Salah Mejri Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavs Withdraw Salah Mejri’s Qualifying Offer

June 28th, 2018 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

For the second time this week, the Mavericks have rescinded a player’s qualifying offer shortly after issuing it. According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), the club’s QO for Salah Mejri is no longer on the table, putting the big man on track to become an unrestricted free agent.

Mejri, 32, only has three years of NBA experience under his belt. In 2017/18, he posted 3.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in 61 games (12.0 MPG) for the Mavericks. He’ll be free to sign with any team once he reaches the open market next week, as will teammate Doug McDermott, who also had his qualifying offer withdrawn by Dallas this week.

Mejri’s qualifying offer was worth a modest $1.84MM, so it’s not entirely clear why the Mavs wanted to remove it from their books. As the team explores acquiring DeAndre Jordan, either via trade or free agency, every bit of cap flexibility could help, so perhaps the club didn’t want to risk having Mejri and/or McDermott accept their QOs once the new league year gets underway.

The Mavs still have one qualifying offer on the table for Yogi Ferrell. It’s worth approximately $2.92MM.

Mavericks Extend Qualifying Offers To McDermott, Mejri

June 26th, 2018 at 9:44pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Mavericks have extended qualifying offers to Doug McDermott and Salah Mejri, Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW tweets. Both players will become restricted free agents.

McDermott’s qualifying is worth approximately $4.3MM. It would have been slightly over $4.5MM had he met the “starter criteria,” but since he did not, he’ll settle for the lower figure.

A player meets the criteria if he plays 2,000 minutes or starts 41 games in the season before he reaches free agency. A player can also reach this distinction by averaging either of those marks in over the two seasons prior to hitting free agency.

McDermott only started 13 games in his entire career and he came up 232 minutes short of the 2,000 mark during the 2017/18 campaign. Teammate Yogi Ferrell, who also received a qualifying offer from the Mavs, met the starter criteria.

Mejri, whose offer is worth slightly over $1.8MM, did not meet the criteria after playing just 729 minutes this past season.

Mavericks Notes: Hopson, Nowitzki, Mejri, Matthews

March 11th, 2018 at 8:54am CST by Arthur Hill

As expected, the Mavericks opted not to offer a second 10-day contract to shooting guard Scotty Hopson, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Hopson appeared in just one game and played eight minutes during his time in Dallas.

The open roster spot will be used to extend a 10-day deal to Jameel Warney, possibly today. The 6’9″ power forward/center has been playing in the G League, averaging 19.8 points and 9.5 rebounds for the Texas Legends.

There’s more this morning from Dallas:

Coach Rick Carlisle told reporters Saturday there’s a good chance that Dirk Nowitzki will return for a 21st season, Sefko relays in a separate story. Carlisle said he hasn’t talked to Nowitzki about the topic, but there are reasons to believe he will be back. “At this point, it looks promising that he’ll play another year,” Carlisle said. “But it’s his decision and he’s got to think of everything involved. I’m personally 100 percent supportive of it because you just don’t want to see a guy like this go away. So we’ll see. Time will tell.” Nowitzki, who said in December that he’s leaning toward another season, is averaging 12.4 points in 65 games.
The Mavericks may face a tricky market for center Salah Mejri this summer, Sefko states in another piece. Mejri has shown he can be a valuable backup, but his effectiveness is limited to about 15 to 20 minutes per game. Some team may be willing to offer the $3.5MM bi-annual exception or even the $4.5MM room exception, which may be more than the Mavs want to pay. They like Dwight Powell more and may land a center in the draft, so Mejri’s return for next season seems iffy.
Wesley Matthews is likely to be back for another season in Dallas, Sefko adds in the same story. He has a player option worth more than $18.6MM and doesn’t want to leave before helping turn the Mavericks around.
The NBA may choose to use the NFL’s punishment of Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott as a model in sanctioning Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, writes Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News. The sexual misconduct allegations against the team’s front office and Cuban’s alleged sexual abuse in Oregon could cause commissioner Adam Silver to send a message with a harsh sanction, Cowlishaw adds.

Mavericks Notes: Cuban, Noel, Powell, Mejri

March 7th, 2018 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

When a Sports Illustrated report last month detailed a corrosive workplace culture within the Mavericks’ organization, the general consensus was that owner Mark Cuban was partially to blame for not recognizing the issues and moving to address them earlier. However, Cuban himself was not named as an alleged perpetrator of sexual misconduct in SI’s feature.

According to a new report from Nigel Jaquiss of Willamette Week though, Cuban was the subject of a sexual assault investigation back in 2011 — a woman claimed that the Mavs owner “thrust his hand down the back of her jeans and penetrated her vagina with his finger” while they were taking a photo together at a Portland nightclub. The local District Attorney’s office ultimately determined at the time that there was “insufficient evidence to press criminal charges.” For his part, Cuban denies that the incident ever happened, according to a Dallas Morning News report.

Despite Cuban’s denials and the lack of charges filed in 2011, the woman who went to police to report the incident maintains that her account was accurate and that she stands by it “one thousand percent.” The case is unlikely to be reopened years later, but the report itself is another black mark for Cuban and the Mavericks, who have seen their reputations called into question in recent weeks.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News examines what the unearthed 2011 allegation means for Cuban.
While Nerlens Noel still may not have a long-term future in Dallas, he showed on Tuesday why the team traded for him in the first place, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “Nerlens is doing better and better,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after Noel’s 14-rebound performance. “He’s simplifying things out there. It’s pretty clear he’s getting some rhythm back and he’s getting some familiarity with the guys he’s playing with.”
In a separate article for The Dallas Morning News, Townsend suggests the odds of Noel, Dwight Powell, or Salah Mejri turning into the Mavs’ center of the future are slim. However, Townsend thinks there’s a good chance that at least two of them will be on the roster next season.
On Tuesday, we passed along details on the new advertisement patch the Mavs will wear on their uniforms.

Trade Rumors: Mavs, Holiday, Lakers, Celtics

February 8th, 2018 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have received some trade offers, but those proposals haven’t featured great draft-pick incentives, a league source tells Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas is willing to use its leftover cap space to take on a contract or two, but the Mavs would require a draft pick valuable enough to make it worth their while.

According to Sefko, the Mavericks have also found that there’s a trade market for center Salah Mejri, who is facing restricted free agency this summer. However, teams haven’t been willing to offer more than a very low second-round pick.

Here are a few more trade rumors from across the NBA:

Sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Bulls wing Justin Holiday has received serious interest. Holiday is one of several veterans Chicago will consider dealing, along with Robin Lopez and Jerian Grant.
The Lakers are using Larry Nance Jr. as a potential sweetener when they discuss Jordan Clarkson trade scenarios, tweets Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders initially suggested last month that Nance could be attached to another player to help L.A. clear salary. Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN examines how Nance and his Lakers teammates are handling the ongoing trade rumors.
The Celtics seem to be “on the periphery” of the Tyreke Evans trade discussions, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald, who hears that the Grizzlies have better offers for Evans. However, one GM tells Bulpett that Boston appears to be “lying in wait” in the event that more active talks stall.
Dante Cunningham and Alexis Ajinca looks like the Pelicans‘ primary trade candidates today, sources tell Scott Kushner of The Advocate (Twitter link). Cunningham has the ability to veto trades and Ajinca is out for the season, so neither player has a ton of value.

Southwest Notes: Mavericks, Leonard, Green, Grizzlies

January 24th, 2018 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks remain willing to take on salary in any deal as long as they get draft picks for their troubles, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas has about $13MM in available cap room, and the quality of the picks they ask for will rise according to how much salary they absorb. The Mavs were rumored to be a potential third team to help complete a George Hill trade to Cleveland, with a Sacramento second-rounder coming to Dallas, but Sefko dismisses that as unlikely.

He identifies Harrison Barnes, Dennis Smith Jr. and Dirk Nowitzki as the only untouchables on the Mavericks’ roster, but adds that it would take an extraordinary offer to get J.J. Barea, Devin Harris or Wesley Matthews. Sefko notes that Dallas feels a sense of loyalty to its veteran players and speculates that another organization might have waived Harris before his contract became fully guaranteed earlier this month.

The Mavs, who rank fourth in our Reverse Standings, are counting on a high lottery pick to add another building block for the future. They would like to acquire a second pick and are hoping to find a center in the draft.

Sefko adds that Josh McRoberts, who has a $6MM expiring contract, is being made available in trades, but Dallas plans to let him play out the season if no deal is reached. The team is hoping to re-sign Seth Curry, Salah Mejri and Yogi Ferrell when they all hit free agency this summer.

There’s more tonight from the Southwest Division:

The tension between Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs over his injury is “legit,” a source tells Ken Berger of Bleacher Report. GM R.C. Buford has denied any rift with Leonard, but both sides are frustrated over his long recovery time from right quadriceps tendinopathy. The same source says the Spurs have a history of being reluctant to get second opinions from doctors outside the organization. Despite the hard feelings, a rival GM says San Antonio hasn’t given any consideration to trading Leonard.
The Rockets‘ return to full health has cost Gerald Green his spot in the rotation, notes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Green, who signed with the team in late December, averaged 15.6 points in 10 games while some key players were sidelined with injuries. “I can’t upset five guys to appease one,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “I’d rather have one guy kind of out of it and four happy. I’ve got to keep a core that knows about their minutes. Now, whenever I can, I’ll play him. I won’t hesitate to play him. If somebody’s hurt or sick, he’ll play. Or if I can find time, I will.”
The Grizzlies are already making moves with next season in mind, writes Chris Herrington of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Memphis is giving more minutes to younger players and letting veterans rest longer after injuries. The team plans to explore the trade market for Tyreke Evans and other players on expiring contracts before the February 8 deadline.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Mejri, Parsons

January 21st, 2018 at 5:57pm CST by Austin Kent

With a slate of home games and matchups versus sub-.500 opponents forthcoming, the Pelicans have an opportunity to expand their offense outside of their big three. Ron Higgins of The Times-Picayune writes that doing so could be the key to sneaking into the playoffs.

The trio of Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Jrue Holiday combine for 63.6% of the Pelicans’ 110.7 points per game.

Four of the Pelicans’ next five games come at home, while nine of the 13 contests remaining before the All-Star break are against teams with worse records than them.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

The Mavs are noticing that Salah Mejri is developing a reputation as a tough guy, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. “People don’t like my expressions, the way I play, they don’t like that I’m getting in the mix every time,” the 31-year-old center said. “I don’t care. I’m doing my job. That’s why I’m getting paid. I don’t do anything [harmful] on purpose. “
After missing nine games with soreness in his right knee, Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons missed a tenth game for a different reason. Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that, while his knee is still injured, Parsons was sidelined Friday after experiencing abdominal pain.
The Pelicans don’t have a set crunch time lineup and that’s by design, Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate writes. While the team’s big three tend to be on the floor more often than not, head coach Alvin Gentry says that the other two slots are decided by feel.

2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Dallas Mavericks

December 14th, 2017 at 1:41pm CST by Austin Kent

The Mavericks are in a curious position as an NBA franchise, suspended in a unique limbo between rebuilding and (sorta) contending. Thank Dirk Nowitzki for most of it, as team owner Mark Cuban seems to have insisted that the Mavs field a semi-competent roster in the future Hall of Famer’s final years.

While the club has seemingly acknowledged the writing on the wall and started to amass long-term building blocks – most recently, ninth overall pick Dennis Smith Jr. – it’s unlikely that the Mavs will fully give into an outright rebuild so long as Nowitzki is on board for 2018/19 (which, for reasons discussed below, we’re going to assume to be the case).

Seth Curry, PG, 27 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $6MM deal in 2016
Curry has yet to see the court this season on account of a leg injury that may now require surgery. Even at full health, however, it’s not likely that Curry would have siphoned minutes away from either lottery pick Dennis Smith Jr. or several other niche players in Dallas’ backcourt rotation, a reality that casts doubt on his future with the franchise.

Devin Harris, SG, 35 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $17MM deal in 2014
While Harris has produced admirably off the bench for the Mavs, it doesn’t make sense for a team attempting to usher in a new era to retain a 35-year-old reserve in an already crowded backcourt. Harris could be a sneaky value add for a contender late in the free agency process next summer.

Yogi Ferrell, PG, 25 (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $2MM deal in 2017
Ferrell carved out a role for himself as a rotation piece on the Mavs last season but he probably won’t garner much interest as a restricted free agent next summer given that his ceiling seems somewhat capped. Still, he could provide solid long-term value in Dallas if the team does decide to part ways with Curry and/or Harris.

Wesley Matthews, SF, 31 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $70MM deal in 2015
The Mavs poached Matthews from an elite Trail Blazers squad hopeful that the swingman’s two-way game would help keep their aging core relevant in the West. Through three seasons, Matthews has posted a relatively uninspiring 12.9 points per game but will almost certainly return to Dallas considering how unlikely it would be for him to exceed his $19MM 2018/19 player option on the open market.

Josh McRoberts, PF, 31 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $23MM deal in 2014
The Mavs absorbed the final year of McRoberts’ contract over the summer, yielding a future second-round pick from the Heat in the process. Considering that the 30-year-old has been sidelined with a knee injury since joining the organization, he’ll be hard-pressed to earn a significant contract after this season. McRoberts may be able to fill a rotation spot somewhere – maybe even in Dallas – but he’ll presumably have to do so on a minimum salary.

Salah Mejri, C, 32 (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $3MM deal in 2015
While Mejri has played a modest role for the Mavs in each of the past three seasons, he won’t command much on the open market as a 32-year-old free agent with career averages south of five points per game.

Nerlens Noel, C, 24 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $4MM deal in 2017
It’s been less than a year since the Mavs plucked a disgruntled Noel away from the Sixers, but any notion that the team was eager to include the 23-year-old in their long-term plans has quickly faded. It’s hard to picture Noel commanding the big money he supposedly aspired to land last summer but even harder to picture him back in Dallas next season after how head coach Rick Carlisle has handled his minutes so far this season. Realistically the 2016 lottery pick’s value falls much higher than his $4MM qualifying offer and, once the free agency dominoes start falling next summer, he should find a team happy to throw him a more significant long-term offer.

Dirk Nowitzki, PF, 40 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $10MM deal in 2017.
Nowitzki has said that his decision (yes, his decision, even though it’s formally and contractually the team’s) will be based on how he feels over the course of this season. For what it’s worth, Cuban hopes to see him return and thinks there’s good chance that he does so in order to break the record for most seasons with one franchise.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Southwest Notes: Conley, Mejri, Noel, Rondo

November 18th, 2017 at 5:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies provided an update on injured point guard Mike Conley after Friday’s game, saying treatment and therapy will be used to lessen the pain in his left heel and Achilles tendon, according to an Associated Press story. The team plans to re-examine Conley in two weeks, and coach David Fizdale is optimistic that he will be ready to play by then.

“It’s unfortunate, but watching him play in pain like that and really trying to push through that stuff was worse to watch,” Fizdale said. “For whatever reason, this thing is just not going away on its own.”

While Conley is sidelined, the starting role will go to Mario Chalmers, who signed with Memphis in July after a year out of the league following a torn Achilles tendon. Chalmers is averaging 8.0 points and 3.5 assists through 14 games. Ben McLemore and Wayne Selden may also see increased playing time.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Moving Dirk Nowitzki to center has worsened the logjam in the middle for the Mavericks, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. The other four centers on the roster, Salah Mejri, Nerlens Noel, Dwight Powell and Jeff Withey have all gone through games where they didn’t get off the bench. The problem will work itself out eventually — Withey’s contract is non-guaranteed, Mejri has a player option for next season and Noel will be an unrestricted free agent next summer — but for now there’s frustration over a lack of playing time. “It’s almost like we went to Costco and got a forklift full of centers,” said coach Rick Carlisle. “They’re all good players, but there are a limited number of minutes and with more teams playing hybrid centers, it makes it even harder.”
Mejri is sympathetic toward Noel, who expected a larger role after being acquired from the Sixers in a February trade, relays Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News. Noel was in a similar situation in Philadelphia, where he was competing for time with Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and Richaun Holmes. “I’m trying to tell [Noel] … hey, just go out there and play as hard as you can when you come to practice,” Mejri said. “Practice as hard as you can and then they will see that you’re trying to compete and they have reason to say, “Ah, we didn’t play Nerlens or we didn’t play Salah.’ It goes to everybody, you know?”
A healthy Rajon Rondo will turn the Pelicans into a different team, claims Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. Rondo returned this week from a sports hernia and made an immediate impact with 8 assists in 14 minutes in his first game in the starting lineup.

Texas Notes: Paul, Mbah a Moute, Mejri, Forbes

November 5th, 2017 at 4:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

As much as they would like to get Chris Paul back in the lineup, the Rockets won’t use their new point guard until he is fully recovered, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. After playing on opening night, Paul has been sidelined by a bruised knee. He has been swimming and boxing to stay in shape and went through shooting drills Saturday.

Coach Mike D’Antoni said he hopes to have Paul back around the middle of this month, but there isn’t a definite date for his return. “Every day that goes by we get a little bit closer,” D’Antoni said. “It can’t be close enough. He’s getting there.”

For his part, Paul is anxious to get back on the court, and agrees with D’Antoni’s timeline, as he tells Sam Amick of USA Today.

There’s more NBA news from the Lone Star State:

Free agent addition Luc Mbah a Moute has been a huge bargain for the Rockets, Feigen writes in a separate story. Houston pursued the 31-year-old forward for his defensive prowess, but Mbah a Moute has contributed on offense as well. He is averaging 9.3 points per game and scored a season-high 20 Friday against the Hawks. The Rockets were able to sign him to a one-year, minimum-salary deal thanks to aggressive recruiting from Paul, who recognized the value of his former Clippers teammate. “He’s the best-kept secret in the NBA,” D’Antoni said. “… He’s as good as anybody. He’s smart. He can play big minutes. He can shoot 3s. Whatever you want him to do he does it. He’s got playmaking skills. He sees the floor. I don’t know how we all missed it, but we all did.”
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle continues to tinker with his lineup, starting Salah Mejri at center Saturday night instead of Nerlens Noel, relays Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “He always brings a lot of energy, a lot of fight,” Carlisle said of Mejri, who made his first start of the season. “He brings a certain combative personality to the game, which is something we need right now.” Noel, who is headed toward unrestricted free agency after accepting the team’s qualifying offer this summer, has been in and out of the starting lineup with six starts in 11 games.
Second-year shooting guard Bryn Forbes had his best night of the season Friday with 22 points off the Spurs‘ bench, notes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Undrafted out of Michigan State last season, Forbes seems to have earned a spot in San Antonio’s rotation. “It’s a (testament) to how well he’s been working behind the scenes,” said teammate Patty Mills. “He’s one of those hard workers who never puts his head down and just keeps grinding. So I’m really proud of him because you see it all pay off in the end.”