be finalized later this week.

Patrick Dumont will be the new Mavericks Governor, with Cuban the alternate. Cuban will remain a significant minority shareholder (27%) of the team.

Cuban’s position as head of basketball operations may not be formalized in writing, but Stein reiterates (via Twitter) that the longtime owner is expected to stay in the role going forward. Stein points out that the parties had been working together for several months to reach an agreement.

“We look forward to working in partnership with Mark Cuban as stewards of this great franchise and bringing another NBA championship to the city of Dallas,” Dumont said in a statement. “We are committed to the long-term success of the Mavericks and delivering a world-class hospitality experience to our fans, players, employees, sponsors and partners.”

Cuban originally purchased his majority stake of the Mavs in January 2000.

Sale Of Mavericks Receives Unanimous Approval

December 27th, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Mark Cuban‘s agreement to sell his majority stake in the Mavericks to the Adelson and Dumont families has been approved by the league’s Board of Governors, tweets NBA writer Marc Stein. Sources tell Stein that the league’s 29 other owners all voted in favor of the move.

Sands Corp. Chief Operating Officer Patrick Dumont will take over as the Mavericks’ governor with a 73% stake, according to Stein (Twitter link). Cuban will retain a 27% share in the team and becomes alternate governor. The Mavericks’ valuation in the deal is likely to fall between $4 billion and $5 billion with the Sands Corp.’s promise of a new arena being included, Stein adds.

The transaction is expected to close this week, the league announced in a formal statement (Twitter link). Sale documents still have to be signed and money has to be paid to Cuban and the team’s five minority stakeholders who are being bought out in the deal, notes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

A person familiar with the sale tells Townsend that the franchise is being valued between $3.8 billion and $3.9 billion without the arena considerations. He adds that it’s believed to be the largest pure cash transaction in the history of the league as Miriam Adelson sold $2 billion in Sands stock to help finance the deal.

Cuban was expected to retain control of basketball operations when news that he was selling broke in late November, and those provisions are being included in the sale documents, another source tells Townsend. Cuban purchased the team for $285MM in 2000.

[UPDATE: Cuban’s Control Of Mavs’ Basketball Ops Not Formalized In Sale]

With an estimated fortune of $33 billion, the Adelson and Dumont families will become the NBA’s second wealthiest owners, Townsend states, behind only the Clippers’ Steve Ballmer. Townsend adds that Cuban’s estimated worth of $6.2 billion and his high profile around the league will continue to serve as assets for the franchise.

The league office streamlined the voting process as a show of support for the new owners, Townsend tweets. A source tells him that the league recommended approval of the sale, then it passed unanimously through a BOG executive committee before today’s vote was taken.