The Dallas Mavericks are trying to trade for Philadelphia 76ers small forward Tobias Harris, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers have reached out to the Sixers about a Harris trade.

“The Sixers have been adamant that they’re not willing to trade him unless it drastically improves their team. They made that clear on draft night and don’t intend to change their stance,” Pompey wrote. “However, the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, and Dallas Mavericks joined the previously mentioned Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, and Detroit Pistons as teams making inquiries about the 30-year-old’s availability, according to sources.”

Harris signed a five-year, $180 million contract with the Sixers in July 2019. He’ll make $39.3 million next season, the final year of his contract.

The 30-year-old Harris averaged 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists this past season for the Sixers while shooting 50.1% from the field, 38.9% from beyond the arc and 87.6% from the free-throw line.

Mavericks Probably Won’t Get Tobias Harris

The Mavericks probably won’t get Harris, as Pompey is reporting that the Sixers are planning to keep the swingman.

New Sixers head coach Nick Nurse intends to get Harris more involved offensively than he was under Doc Rivers last season as the fourth option behind James Harden, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Harris is represented by his father, Torrel. The CEO of Unique Sports Management International was recently a guest on the “Business of Sports” podcast and Torrel said the Sixers haven’t used his son correctly on offense.

“Personally, I don’t think so. The reason I say that, well Tobias is an assassin scorer,” Torrel said. “I mean they can’t stop him. Nobody in the league can stop him. So he’s proven that over his career, even when he was with the Clippers, he was an assassin scorer.

“They didn’t utilize him. He was not a priority in their offense. And that’s kind of frustrating because if you’re a kick-butt player, you don’t want to be in the corner twiddling your thumb. I just think that when they gave him opportunities — like there was a stretch Joel (Embiid) didn’t play and James Harden didn’t play for like 15 games — he led the team and averaged over 25 points. Then they come back, ‘Okay, well you gotta go back in the corner.’”

Harris has career averages of 16.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists with the Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers and Sixers.

Mavericks Tried to Get Jarrett Allen

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Mavericks reached out to the Cavaliers about trading for center Jarrett Allen.

However, the Cavaliers are not interested in dealing the Texas product.

“Sources say the Dallas Mavericks, who own the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and have sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. — a player the Cavs discussed at the February trade deadline — were one team that recently reached out about Allen’s availability,” Fedor wrote. “While it’s unclear what was offered, the Mavericks have been seeking a pick-and-roll partner for guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.”

Allen signed a five-year, $100 million contract with the Cavaliers in August 2021. He averaged 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks this past season while shooting 64.4% from the field and 73.3% from the free-throw line.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wants to re-sign point guard Kyrie Irving this summer.

Irving, 31, becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30.

“We want to sign him and hopefully he wants to come back,” Cuban said on The Ben and Skin Show. “I’m not going to handicap anymore. I learned my lesson last year.”

Irving averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 20 games with the Mavericks in 2022-23. If the NBA works with a $134 million salary cap, Uncle Drew would be eligible to re-sign with Dallas on a five-year, $272 million contract.

Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic and head coach Jason Kidd want Irving to re-sign with Dallas, league sources told Heavy Sports. All signs point toward Irving staying with the Mavericks and continuing his partnership with Doncic and Kidd.

Mavericks Appear to Be Only Confirmed Bidder for Kyrie Irving’s Services

The Mavericks may be the only team interested in signing Irving this summer, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

The Los Angeles Lakers don’t plan to pursue Irving and the Phoenix Suns can no longer sign the one-time champion after acquiring shooting guard Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards.

“League sources say that these developments — especially the latter — have reinforced the notion that the Mavericks appear to be the only confirmed bidder for Irving’s services as the opening bell for 2023 NBA Free Agency at 6 PM ET on June 30 draws near,” Stein wrote.

The Houston Rockets could make a run at Irving if former MVP James Harden stays with the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Toronto Raptors unrestricted free agent Fred VanVleet may rank higher than Irving on the Rockets’ free-agent board, per Stein.

“What could change that landscape? As I reported here June 11, Houston is expected to weigh a run at Irving if James Harden resists the Rockets’ overtures and the lure of a return to his adopted favorite city by electing to re-sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Remember: Weigh means consider,” Stein wrote.

“It was also conveyed to me this weekend that Irving, at best, would rank as the Rockets’ No. 3 choice among lead guards available in free agency if Houston decided to take its interest beyond the mere consideration phase — behind both Harden and Toronto’s Fred VanVleet.”

 Mavericks Must Re-Sign Kyrie Irving

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report believes the Mavericks should bring Irving back next season despite the team missing the play-in tournament in 2023.

“The Dallas Mavericks took a real gamble when they sent out a first-round draft pick as part of a trade to land someone who’d enter unrestricted free agency the following summer,” Bailey wrote. If Kyrie Irving walks, the Mavs will be out a rotation player (Spencer Dinwiddie), their best perimeter defender (Dorian Finney-Smith), the aforementioned first and multiple second-round picks for nothing.

“Yes, Kyrie was good (probably even great) for the few months he was a Maverick, but he hasn’t even been in the playoffs with them. Re-signing him is imperative.”

Irving has career averages of 23.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He has made eight All-Star teams and three All-NBA teams.

NEW YORK — It’s not just that the Mavericks got the guy they wanted all along with their lottery pick here at the NBA draft on Thursday. Dallas was also able to score a major traded-player exception in a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they moved from No. 10 down to No. 12, sending out the contract of Davis Bertans as part of the trade.

Lively is an enticing prospect, but it is the $17 million TPE the Mavericks landed for moving Bertans that offered the most immediate impact in Dallas. Around the NBA, teams are scrambling to shed salary in fear of onerous new collective-bargaining rules, and the two-slot drop put the Mavs in the position to further bolster the roster.

The Mavs did just that by trading for Kings center Richaun Holmes and taking the No. 24 pick from Sacramento, where they were able to get defensive-minded wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper from Marquette. Holmes may not fit in the Mavs’ long-term plans but he could, at least, be a serviceable placeholder at center until Lively is ready.

Holmes was stellar in Sacramento three years ago, but has since plummeted from the team’s rotation. He averaged just 8.3 minutes in 42 games last season, and is slated to earn $24 million over the next two years.

Lively Compared to Tyson Chandler

But, additionally, the Mavericks got an intriguing prospect at No. 12 in Lively, who averaged just 5.2 points and 5.4 rebounds as a freshman at Duke last season. In 34 games, he took only 13 3-point tried, and made two of them.

He also averaged 2.4 blocks, and given his measurements—he is 7-foot-1 and 230 pounds—he has drawn comparisons to Mavs hero Tyson Chandler.

Lively showed in workouts, though, that he has the potential to move his game out to the perimeter, something he said his mother—former Penn State star Kathy Drysdale—encouraged him to do.

“Being able to have someone like that in that corner is something I’m grateful for,” Lively said, “knowing that she has my best interests in mind and that I could always bigger brain about something on the court and off the court that goes from if my forums right at my feet so or if I’m in the right position? Or how I should carry myself in that moving forward.”

Lively Could Be a Bigger Offensive Threat

Expect Lively to bring more of a floor-spacer’s mentality to his game in Dallas, then—a more modern version of Chandler, perhaps.

“That’s definitely something that’s going to be able to grow,” Lively told me. “It’s something I’ve always had. Just because I wasn’t able to excel at it or show it as much as I wanted to, that doesn’t mean I never had it. I’m just excited to hit the ground running and show everybody what I can do.”

ESPN draft analyst Jay Bilas said that the impressive thing about Lively’s game is that he is, at the very least, a top-shelf shot-blocker. But he can do a lot more as a scorer.

“I think Lively has the ability to be a much better offensive player, but even if he’s not, the floor is so high,” Bilas said. “Like I think he’s got a much higher ceiling now, and he had a high one coming out of high school. He would have been a top-5 pick coming out of high school, if they allowed that, but the fact that he had an up-and-down season because of injury sort of maybe set him back a little bit.  But you just can’t make up those measurables. When you see it, you’re like, all this defense and rebounding and rim protecting, it’s legit.”

We shall see, too, if Lively’s potential as a shooter is legit.

The Dallas Mavericks tried to trade for a $100 million All-Star.

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Mavericks reached out to the Cleveland Cavaliers about trading for center Jarrett Allen.

However, the Cavaliers are not interested in dealing the Texas product.

“Sources say the Dallas Mavericks, who own the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and have sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. — a player the Cavs discussed at the February trade deadline — were one team that recently reached out about Allen’s availability,” Fedor wrote. “While it’s unclear what was offered, the Mavericks have been seeking a pick-and-roll partner for guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.”

Allen signed a five-year, $100 million contract with the Cavaliers in August 2021. He averaged 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks this past season while shooting 64.4% from the field and 73.3% from the free-throw line.

Mavericks Linked to Kyle Kuzma

According to Matt Moore of the Action Network, the Mavericks will pursue Kyle Kuzma this offseason.

The small forward declined his 2034-24 player option with the Washington Wizards, so he becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30.

“With the Wizards pivoting toward a rebuild after trading Bradley Beal, there’s a strong possibility (though not definite) that Kyle Kuzma finds a new home in free agency,” Moore wrote. “Belief among league sources is that Kuzma is looking for $30 million per season in talks. Kuzma has evolved into a 20-points-per-game scorer on moderate efficiency, rebounds well, has shown some playmaking ability and is a quality defender. At 28, he’s in his absolute prime.

“The Jazz and Mavericks are among the teams known to have interest in Kuzma, with the Jazz said to be one of the few teams willing to put up big money in various talks early on. Given the way teams struggled against the Nuggets‘ size in the playoffs, the 6-foot-9 combo forward should be one of the more attractive names on the market, especially for Western Conference playoff teams.”

Kuzma averaged 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Wizards in 2022-23 while shooting 44.8% from the floor, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 73.0% from the free-throw line. The Utah product is set to make considerably more money on the open market than the $13 million he would have earned next season if he didn’t decline his 2023-24 player option.

Mavericks Have Spoken to Celtics About Grant Williams

The Mavericks have spoken to the Boston Celtics about a potential Grant Williams sign-and-trade deal, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic.

Williams becomes a restricted free agent on June 30. The Celtics forward and Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic are both represented by WME Sports.

“For example: one league source, granted anonymity since he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, told me Dallas has spoken with the Boston Celtics about a Grant Williams sign-and-trade,” Cato wrote. “Dallas isn’t interested in using its pick to acquire him, and the team might decide against an offer — something more than the mid-level exception — that would be large enough that Boston wouldn’t match. But Williams makes plenty of sense in Dallas, and there may be other ways to complete that deal with Boston’s help if Dallas decides to seriously pursue it.”

Williams averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists for the Celtics this past season while shooting 45.4% from the field, 39.5% from 3 and 77.0% from the free-throw line in 79 games.

NBA Draft night is just hours away, after weeks of build up and rumors indicating that the Dallas Mavericks are looking to trade their No. 10 overall pick. Dallas’ front office is beginning to run low on time, but Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey still feels as if they’ll find a way to get a deal done.

In an article published on June 22, Bailey ran through five of his “bold predictions” for the 2023 NBA Draft. Amongst them was the idea of the Mavericks trading their first-round pick for a veteran.

“The Dallas Mavericks blatantly tanked (and were fined $750,000 for doing so) to close out the season,” Bailey wrote. “And they accomplished what they wanted to when the lottery secured them the 10th overall pick. But on a team that already has Luka Dončić and is hoping to re-sign Kyrie Irving, a mid-first-round rookie doesn’t make a ton of sense. For weeks, reporting has suggested Dallas is looking to trade its tanking prize for someone who can help right now. And it will find a taker on draft night. Adding a win-now player on Thursday could prove helpful in convincing Irving to re-sign, too. As he enters his age-31 season, he is likely interested in playing for a contender.”

Bailey’s prediction isn’t really all that bold. Again, it’s been widely reported that the Mavericks are looking to offload their selection in an effort to strengthen the roster around Irving and Dončić.

Proposed Trade Lands Mavericks Frontcourt Help in Exchange for No. 10 Pick

One of the teams that’s been most heavily linked to the Mavericks over the past week is the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta reportedly has interest in moving up from No. 15 to No. 10 in an effort to select Duke center Dereck Lively.

In spirt of those rumors, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz recently put together a mock trade between the two sides.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: No. 10 overall pick, PF Dāvis Bertāns, C JaVale McGee

Dallas Mavericks Receive: PF John Collins, C Onyeka Okongwu

A trade like Swartz’s may represent some of the best value that the Mavs could garner for No. 10. They would get the aforementioned veteran addition in Collins, while also getting some much needed depth for their frontcourt. Dallas trounced through last season in dire need of help down low. The lack of talent Jason Kidd was forced to use a carousel of middling big men last season and it just didn’t work.

Mavericks’ Desire to Trade 2023 Draft Pick is Well Documented

Ever since Dallas was locked into the No. 10 spot at the NBA Draft Lottery last month, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer has been all over their interest in using the selection in a trade.

“There are other teams rival executives are already pinning as potential trade candidates,” Fischer reported on May 18. “Dallas avoided disaster by landing its top-10 protected pick at the No. 10 spot, and the Mavericks are certainly expected to explore the market for that selection in hopes of adding to their All-Star backcourt of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, the latter of which will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.”

He followed up the initial report weeks later, revealing that teams all around the association were aware that Dallas’ first rounder was on the trading block.

“Dallas is widely known to be evaluating trade possibilities with the 10th pick to bring reinforcements to Luka Dončić, as well as All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who will become an unrestricted free agent,” he wrote on June 6.

The Dallas Mavericks are interested in a 27-year-old $34 million star.

According to Matt Moore of the Action Network, the Mavericks will pursue Kyle Kuzma this offseason. The small forward declined his 2034-24 player option with the Washington Wizards, so he becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30.

Kuzma has made over $34 million in his NBA career.

“With the Wizards pivoting toward a rebuild after trading Bradley Beal, there’s a strong possibility (though not definite) that Kyle Kuzma finds a new home in free agency,” Moore wrote. “Belief among league sources is that Kuzma is looking for $30 million per season in talks. Kuzma has evolved into a 20-points-per-game scorer on moderate efficiency, rebounds well, has shown some playmaking ability and is a quality defender. At 28, he’s in his absolute prime.

“The Jazz and Mavericks are among the teams known to have interest in Kuzma, with the Jazz said to be one of the few teams willing to put up big money in various talks early on. Given the way teams struggled against the Nuggets‘ size in the playoffs, the 6-foot-9 combo forward should be one of the more attractive names on the market, especially for Western Conference playoff teams.”

Kuzma averaged 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Wizards in 2022-23 while shooting 44.8% from the floor, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 73.0% from the free-throw line. The Utah product is set to make considerably more on the open market than the $13 million he would have earned next season if he didn’t decline his player option.

A Michigan native, Kuzma has career averages of 16.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists with the Los Angeles Lakers and Wizards. He helped Los Angeles win the 2020 championship over the Miami Heat in six games.

Mavericks Have Spoken to Celtics About Grant Williams Trade

The Mavericks have spoken to the Boston Celtics about a potential Grant Williams sign-and-trade deal, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic.

Williams becomes a restricted free agent on June 30. The Celtics forward and Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic are both represented by WME Sports.

“For example: one league source, granted anonymity since he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, told me Dallas has spoken with the Boston Celtics about a Grant Williams sign-and-trade,” Cato wrote. “Dallas isn’t interested in using its pick to acquire him, and the team might decide against an offer — something more than the mid-level exception — that would be large enough that Boston wouldn’t match. But Williams makes plenty of sense in Dallas, and there may be other ways to complete that deal with Boston’s help if Dallas decides to seriously pursue it.”

Williams averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists for the Celtics this past season while shooting 45.4% from the field, 39.5% from 3 and 77.0% from the free-throw line in 79 games.

Suns Tried to Acquire Kyrie Irving

According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Phoenix Suns reached out to the Mavericks about a potential sign-and-trade deal for Kyrie Irving.

Dallas wasn’t interested in making a trade.

“The Suns don’t have much trade capital left after acquiring Bradley Beal from the Wizards,” Begley wrote. “So it’s fair to assume that they can’t make a trade for a top player like Kyrie Irving. But it’s worth noting that Phoenix had interest in Irving earlier in the offseason. The Suns were among the teams to reach out to Dallas about a potential sign-and-trade for Irving earlier in the offseason, per sources familiar with the matter.

Irving is expected to re-sign with the Mavericks, league sources told Heavy Sports.

The Dallas Mavericks have spoken to the Boston Celtics about a potential Grant Williams sign-and-trade deal, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic.

Williams becomes a restricted free agent on June 30. The Celtics forward and Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic are both represented by WME Sports.

“For example: one league source, granted anonymity since he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, told me Dallas has spoken with the Boston Celtics about a Grant Williams sign-and-trade,” Cato wrote. “Dallas isn’t interested in using its pick to acquire him, and the team might decide against an offer — something more than the mid-level exception — that would be large enough that Boston wouldn’t match. But Williams makes plenty of sense in Dallas, and there may be other ways to complete that deal with Boston’s help if Dallas decides to seriously pursue it.”

As a restricted free agent, Williams can either re-sign with the Celtics or sign an offer sheet with another team. Boston can match any offer sheet Williams signs as long as it comes within 48 hours.

Grant Williams Is a Good Player

Williams averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists for the Celtics this past season while shooting 45.4% from the field, 39.5% from beyond the arc and 77.0% from the free-throw line in 79 games.

Boston lost to the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals in seven games. Williams averaged 5.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in the 2023 playoffs versus the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers and Heat.

The Mavericks need more win-now players around Doncic and All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving and Williams fits that bill. Dallas didn’t even qualify for the play-in tournament in 2023 despite having Doncic and Irving.

The Celtics have gone 181-107 with Williams in the lineup since 2019-20.

The Mavericks were only 5-11 in games Doncic and Irving played together this past season. That was the worst winning percentage (.313) for a pair of teammates who were both All-Stars since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976-77, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Irving, who becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30, is expected to re-sign with the Mavericks, league sources told Heavy Sports. If the NBA works with a $134 million salary cap, Uncle Drew would be eligible to re-sign with Dallas on a five-year, $272 million contract.

Over Half a Dozen Teams Are Interested in Acquiring Grant Williams

Over half a dozen teams are interested in acquiring Williams from the Celtics, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

It looks like the Mavericks will face stiff competition for Williams’ services.

“There have been over half a dozen teams who have inquired about a potential sign-and-trade deal for Williams, league sources told The Athletic,” Weiss wrote. “Williams turned down an extension offer around the projected $12.2 million mid-level exception (MLE) before last season and in spite of a tumultuous year in and out of the rotation, there appears to be a market brewing that could push his value beyond the MLE most teams above the cap could offer.”

Williams has career averages of 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists. He was the 22nd overall pick in the 2019 draft. The Houston native played his college basketball at Tennessee.

The Dallas Mavericks may be the only team interested in signing point guard Kyrie Irving this offseason, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Irving becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30. The Los Angeles Lakers don’t plan to pursue the All-Star and the Phoenix Suns can no longer sign him after acquiring shooting guard Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards.

“League sources say that these developments — especially the latter — have reinforced the notion that the Mavericks appear to be the only confirmed bidder for Irving’s services as the opening bell for 2023 NBA Free Agency at 6 PM ET on June 30 draws near,” Stein wrote.

The Houston Rockets could make a run at Irving if former MVP James Harden stays with the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Toronto Raptors unrestricted free agent Fred VanVleet may rank higher than Irving on the Rockets’ free-agent board.

“What could change that landscape? As I reported here June 11, Houston is expected to weigh a run at Irving if James Harden resists the Rockets’ overtures and the lure of a return to his adopted favorite city by electing to re-sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Remember: Weigh means consider,” Stein wrote. “It was also conveyed to me this weekend that Irving, at best, would rank as the Rockets’ No. 3 choice among lead guards available in free agency if Houston decided to take its interest beyond the mere consideration phase — behind both Harden and Toronto’s Fred VanVleet.”

The Mavericks Must Re-Sign Kyrie Irving

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report believes the Mavericks should bring Irving back next season despite the team missing the play-in tournament in 2023.

“The Dallas Mavericks took a real gamble when they sent out a first-round draft pick as part of a trade to land someone who’d enter unrestricted free agency the following summer,” Bailey wrote. If Kyrie Irving walks, the Mavs will be out a rotation player (Spencer Dinwiddie), their best perimeter defender (Dorian Finney-Smith), the aforementioned first and multiple second-round picks for nothing.

“Yes, Kyrie was good (probably even great) for the few months he was a Maverick, but he hasn’t even been in the playoffs with them. Re-signing him is imperative.”

Irving averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 20 games with the Mavericks in 2022-23. If the NBA works with a $134 million salary cap, Uncle Drew would be eligible to re-sign with Dallas on a five-year, $272 million contract.

The Suns Tried to Acquire Kyrie Irving

According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Suns reached out to the Mavericks about a potential sign-and-trade deal for Irving.

Dallas wasn’t interested in making a trade, so Phoenix shifted its focus to Beal, who waived his no-trade clause to play with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

“The Suns don’t have much trade capital left after acquiring Bradley Beal from the Wizards,” Begley wrote. “So it’s fair to assume that they can’t make a trade for a top player like Kyrie Irving. But it’s worth noting that Phoenix had interest in Irving earlier in the offseason. The Suns were among the teams to reach out to Dallas about a potential sign-and-trade for Irving earlier in the offseason, per sources familiar with the matter.

“Dallas, presumably, wasn’t interested in what the Suns offered at the time. If the Mavs were blown away by the offer, logic says that Beal wouldn’t be a Sun today.”

Marvin Bagley III would land with the Dallas Mavericks in a mock trade proposal pitched by Piston Powered’s Indy Perro. In return for the 2018 NBA draft’s No. 2 pick, the Detroit Pistons would return the No. 10 overall draft pick in the 2023 NBA draft as well as the two years and $33 million remaining on Davis Bertans’ contract and the expiring $5 million contract of JaVale McGee.

Perro believes Bagley — or fellow win-now Pistons players who’d fit better with the Mavericks like Bojan Bogdanovic or fellow former underperforming lottery pick James Wiseman for that matter — would help move the needle more than whoever would be selected with the No. 10 pick would, and feels Bertans and McGee as salary filler makes sense given the timing of Cade Cunningham’s rookie-scale contract expiring.

“The tenth overall pick won’t make their team better next year, but it could help them create cap space and/or attain veteran players,” Perro prefaced before saying, “The Pistons can help Dallas do both. If this trade requires the Pistons include any one of MB3, James Wiseman, or Bojan Bogdanovic, I say do it. They’re all players who could help Dallas, and Bertans and McGee’s contracts expire at the end of Cunningham’s rookie deal.”

While Bagley has not lived up to his No. 2 billing thus far, his career as a starter-level role player thus far (13 points, seven rebounds in his career) has looked worse for the team that drafted him, the Sacramento Kings, because Luka Doncic was picked right after him at No. 3, Jaren Jackson Jr. was picked at No. 4, and Trae Young was picked at No. 5. All three of those players, unlike Bagley, have ascended to All-Star status.

Mavericks Likely to Trade 2023 NBA Draft’s No. 10 Pick

Per Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports during an appearance on the ‘Inside The Mavs’ podcast, the Mavericks are all but certain to deal away their No. 10 draft pick.

“Yeah, they’re going to trade it (the No. 10 pick),” Fischer said. “If Dallas is picking at 10, I will be absolutely floored. I don’t know if it’s just gonna be for a straight, you know, ‘we’re trading 10 for this player.’ If they’re moving down, if there’s a little other shuffling with it. But they’re going to trade this pick. I think there’s just so much opportunity for movement and they’re in a pretty prime position in order to get something of value back.”

Fischer named the Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz as potential destinations for the No. 10 pick in the 2023 draft.

“Whether it is something like that Atlanta thing or something with Utah, what have you,” Fischer prefaced before saying, “I would take it to the bank that Dallas is going to move this selection.”

West Contenders Eyeing Trading Up Can Be Mavericks Match

According to Fischer, two Western Conference contenders eying a trade up in the draft that have made the Western Conference Finals the past two seasons, the Los Angeles Lakers and 2022 NBA Finals-winning Golden State Warriors, could be a potential Mavericks in a deal for the No. 10 pick.

“The Lakers I think would have interest in getting up that high, I just don’t know what they have to really make it worth Dallas’s while,” Fischer said. “Golden State is a team [interested in trading up], but I think they would like to get up higher than 10.”

Rumors surrounding the Dallas Mavericks‘ No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft are beginning to heat up. Just two days prior to the event, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released their updated mock draft, which is full of the latest intel about possible moves.

When previewing Dallas’ selection, Woo went into detail about the interest that surrounds it. He revealed that the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Atlanta Hawks could all wind up being potential suitors for the pick because of their interest in Duke center Dereck Lively.

“With draft night approaching, a large swath of the league has called the Mavericks about this pick, which is widely known to be available,” Woo wrote. “Dallas continues to weigh its options in trading back, looking for the right opportunity to upgrade the roster while also preferring to stay in the draft and select a player they like later on… Lively has potential suitors right after this pick in Orlando and Oklahoma City, making him a trade target for other teams at this spot — most notably Atlanta, which could aim to package the No. 15 pick with Clint Capela to move up and draft him.”

Of the three, Atlanta was seemingly the most realistic, as Givony went into further detail about their interest in trading up to pick Lively.

“The Mavericks are said to be one potential trade partner, but the Hawks may balk at using the No. 15 pick in a deal for Capela, who still has positive trade value,” Givony added. “Lively is said to be viewed as a potential successor for Capela should the draftee fall this far.”

Mavericks Have Been Shopping No. 10 Pick

Dallas’ interest in trading the No. 10 overall pick isn’t a new thing. It’s been widely reported for the last month or so, ever since their draft position was set at the NBA Draft Lottery.

Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer has been all over the story ever since, reporting the front office’s interest in moving the pick from the jump.

“There are other teams rival executives are already pinning as potential trade candidates,” Fischer reported on May 18. “Dallas avoided disaster by landing its top-10 protected pick at the No. 10 spot, and the Mavericks are certainly expected to explore the market for that selection in hopes of adding to their All-Star backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the latter of which will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.”

Fischer followed up the initial report a few weeks later, explaining that teams around the league were well aware of what the Mavs were up to.

“Dallas is widely known to be evaluating trade possibilities with the 10th pick to bring reinforcements to Luka Doncic, as well as All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who will become an unrestricted free agent,” he wrote on June 6.

Mock Trade Sees Mavs Swap No. 10 With Hawks for Frontcourt Depth

With the draft right around the corner, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz took a swing at outlining a possible deal between Atlanta and Dallas.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: No. 10 overall pick, PF Dāvis Bertāns, C JaVale McGee

Dallas Mavericks Receive: PF John Collins, C Onyeka Okongwu

Swartz’s mock trade may represent what could be one of the better returns that the Mavs could garner for No. 10. Their roster certainly needs frontcourt help. So much so that Jason Kidd was forced to use a carousel of middling big men last season and it just didn’t work.

It’s officially rumor season in the NBA and the Dallas Mavericks are officially in on the fun. According to SNY’s NBA Insider Ian Begley, the Phoenix Suns reached out to Dallas in regards to a trade for Kyrie Irving, prior to finalizing the deal for Bradley Beal.

“The Suns were among the teams to reach out to Dallas about a potential sign-and-trade for Irving earlier in the offseason, per sources familiar with the matter,” Begley wrote. “Dallas, presumably, wasn’t interested in what the Suns offered at the time. If the Mavs were blown away by the offer, logic says that Beal wouldn’t be a Sun today.”

Begley’s report didn’t include exactly what Phoenix’s offer consisted of, but it’s tough to imagine that it didn’t include Chris Paul, who wound up being dealt to the Washington Wizards for Beal.

At this point, it wouldn’t make much sense for Dallas to offload Irving. They traded for him ahead of the deadline this season, and have reportedly had nothing but intentions of keeping him.

However, the whole impending free agency saga with Irving has been a rollercoaster for Mavs fans. Leading up to this point, there have been reports that he’s staying, going, and even trying to recruit LeBron James to Dallas.

One of the more recent reports on the 31-year-old’s future came from NBA Insider Marc Stein.

“Yet two sources close to the process insisted Monday that Irving has consistently expressed a desire to remain a Maverick and actually wants to shut down the notion that he’s angling to get to L.A.,” Stein wrote as part of his June 5 newsletter. “‘He wants to stay,’ said one source. The clear signals Monday out of Dallas suggest that the Mavericks believe that. With or without a LeBron reunion.”

Mavericks Looking for Multiple Picks or to Move out of Draft Completely for No. 10 Selection

The only substantial rumors surrounding the Mavs have be centered around trading their No. 10 overall draft pick.

In The Ringer’s most recent mock draft, Kevin O’Connor reported on what the Mavericks are hoping for in return for the selection, should they decide to trade it.

“But will the Mavericks keep this pick?” O’Connor questioned. “Sources say they’re trying to move down for multiple picks or players, or out of the draft entirely.”

O’Connor snuck in a tidbit about teams around the league not seeing the pick as very valuable.

Mavericks Want to Offload No. 10 Overall Pick

Though the value may not be there, the front office has been working to offload No. 10. Yahoo Sports’ NBA Insider Jake Fischer has reported so on multiple occasions over the last month.

“Dallas is widely known to be evaluating trade possibilities with the 10th pick to bring reinforcements to Luka Doncic, as well as All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who will become an unrestricted free agent,” he wrote on June 6.

Fischer first leaked the story right after the NBA Draft Lottery back in May.

“There are other teams rival executives are already pinning as potential trade candidates,” Fischer reported on May 18. “Dallas avoided disaster by landing its top-10 protected pick at the No. 10 spot, and the Mavericks are certainly expected to explore the market for that selection in hopes of adding to their All-Star backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the latter of which will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.”

With just two days remaining until the 2023 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks still have yet to trade their No. 10 overall selection. In recent weeks, the team’s desire to do so has been widely reported, as they look to strengthen the roster around Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.

In the latest edition of The Ringer’s mock draft, Kevin O’Connor detailed what Dallas may be looking for in return for their first-round pick.

“But will the Mavericks keep this pick?” O’Connor questioned. “Sources say they’re trying to move down for multiple picks or players, or out of the draft entirely.”

He added that the value for the pick “isn’t significant today [June 20, 2023].”

The notion that the Mavericks could be looking to turn one pick into multiple isn’t shocking. Brining in a few different prospects to help fill out the roster would be a calculated financial move. Rather than paying a role player anywhere from $10-20 million through free agency, or landing one in a trade, they’d have the chance to get production for cheap by drafting guys.

For example, last season Dallas was able to get solid play from both Josh Green and Jaden Hardy, who are each still on rookie contracts making a combined $6.4 million next season. If they’re able to hit on a few more draft picks it could wind up being a huge help if they want to bring in talent at the top of the roster.

‘Widely Known’ That Mavericks Want to Trade No. 10 Draft Pick

Again, the Mavericks have a strong interest in moving their 2023 first-round pick in a trade, prior to Thursday’s draft.

Yahoo Sports’ NBA Insider Jake Fischer has reported so on multiple occasions.

“Dallas is widely known to be evaluating trade possibilities with the 10th pick to bring reinforcements to Luka Doncic, as well as All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who will become an unrestricted free agent,” he wrote on June 6.

Fischer first broke the news, shortly after Dallas’ fate was decided at the NBA Draft lottery last month.

“There are other teams rival executives are already pinning as potential trade candidates,” Fischer reported on May 18. “Dallas avoided disaster by landing its top-10 protected pick at the No. 10 spot, and the Mavericks are certainly expected to explore the market for that selection in hopes of adding to their All-Star backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the latter of which will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.”

Mock Trade Sends John Collins, Onyeka Okongwu to Mavs No. 10 Pick to Hawks

A trade scenario pitched by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz sees a more exciting exchange between the Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks.

Rather than trading down in the draft, Dallas would make a splash and land multiple frontcourt pieces.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: No. 10 overall pick, PF Dāvis Bertāns, C JaVale McGee

Dallas Mavericks Receive: PF John Collins, C Onyeka Okongwu

A trade like this one may represent some of the best value that the Mavs could garner for No. 10. Their roster starving for frontcourt help. So much so that Jason Kidd was forced to use a carousel of middling big men last season and it just didn’t work.

The Dallas Mavericks are interested in signing Sacramento Kings small forward Harrison Barnes this offseason, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Barnes becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30.

“Another forward the Mavericks are interested in heading toward free agency is Harrison Barnes, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote. “Barnes previously averaged 18.7 points and 5.2 rebounds in three seasons with Dallas.”

Barnes appeared in 205 games with the Mavericks before getting traded to the Kings in February 2019. The UNC product averaged 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists with Dallas while shooting 44.5% from the field, 36.7% from beyond the arc and 84.1% from the free-throw line.

The 31-year-old Barnes won the 2015 championship with the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 15.0 points, 4.5 boards and 1.6 assists this past season with the Kings. The swingman has made over $166 million in his career with the Warriors, Mavericks and Kings.

The Mavericks Are Also Interested in Grant Williams

The Mavericks are also interested in Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams, who becomes a restricted free agent this offseason.

Williams and Dallas superstar Luka Doncic are both represented by WME Sports.

“The Boston Celtics are expected to tender a $6.2 million qualifying offer to make Grant Williams a restricted free agent this summer, but it’s not stopping other teams across the league from reportedly having interest in going after him this summer, including the Pacers and Magic,” Scotto wrote. “According to The Ringer, the Celtics are exploring using Williams as a potential sign-and-trade candidate.

“The latest team to have interest in Williams looking ahead to free agency is the Dallas Mavericks, league sources told HoopsHype. It’s worth noting Williams and Mavericks star Luka Doncic are both represented by WME Sports.”

As a restricted free agent, Williams can either re-sign with the Celtics or sign an offer sheet with another team. Boston can match any offer sheet Williams signs as long as it comes within 48 hours.

Williams averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists for the Celtics this past season while shooting 45.4% from the floor, 39.5% from 3-point range and 77.0% from the free-throw line in 79 games.

The Mavericks May Be the Only Team Interested in Signing Kyrie Irving

The Mavericks may be the only team interested in signing Kyrie Irving this offseason, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Irving becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30. The Los Angeles Lakers don’t plan to pursue the All-Star point guard and the Phoenix Suns can no longer sign him after acquiring Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards.

The Houston Rockets could make a run at Irving if James Harden stays with the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Fred VanVleet may rank higher than Irving on the Rockets’ free-agent board.

Irving averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 20 games with the Mavericks in 2022-23. If the NBA operates with a $134 million salary cap, Uncle Drew would be eligible to re-sign with Dallas on a five-year, $272 million contract.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report believes Dallas should bring Irving back next season despite the team missing the play-in tournament in 2023.

“The Dallas Mavericks took a real gamble when they sent out a first-round draft pick as part of a trade to land someone who’d enter unrestricted free agency the following summer,” Bailey wrote. “If Kyrie Irving walks, the Mavs will be out a rotation player (Spencer Dinwiddie), their best perimeter defender (Dorian Finney-Smith), the aforementioned first and multiple second-round picks for nothing.

“Yes, Kyrie was good (probably even great) for the few months he was a Maverick, but he hasn’t even been in the playoffs with them. Re-signing him is imperative.”

With the 2023 NBA draft just three days away, the Dallas Mavericks have yet to make a trade involving their first-round pick, which is slotted at No. 10 overall. Dallas’ desire to use the pick in order to bring in more talent to bolster the roster is no secret. The team struggled immensely in the second half of the season, largely because of the lack of help for Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.

In spirit of the upcoming NBA draft, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz wrote up a mock trade where the Mavericks offload their pick to the Atlanta Hawks. The trade was proposed as follows:

Atlanta Hawks Receive: No. 10 overall pick, PF Dāvis Bertāns, C JaVale McGee

Dallas Mavericks Receive: PF John Collins, C Onyeka Okongwu

This may be the best value that Dallas could get back for No. 10. Their roster is in dire need of frontcourt help. Jason Kidd was forced to use a carousel of middling big men last season and it just didn’t work.

Adding both Collins and Okungwu would help that in a major way.

“For Dallas, securing a potential No. 3 scoring option in Collins and a young, defensive ace in Okongwu sets this frontcourt up for the foreseeable future,” Swartz explained. “The 25-year-old Collins would immediately become Dallas’ starting power forward who brings career averages of 15.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and shooting marks of 61.1 percent from two and 35.6 percent from three.

“Okongwu, the No. 6 overall pick in 2020, has been stuck behind Clint Capela during his three years in Atlanta but is ready for a starting job. The 22-year-old has averaged 10.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and shot 60.6 percent overall in 28 career starts.”

Mavericks Have Been Linked to Hawks’ John Collins

While many mock trades are far-fetched and unrealistic, this one isn’t too crazy. Dallas has reportedly had discussions with Atlanta about a deal involving Collins, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.

“The Mavericks are considering options to move down from No. 10 into the middle of the first round, sources said, to pick up a veteran rotation piece to help support Luka Doncic and free agent-to-be Kyrie Irving,” Fischer wrote. “The Mavericks and Hawks, for example, discussed the idea of swapping Dāvis Bertāns and the No. 10 pick for John Collins and the No. 15 selection, sources said, although those talks do not appear to have progressed at this time.”

While the discussions haven’t gotten anywhere just yet, that doesn’t mean it’d be impossible for both sides to agree on a deal.

Mavericks Interested in Hawks’ Clint Capela

Fischer also touched on another rumor involving the two sides. He revealed that Dallas would prefer to land center Clint Capela, rather than Collins, in a trade for the No. 10 pick

“Those talks did not develop very far, sources said, and Dallas indicated it would be more willing to consider that deal if Hawks center Clint Capela was the returning player from Atlanta,” Fischer added.

In 65 games for the Hawks, Capela averaged 12.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game this past season while shooting 65.3% from the floor. The big man signed a two-year, $45.5 million contract extension with Atlanta in September 2021.

After the Phoenix Suns landed Bradley Beal in a blockbuster deal to form a new Big Three in the desert, the Dallas Mavericks could follow suit by bringing LeBron James to the DFW; this, at least, according to Dallas Basketball’s Dalton Trigg.

“The Mavs could be closer to getting things back on track than what the initial disappointment of them missing the play-in tournament indicated,” Trigg prefaced before saying, “If James wants to join Irving and Doncic in Dallas, then he’ll find a way to do so, and with another super team forming in the Western Conference, he may be thinking it’s time to do that himself in a new setting.”

Trigg feels that the current Los Angeles Lakers roster — which is set to see raises for Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Dennis Schroeder, and D’Angelo Russell if they are all retained — has already peaked, while Dallas’ record was worse than indicated since the Mavericks lost 29 “clutch” games that were decided in the final five minutes.

“Although the Lakers made it to the Western Conference Finals this year while the Mavs missed the postseason outright, one could argue that L.A.’s current roster has already peaked,” Trigg wrote. “By the numbers, the offensive duo of Doncic and Irving was devastating for opponents, it was just overall team depth and defense that kept the Mavs from getting over the hump. Dallas played a league-high 55 clutch games during the 2022-23 season, but had just a 26-29 record in those games.”

‘No Question’ Suns Got Better After Bradley Beal Trade

With the Suns acquiring Beal for a package that included no future first-rounders, many are signing the praises of Phoenix’s front office — with one of those being CBS Sports’ Jack Maloney, who said there’s “no question” the Suns got better after landing Beal on the cheap.

“The Suns made what appeared to be their all-in move at the deadline last season when they acquired Durant, but managed to take advantage of the cut-rate price for Beal to add yet another All-Star to the roster,” Maloney prefaced before saying, “In terms of pure talent, there’s no question the Suns got better on Sunday.”

Maloney called adding Beal for what it took to land him was a “no-brainer.”

“Even if you have some questions about Beal’s ability to move the needle, adding him for this price is a no-brainer; in a vacuum, they crushed this trade,” Maloney wrote. “The potential cause for concern in Phoenix is some of the ancillary aspects of the deal — namely their lack of depth and salary cap limitations.”

Mavericks Interested in Pair of Free Agent Forwards

Per a June 18 report from HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Mavericks reportedly have interest in a pair of free agent forwards: Boston Celtics restricted free agent Grant Williams and Sacramento Kings veteran Harrison Barnes.

On the Williams front, Scotto feels it’s not insignificant that the Celtics combo forward shares an agent with Luka Doncic.

“The latest team to have interest in Williams looking ahead to free agency is the Dallas Mavericks, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto prefaced before saying, “It’s worth noting Williams and Mavericks star Luka Doncicare both represented by WME Sports.”

Barnes, on the other hand, was traded by the Mavericks during his first stint halfway through his third season. Both of his last contracts were at least $85 million over the duration of four years, but it’s unclear what Barnes would receive in the current salary cap climate with a new CBA featuring punitive luxury taxes starting July 1.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Mavericks are interested in acquiring Clint Capela from the Atlanta Hawks instead of John Collins.

“In Atlanta, the Hawks will continue to explore trade scenarios for Collins. That has so far included preliminary talks with Dallas about swapping Collins and the No. 15 pick in the draft with the Mavericks for the No. 10 pick and Dāvis Bertāns,” Fischer wrote. “Those talks did not develop very far, sources said, and Dallas indicated it would be more willing to consider that deal if Hawks center Clint Capela was the returning player from Atlanta.”

Capela averaged 12.0 points and 11.0 rebounds this past season for the Hawks while shooting 65.3% from the floor. He signed a two-year, $45.5 million contract extension with Atlanta in September 2021.

Capela, who began his career with the Houston Rockets, will make $20.6 million next season. He will have earned over $130 million in his NBA career once his current contract is over. The veteran has career averages of 12.4 points and 10.7 rebounds with the Rockets and Hawks.

Christian Wood Won’t Be Back With the Mavericks

The Mavericks will not re-sign Christian Wood this offseason when the big man becomes an unrestricted free agent, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

With Wood gone, Dallas will need a new center, which is why they are targeting Capela.

“Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of Dallas’ trade to acquire Christian Wood in exchange for the 26th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft (which Houston used to acquire the draft rights to Wendell Moore Jr.) and the contracts of veterans Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss and Boban Marjanović,” Stein wrote. “Wood is bound for unrestricted free agency with the Mavericks, as I reported here April 9 and have subsequently reconfirmed this week, not expected to make him an offer to return. The Mavericks, sources say, have moved on and are looking to remake their center rotation.”

Wood appeared in 67 games for the Mavericks this past season. He averaged 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field, 37.6% from beyond the arc and 77.2% from the free-throw line.

The Mavericks won just 38 games in 2022-23 despite having All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. They didn’t even qualify for the play-in tournament after making the Western Conference Finals in 2022.

The Mavericks Are Also Looking at Bojan Bogdanovic

According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, the Mavericks are also discussing a trade sending Tim Hardaway Jr. and the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft to the Detroit Pistons for Bojan Bogdanovic and the 31st overall pick.

Dallas is attempting to surround Doncic and Irving with more win-now talent.

“Some trade scenarios could be in play for the Pistons with the No. 31 pick as well, for example, packaging Bojan Bogdanovic for Tim Hardaway Jr. and the No. 10 pick, sources tell ESPN,” Givony wrote.

Bogdanovic averaged 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the Pistons in 2022-23 while shooting 48.8% from the floor, 41.1% from 3-point land and 88.4% from the free-throw line. The 34-year-old signed a two-year, $39 million extension with Detroit in October 2022.

Wood becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Mavericks are not interested in bringing the big man back.

“Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of Dallas’ trade to acquire Christian Wood in exchange for the 26th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft (which Houston used to acquire the draft rights to Wendell Moore Jr.) and the contracts of veterans Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss and Boban Marjanović,” Stein wrote. “Wood is bound for unrestricted free agency with the Mavericks, as I reported here April 9 and have subsequently reconfirmed this week, not expected to make him an offer to return.

“The Mavericks, sources say, have moved on and are looking to remake their center rotation.”

Wood appeared in 67 games for the Mavericks this past season. He averaged 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field, 37.6% from beyond the arc and 77.2% from the free-throw line.

The Mavericks won only 38 games in 2022-23 despite having All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. They didn’t even qualify for the play-in tournament after making the Western Conference Finals last year.

Wood has career averages of 14.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists with the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Mavericks.

John Collins to the Mavericks?

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks discussed the idea of swapping Davis Bertans and the 10th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft for John Collins and the 15th overall pick.

“The Mavericks are considering options to move down from No. 10 into the middle of the first round, sources said, to pick up a veteran rotation piece to help support Luka Doncic and free agent-to-be Kyrie Irving,” Fischer wrote. “The Mavericks and Hawks, for example, discussed the idea of swapping Dāvis Bertāns and the No. 10 pick for John Collins and the No. 15 selection, sources said, although those talks do not appear to have progressed at this time.”

Collins signed a five-year, $125 million deal with the Hawks in August 2021. He’ll make $25.3 million next season. The 25-year-old high-flyer averaged 13.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists this past season for Atlanta while shooting 50.8% from the floor, 29.2% from beyond the arc and 80.3% from the free-throw line.

The Mavericks are actively trying to trade Bertans, who will make $17 million next season, league sources told Heavy Sports.

The Mavericks Are Also Looking at Bojan Bogdanovic

According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, the Mavericks are also discussing a trade sending Tim Hardaway Jr. and the 10th overall pick to the Detroit Pistons for Bojan Bogdanovic and the 31st overall pick.

Dallas is trying to surround Doncic and Irving with more win-now talent.

“Some trade scenarios could be in play for the Pistons with the No. 31 pick as well, for example, packaging Bojan Bogdanovic for Tim Hardaway Jr. and the No. 10 pick, sources tell ESPN,” Givony wrote.

Bogdanovic averaged 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the Pistons in 2022-23 while shooting 48.8% from the floor, 41.1% from 3-point land and 88.4% from the free-throw line. The 34-year-old signed a two-year, $39 million extension with Detroit in October 2022.

Former NBA champion point guard for the Toronto Raptors, Fred VanVleet, was pitched for the Miami Heat as a free agent alternative to Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving by Deadspin’s Criss Partee in an opinion piece published on June 15.

“VanVleet has championship experience, having been part of the 2019 Toronto Raptors title team playing next to current Heat point guard Kyle Lowry,” Partee prefaced before saying, “He might not be the splashy signing Irving would be, but he’d come in, work hard, and uphold Heat culture.”

Partee doesn’t feel Irving is worth the long-term contract he is expecting in free agency due to his past controversial behaviors; including but not limited to unexplained elongated midseason disappearances and his sharing of a movie deemed antisemitic by The New York Times.

“At this point, Kyrie is too much of a wildcard, especially if he expects that long-term deal he supposedly has his eyes on,” Partee wrote. “It’s true you have to think outside the box sometimes. But with Irving, you’re setting yourself up for failure more often than not lately.”

Fred VanVleet ‘More Realistic’ for Rockets Than Kyrie Irving

Continuing the trend of analysts preferring VanVleet to Irving, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko believes the former is a more realistic target than the latter is for the Houston Rockets and shared as much during The HoopsHype Podcast with Michael Scotto.

“The Kyrie to the Rockets link makes sense because he’s a talented point guard, but when you think of the logistics that have to go behind that deal, I’d be shocked if that happened,” Iko said. “The VanVleet thing is more realistic to me than Kyrie because it makes more sense. VanVleet is a bit younger. He’s also an NBA champion and a quality playmaker. His defense has regressed in recent seasons, but I think under the right guy, he can be reinvigorated.”

The New York Post’s Christian Arnold believes it’s “hard to imagine” Irving reuniting with his former teammate on the Brooklyn Nets, James Harden, who is heavily rumored to be mulling a return to the Rockets in free agency.

“While the Rockets have plenty of salary cap space, it would also be hard to imagine Houston convincing both Harden and Irving in joining up to play with one another again after the way things ended in Brooklyn,” Arnold wrote.

Kyrie Irving May Not Have Leverage If He Leaves Mavericks

Irving was traded for by the Mavericks at the 2023 trade deadline using Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a future first-round pick, and a second-round pick. Because of the value lost on a player who didn’t get Dallas into the 2023 postseason, the Mavericks are beholden to re-signing him in order to avoid upsetting Luka Doncic or the fans.

No other team has any obligation to add Irving, and as evidenced by the incessant suggestions that VanVleet could be a safer transactional path, many teams will likely look elsewhere before ever considering maxing out the 31-year-old.

Irving has leverage on the Mavericks to get a maximum contract, but he has no leverage elsewhere in free agency this offseason.

The Dallas Mavericks discussed a trade to acquire a $125 million star.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks discussed the idea of swapping forward Davis Bertans and the 10th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft for high-flyer John Collins and the 15th overall pick.

However, talks haven’t progressed.

“The Mavericks are considering options to move down from No. 10 into the middle of the first round, sources said, to pick up a veteran rotation piece to help support Luka Doncic and free agent-to-be Kyrie Irving,” Fischer wrote. “The Mavericks and Hawks, for example, discussed the idea of swapping Dāvis Bertāns and the No. 10 pick for John Collins and the No. 15 selection, sources said, although those talks do not appear to have progressed at this time.”

Collins signed a five-year, $125 million deal with the Hawks in August 2021. He’ll make $25.3 million next season. The 25-year-old Utah native averaged 13.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists this past season for Atlanta while shooting 50.8% from the field, 29.2% from beyond the arc and 80.3% from the free-throw line.

The Mavericks are actively trying to trade Bertans, who will make $17 million next season, league sources told Heavy Sports.

Mavericks Also Looking at Bojan Bogdanovic

According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, the Mavericks are also discussing a trade sending shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and the 10th overall pick to the Detroit Pistons for swingman Bojan Bogdanovic and the 31st overall pick.

Dallas is trying to surround All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving with more win-now talent.

“Some trade scenarios could be in play for the Pistons with the No. 31 pick as well, for example, packaging Bojan Bogdanovic for Tim Hardaway Jr. and the No. 10 pick, sources tell ESPN,” Givony wrote.

Bogdanovic averaged 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the Pistons in 2022-23 while shooting 48.8% from the floor, 41.1% from 3-point land and 88.4% from the free-throw line. The 34-year-old signed a two-year, $39 million extension with Detroit in October 2022. He will have made over $142 million in his NBA career once his current contract ends.

Mavericks Urged to Re-Sign Kyrie Irving By NBA Writer

The Mavericks have been urged to re-sign Irving this offseason by an NBA writer despite the team missing the play-in tournament this year.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report believes Dallas should bring Irving back next season. The Duke product becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

“The Dallas Mavericks took a real gamble when they sent out a first-round draft pick as part of a trade to land someone who’d enter unrestricted free agency the following summer,” Bailey wrote. “If Kyrie Irving walks, the Mavs will be out a rotation player (Spencer Dinwiddie), their best perimeter defender (Dorian Finney-Smith), the aforementioned first and multiple second-round picks for nothing. Yes, Kyrie was good (probably even great) for the few months he was a Maverick, but he hasn’t even been in the playoffs with them. Re-signing him is imperative.”

Irving averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 20 games with the Mavericks in 2022-23. If the NBA operates with a $134 million salary cap, Uncle Drew would be eligible to re-sign with Dallas on a five-year, $272 million contract.

Kyrie Irving’s future with the Dallas Mavericks is a bit uncertain as his impending free agency grows closer and closer. Leading up to this point, there have been reports that he’s staying, going, and even trying to recruit LeBron James to Dallas.

Most recently, came some information that may not be the most comforting to Mavericks fans. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman, Irving has interest in joining the Miami Heat.

Winderman shared those details during a recent appearance on “The Starting Lineup.”

“I do think Kyrie Irving wants to come here,” Winderman said on June 14. “I don’t think the Heat are going to be subservient to Kyrie’s wishes. I will find that much more of a long shot.”

This isn’t the first time this week that Irving has been tied to the Heat. Just hours before Winderman’s news, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Miami had tried to swing a trade for the 10-time All-Star back in February.

“Just to give you a glimpse of what they’ve looked at over the last several months, they made an offer to the [Brooklyn] Nets for Kyrie Irving at the deadline from what I’m told, right before he got traded to the Mavericks before the deadline,” Charania said of Miami. “They’re going to explore seeing what the star market is out there… Do they circle back on Kyrie Irving?”

NBA GM Links Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving to Heat

Charania’s reports of the Heat’s interest in Dallas’ No. 2 lines up with what an anonymous Western Conference general manager told Heavy Sports‘ Sean Deveney back in March.

The source predicted that that the Heat would aim to land the star guard this offseason.

“Kyrie will have to decide what he wants to do next—does he want to pick where he wants to go and take a taxpayer exception (about $7 million) or does he want to make as much money as he possibly can? Because the Mavs will give him more than anyone else will, so if that is the decision, then it is pretty simple,” the source explained to Deveney. “But, we have seen how Kyrie is with teaming up with players. Could he take $7 million to go play with LeBron and the Lakers, or take $7 million to play in Phoenix? Miami was interested, too. They would be again. Sure, he has said that money is not that important and this would be how he could show it, I suppose.”

Sources Told Kyrie Irving Wants to Stay With Mavericks

Since Deveney’s source pinned Miami as a threat to pry Irving away, opinions on his value have changed. It’s unlikely that he’d have to settle for a mid-level exception contract, considering that the Mavs have a strong interest in keeping him around.

On top of that, NBA Insider Marc Stein had multiple sources tell him that Uncle Drew wants to remain a Maverick.

“Yet two sources close to the process insisted Monday that Irving has consistently expressed a desire to remain a Maverick and actually wants to shut down the notion that he’s angling to get to L.A.,” Stein wrote as part of his June 5 newsletter. “‘He wants to stay,’ said one source. The clear signals Monday out of Dallas suggest that the Mavericks believe that. With or without a LeBron reunion.”

The Miami Heat promise to be one of the most intriguing teams to watch this offseason.

The Heat made it all the way to the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed, something that has only been done once before, but the offseason always brings change, and rumors are already swirling that Miami may be ready to take some big swings in the coming months.

NBA insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported on June 13 that Miami will be in the market for a superstar to pair with Eastern Conference Finals MVP Jimmy Butler, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald echoed that sentiment. “The most realistic avenue for the Heat to improve its team is trading for a player who’s already under contract for next season,” Jackson wrote, also noting the Heat are expected “to pounce if a star becomes available.”

If no big deals can be worked out or no superstars become available, though, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report pitched a possible three-team trade that would send 3-point specialist Duncan Robinson packing and would bring Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks to South Beach.

Will Heat Keep Duncan Robinson Around?

Miami will certainly have some decisions to make about the contracts of a few returning players. Kyle Lowry is set to make around $29 million next season on an expiring deal, which is a lot of money to pay an aging backup point guard.

Robinson also has another problematic contract. Robinson has an $18 million salary for the 2023-24 season, although his value may have been boosted by his solid performance in the postseason. Robinson averaged 9.3 points and 2.1 rebounds a game in the playoffs, also hitting 44.2% of his shots from beyond the arc in 18.2 minutes per contest.

Those were better numbers than he put up during the regular season, when he scored 6.4 points a game and shot a career-worst 32.8% from downtown. Considering Robinson’s recent struggles, Buckley seems to think Hardaway would be a better option for Miami — although Buckley notes Hardaway’s four-year, $75 million contract is a bit of an overpay for his services.

“The Heat could have major interest in a player like Tim Hardaway Jr., who is overpaid for being a shooting specialist,” Buckley wrote. “Unlike Duncan Robinson, though, the 31-year-old at least still provides the shooting. He can be a bit streaky, but when he is on, he’ll have unguardable stretches.”

Would Hardaway Be Better for the Heat Than Robinson?

Buckley also notes that a third team would likely have to be involved in the swap. “As Dallas gets into desperation mode to fix its roster around Luka Dončić, it would almost certainly have interest in unloading Hardaway’s deal. The Heat have to find a way to add him while subtracting Robinson, likely in a three-team trade that gives the Mavericks win-now help and a third team a long-term asset or two.”

Hardaway, 31, played small forward last year after primarily being a shooting guard over his career, so he’s versatile enough to move around a bit. Last season, Hardaway played in 71 games (45 starts) and averaged 14.4 points and 3.5 rebounds a game and he shot 38.5% from distance. It was his ninth straight season scoring 14 or more points

Is Hardaway better for Miami than Robinson? There’s little doubt he might score more, but it wouldn’t warrant shipping Robinson off. Hardaway is two years older, and it can be argued Robinson is the better shooter from distance.

In the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, Robinson shot over 40% from 3-point range. Hardaway has never done that once in his 10-year career. Robinson had a down year for Miami, but he showed up when the team needed him most in the playoffs. The Heat might include him in a trade for one of those stars mentioned earlier, but swapping him for Hardaway feels like a lateral move at best.

The Dallas Mavericks could acquire a $142 million star small forward this offseason.

According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, the Mavericks could trade shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and the 10th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to the Detroit Pistons for swingman Bojan Bogdanovic and the 31st overall pick.

“Some trade scenarios could be in play for the Pistons with the No. 31 pick as well, for example, packaging Bojan Bogdanovic for Tim Hardaway Jr. and the No. 10 pick, sources tell ESPN,” Givony wrote.

Bogdanovic averaged 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the Pistons in 2022-23 while shooting 48.8% from the field, 41.1% from beyond the arc and 88.4% from the free-throw line. The 34-year-old signed a two-year, $39 million extension with Detroit in October 2022. He will have made over $142 million in his NBA career once his current contract ends.

Hardaway Jr. signed a four-year, $75 million deal with the Mavericks in August 2021. He has two years left on his contract.

Mavericks Interested in Acquiring Rockets Player

Kelly Iko of The Athletic told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that the Mavericks are one of the teams that have kept interest in Houston Rockets swingman Kenyon Martin Jr., who has a non-guaranteed salary for next season.

If the Rockets decline Martin Jr.’s 2023-24 salary, he would become a restricted free agent this offseason. If Houston guarantees his salary, the son of former NBA big man Kenyon Martin would be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024.

“KJ’s situation is tricky,” Iko said. “When you look at Houston’s perspective, they have most of the leverage. They don’t have to be rushed into anything. If they picked up the fourth year, they can always do that and then extend him during the season. Their priority is their cap space this summer. If they decline it and he’s restricted, the onus is on the marketplace, and where can he get the money from? He’d prefer to get paid now, given the year he’s coming off. The future is unknown. Even with the new TV deal and the cap going up, and he could make more theoretically next year, you never know what could happen.

“If he wants to get paid now, can he find a sign-and-trade somewhere? There are a few teams that have kept interest in him, like Dallas, the Clippers, and Phoenix, that still like KJ Martin.”

Martin Jr. averaged 12.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 2022-23 while shooting 56.9% from the floor, 31.5% from 3-point land and 68.0% from the free-throw line. The California native signed a four-year, $6.1 million contract with the Rockets in November 2020.

Mavericks Urged to Re-Sign Kyrie Irving

The Mavericks have been urged to re-sign All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving this offseason despite the team missing the play-in tournament this year.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report believes Dallas should bring Irving back next season. The Duke product becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

“The Dallas Mavericks took a real gamble when they sent out a first-round draft pick as part of a trade to land someone who’d enter unrestricted free agency the following summer,” Bailey wrote. “If Kyrie Irving walks, the Mavs will be out a rotation player (Spencer Dinwiddie), their best perimeter defender (Dorian Finney-Smith), the aforementioned first and multiple second-round picks for nothing. Yes, Kyrie was good (probably even great) for the few months he was a Maverick, but he hasn’t even been in the playoffs with them. Re-signing him is imperative.”

Irving averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 20 games with the Mavericks in 2022-23.

The Dallas Mavericks potentially pursuing European sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic in the 2023 offseason, a scenario initially floated by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony involving the No. 31 pick in the NBA draft, the No. 10 pick in the draft, and Tim Hardaway Jr., makes Dallas Basketball’s Grant Afseth skeptical about the potential fit with the franchise — mainly due to the fact that the Bosnian forward doesn’t address many of the team’s needs.

“While the Mavs would be upgrading their designated sharpshooter in terms of size and offensive talent, they’d be get even older around Doncic, while also still needing to address the primary limitations of the current roster, being defense and rebounding,” Afseth wrote.

Afseth thinks a pursuit of Bogdanovic makes more sense in a different trade scenario involving a sign-and-trade of either Christian Wood or Dwight Powell to the Detroit Pistons in order to bring on other talents who’d help fix the team’s weaknesses.

“With limited assets to use in a subsequent trade, it would be challenging for Dallas to achieve that objective without more being involved in an initial trade with the Pistons in order to part with the 10th pick,” Afseth wrote. “With the Pistons having a frontcourt logjam, perhaps there’d be a path to adding a center in an expanded trade given Christian Wood and Dwight Powell are impending free agents.”

Analyst: Only A ‘Fool’ Doubts Bojan Bogdanovic Mavericks Fit

Sir Charles in Charge’s Michael Saenz was high on the possibility of Bogdanovic landing with the Mavericks, calling anyone who doesn’t see the fit between the 34-year-old and Dallas’ 1-2 punch of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving a “fool.”

“To think that he wouldn’t be a good fit next to Kyrie and Luka would be foolish,” Saenz wrote. “Bogdanovic would give the Mavs an efficient scorer on the wing that they simply didn’t have last season. And he could make all the difference for the team that struggled at times to find an offensive rhythm when Luka was either off the floor or unavailable.”

Saenz sees Bogdanovic as a quality fallback option should the Mavericks first find no luck in trading for a defensive wing.

“I’d anticipate that the Mavs are going to pursue a more defensive-minded target with the No. 10 pick if they can’t get a star-level player,” Saenz prefaced before saying, “But if they do struggle to find the right candidate, Bogdanovic would not be a terrible fallback option.”

Mavericks Could Trade the No. 10 Draft Pick: Report

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, the Mavericks’ No. 10 overall selection in the 2023 NBA draft could be available in trades. Woo alluded to the pick being a wild card given the different scenarios on the table ahead of draft night.

“This Dallas pick is believed to be available in trade scenarios, creating a pivot point where a range of players and teams could wind up in play at No. 10,” Woo wrote.

Sport DFW’s Reid Hanson believes the No. 10 pick and Davis Bertans can return two “affordable role players” in a deal.

“Trading Pick 10 just happens to be the least-terrible of the (Mavericks offseason) options,” Hanson prefaced before saying, “It’s important to point out, something will come back in return as well. The Dallas Mavericks can expect a modest bench player and/or a pick in the late-first as compensation. They could turn Bertans and No. 10 into two affordable role players and cap space. It helps them the most in the short and in the long-term (provided the pick they would have made at 10 doesn’t turn into a star, of course).”

Retaining Kyrie Irving is the No. 1 priority for the Dallas Mavericks this summer, without question. Dallas made a trade for Irving back in February, ahead of the trade deadline. The hope was that he and Luka Doncic would provide an unmatched scoring punch as the Mavs stampeded into the playoffs.

Instead, things went so poorly that they decided to tank the final two games of the season in order to keep their first-round pick.

Irving is set to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent this summer, allowing him to sign with any team that’s willing to offer him a contract.

Oddly enough, the Miami Heat, a team with no cap space, but some juicy trade assets, reportedly have interest in landing the star guard.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Miami tried to make a move for Irving before Dallas did, and may try again this offseason.

“Just to give you a glimpse of what they’ve looked at over the last several months, they made an offer to the [Brooklyn] Nets for Kyrie Irving at the deadline from what I’m told, right before he got traded to the Mavericks before the deadline,” Charania said of Miami. “They’re going to explore seeing what the star market is out there… Do they circle back on Kyrie Irving?”

Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving Previously Linked to Heat

Charnia’s report isn’t the first that’s labeled Miami as a potential destination for Irving this summer. Back in March an anonymous Western Conference general manager told Heavy Sports‘ Sean Deveney that the Heat will look to land the 10-time All-Star this offseason.

“Kyrie will have to decide what he wants to do next—does he want to pick where he wants to go and take a taxpayer exception (about $7 million) or does he want to make as much money as he possibly can? Because the Mavs will give him more than anyone else will, so if that is the decision, then it is pretty simple,” the source explained to Deveney. “But, we have seen how Kyrie is with teaming up with players. Could he take $7 million to go play with LeBron and the Lakers, or take $7 million to play in Phoenix? Miami was interested, too. They would be again. Sure, he has said that money is not that important and this would be how he could show it, I suppose.”

Of course, in the above mentioned scenario it sounds like the thought was that Irving would take less money to head to Miami. Since then, it’s been reported that Dallas has interest in giving him a solid pay day.

Kyrie Irving Reportedly Wants to Stay With Mavericks

Plus, back on June 5 NBA Insider Marc Stein shared that he has heard that Irving would like to stay with the Mavericks.

“Yet two sources close to the process insisted Monday that Irving has consistently expressed a desire to remain a Maverick and actually wants to shut down the notion that he’s angling to get to L.A.,” Stein wrote as part of his newsletter. “‘He wants to stay,’ said one source. The clear signals Monday out of Dallas suggest that the Mavericks believe that. With or without a LeBron [James] reunion.”

The Dallas Mavericks are interested in acquiring a 22-year-old $6 million forward.

Kelly Iko of The Athletic told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that the Mavericks are one of the teams that have kept interest in Houston Rockets swingman Kenyon Martin Jr., who has a non-guaranteed salary for next season.

If the Rockets decline Martin Jr.’s salary, he would become a restricted free agent this offseason. If Houston guarantees his salary, the son of former NBA star Kenyon Martin would be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024.

“KJ’s situation is tricky,” Iko said. “When you look at Houston’s perspective, they have most of the leverage. They don’t have to be rushed into anything. If they picked up the fourth year, they can always do that and then extend him during the season. Their priority is their cap space this summer. If they decline it and he’s restricted, the onus is on the marketplace, and where can he get the money from? He’d prefer to get paid now, given the year he’s coming off. The future is unknown. Even with the new TV deal and the cap going up, and he could make more theoretically next year, you never know what could happen.

“If he wants to get paid now, can he find a sign-and-trade somewhere? There are a few teams that have kept interest in him, like Dallas, the Clippers, and Phoenix, that still like KJ Martin.”

Martin Jr. averaged 12.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 2022-23 while shooting 56.9% from the field, 31.5% from beyond the arc and 68.0% from the free-throw line. The California native signed a four-year, $6.1 million contract with the Rockets in November 2020.

Martin Jr. has career averages of 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

The Mavericks Have Been Urged to Re-Sign Kyrie Irving

The Mavericks have been urged to re-sign All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving this offseason.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report believes Dallas should bring Irving back next season. The Duke product becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

“The Dallas Mavericks took a real gamble when they sent out a first-round draft pick as part of a trade to land someone who’d enter unrestricted free agency the following summer,” Bailey wrote. “If Kyrie Irving walks, the Mavs will be out a rotation player (Spencer Dinwiddie), their best perimeter defender (Dorian Finney-Smith), the aforementioned first and multiple second-round picks for nothing. Yes, Kyrie was good (probably even great) for the few months he was a Maverick, but he hasn’t even been in the playoffs with them. Re-signing him is imperative.”

Irving averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 20 games with the Mavericks in 2022-23. Even though the Mavs didn’t even qualify for the play-in tournament despite having Irving and Luka Doncic, Dallas would like to bring Irving back.

“I hear he’s going back to Dallas on a 3+1 [a player option on the fourth year]. His contract will line up [identically] with Luka’s,” one player agent told Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus.

The Mavericks Need to Acquire a Long-Term Big

Bailey thinks the Mavericks need to acquire a long-term big this offseason as well.

“The Mavericks need a good pick-and-roll partner for Luka (and hopefully Kyrie),” Bailey wrote. “Christian Wood seemingly could’ve been that, but he was jerked around by his role (or lack thereof) to the degree it’s hard to imagine him coming back. Dwight Powell is aging into his 30s and is a few years removed from a ruptured Achilles. JaVale McGee is 35. And Maxi Kleber is more of a floor-spacing forward.

“If Dallas can land a rim-running big who can provide value for more than the next year, it’ll be in better shape.”

The Boston Celtics have been dealing with a logjam at the guard position all season.

Following the addition of Malcolm Brogdon last summer, Boston’s backcourt depth has been both a blessing and a curse. However, Jason Ounpraseuth of NESN recently shared a trade proposal that would not only resolve the Celtics’ guard depth issue but also improve their perimeter scoring.

The trade looks like this:

Boston Celtics Get: Davis Bertans and Reggie Bullock

Dallas Mavericks Get: Malcolm Brogdon

“Brogdon played for Jason Kidd in his early years with the Milwaukee Bucks, and if the Dallas Mavericks aren’t able to retain Kyrie Irving in free agency, then Brogdon would be a solid consolation to pair with Luka Doncic,” Ounpraseuth wrote. “The Celtics can trade Brogdon for Davis Bertans and Reggie Bullock. The pair would be solid contributors off the bench, and the latter would serve as a nice fit on the wings for Tatum and Brown drives.”

Brogdon enjoyed a solid season for the Celtics, winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in his healthiest season since his rookie year. However, the Celtics have issues in other areas of the floor and may see Brogdon as the ideal trade chip to balance their roster heading into next season.

Malcolm Brogdon Could be Traded to Brooklyn Nets

Since the Celtics crashed out of the Eastern Conference Finals, losing in game seven to the Miami Heat, the rumor mill has been awash with potential trades Brad Stevens could make this summer. Unfortunately, Brogdon’s name appears to be one of the more common being floated around.

Aside from Ounpraseuth’s trade proposal, Bobby Krivitsky of Sports Illustrated floated the idea of swapping Brogdon for Brooklyn Nets defensive wing Dorian Finney-Smith. 

“The six-foot-seven hard-nosed wing is a talented and versatile defender, meshing with the calls from Boston’s players to return to an identity where defense sets the table for its success,” Krivitsky wrote. “And while this isn’t to say the former Florida Gator lives above the rim, he’d bring more athleticism. He’d also allow the Celtics to play with three wings while keeping Tatum at the three, his best position.”

Payton Pritchard Wants to Be Traded

Should the Celtics decide to retain Malcolm Brogdon’s services next season, they will likely move on from Payton Pritchard. The third-year guard saw his role reduced following Brogdon’s addition last summer and was vocal about wanting to play leading up to the February 9 trade deadline.

According to a report by The Athletic’s Jay King, Pritchard has already informed the Celtics of his desire to be moved this summer.

“With the new onerous CBA rules looming after next season, the front office will likely have to decide in the next 12 months whether it can afford its expensive veteran depth,” King wrote. “Payton Pritchard has made it clear he hopes to be traded this summer, according to multiple team sources, so will the Celtics move him if they trade one of their core guards?”

The coming months will be critical for the Dallas Mavericks, as they look to retool their roster in order to field a more competitive team next season. Dallas’ front office took the first steps towards building a contender around Luka Doncic ahead of the trade deadline, when they swung a deal to land Kyrie Irving.

Now that they’ve got a strong scoring backcourt, the biggest need for the Mavericks is a big man. Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz agrees with that sentiment, labeling the center spot as the team’s biggest hole heading into the summer.

“Even if Irving comes back, Christian Wood and Dwight Powell can both sign elsewhere,” he pointed out. “JaVale McGee clearly wasn’t the answer at center, so more help in the frontcourt is needed.”

Swartz offered some suggestions for potential free agent signings in a recent article. Amongst those mentioned was Milwaukee Bucks big man Brook Lopez.

“Lopez would be the dream target, an elite defensive center who made 37.9 percent of his threes this season and has 78 playoff starts under his belt,” Swartz pitched. “When he says no, Reid and Williams would serve as potential starters instead.”

Lopez, now 35, has been a major part of Milwaukee’s success over the past few seasons, helping the team win an NBA championship in 2021. This season, he was named to the NBA’s First-Team All-Defense. Plus, he’s still able to impact the game offensively, averaging 15.9 points per game while shooting 53.1% from the field and 37.4% from distance.

Mavericks Looking to Trade No. 10 Overall Pick

Dallas landing a solid center seems to be a consensus must, according to many media members. One way they may go about doing so could be by landing one in a trade involving their No. 10 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Mavs are “widely known” to have interest in moving their first-round selection this year.

“Dallas is widely known to be evaluating trade possibilities with the 10th pick to bring reinforcements to Luka Doncic, as well as All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who will become an unrestricted free agent.”

Fischer has been reporting on the chances of Dallas moving the pick for about a month now, first breaking the news a few weeks back.

“There are other teams rival executives are already pinning as potential trade candidates,” Fischer wrote. “Dallas avoided disaster by landing its top-10 protected pick at the No. 10 spot, and the Mavericks are certainly expected to explore the market for that selection in hopes of adding to their All-Star backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the latter of which will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.”

Mavericks’ Top Priority is Defense and Rebounding

Whether it winds up being Lopez or another big man, Dallas’ priority this summer is no secret. They want to bring in defense and rebounding, both of which the 14-year vet provides.

General manager Nico Harrison made the goal know during his exit interview back in April.

“I think for us going into the offseason, the two biggest things that we need to work on is defense and rebounding,” Harrison said via the Dallas Mavericks official YouTube channel. “That’s going to be addressed.”

According to Spotrac, Lopez is expected to garner about $13 million in free agency this summer, making him an affordable option for Dallas.

James Harden won’t be leaving the Philadelphia 76ers to join up with controversial Dallas Mavericks free agent-to-be Kyrie Irving to sign together on the up-and-coming Houston Rockets per the New York Post’s Christian Arnold — this after having previously teamed up on the Brooklyn Nets before “The Beard” begged for a move out of the Big Apple due to the polarizing guard’s behavior.

“While the Rockets have plenty of salary cap space, it would also be hard to imagine Houston convincing both Harden and Irving in joining up to play with one another again after the way things ended in Brooklyn,” Arnold wrote.

With Irving receiving interest from the Mavericks — with the Los Angeles Lakers looming as a possibility due to Irving’s desire to team up with LeBron James again –, the Rockets are likely out as a potential landing spot for “Uncle Drew.” Arnold feels that Harden could end up back in Houston after more than two years away, though.

“While a reunion between Harden and the Rockets became a little less certain with the report that he was torn on what to do, the odds still seem good that he’ll end up back with the Rockets — though the Suns have been floated as a potentially interested party,” Arnold wrote.

Kyrie Irving Doesn’t Have Sentimental Appeal to Rockets

The Rockets wouldn’t consider Irving as they would Harden because of the lack of sentimental appeal the former lacks and the latter has according to CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn. In addition, Quinn sees an awkward fit with Irving and Houston’s core.

“Irving doesn’t have the same sentimental appeal to Houston that Harden does,” Quinn prefaced before saying, “He’s never played for the Rockets, and he’s never meaningfully competed for a regular-season MVP award. On paper, the fit is odd. Houston already has two high-usage guards in Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Irving is better than both, but it’s surprising to see the Rockets potentially discard younger, less controversial players in favor of Irving, whom they don’t know as well organizationally as they do Harden.”

The Rockets amassed a 397-224 record and reached two Western Conference Finals, in 2015 and 2018, with “The Beard” in uniform. Irving, meanwhile, has only been a part of a team with a playoff win one season (2020-21) since joining the Nets in 2019 free agency.

Mavericks & Sixers Could Re-Sign Stars This Offseason

Quinn sees Irving returning to the Mavericks as a certainty, though the rumors of a Rockets move could be a leverage play from the point guard’s camp to get as much money as possible.

“The reported expectation around the league all offseason has been that Irving remains with the Mavericks on a hefty long-term deal, but these rumors certainly won’t hurt his ability to drum up some leverage with Dallas,” Quinn wrote.

As for Harden, Quinn doesn’t see the Rockets relying on a Harden signing to change their fortunes and instead pivoting to whoever they can get to immediately improve — which could leave the door open for a return to the Sixers.

“What has become clear as player-movement season approaches is that the Rockets are not only targeting Harden this offseason,” Quinn prefaced before saying, “They plan to make a serious step toward the playoffs, with or without their former point guard.”

The Dallas Mavericks are one of the betting favorites to acquire a 12-time All-Star this offseason.

According to the latest odds from Sportsbetting.ag, the Mavericks have the fifth-best odds (+700) to land Chris Paul if he’s not on the Phoenix Suns next season.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN is reporting that the Suns could waive, stretch or trade Paul this offseason. The future Hall of Famer has a partially guaranteed contract for next season and is coming off his worst scoring campaign.

Paul averaged a career-low 13.9 points in 2022-23.

“Phoenix Suns ownership and executives had a series of conversations with Chris Paul and his representatives on the All-Star point guard’s future with the franchise Wednesday, including the possibility that he could be waived by the NBA’s June 28 guarantee date on his contract, sources told ESPN,” Woj wrote. “The Suns insist that they’re still working through several possibilities for Paul’s future and reiterated that to his representatives later Wednesday afternoon, sources said. Phoenix plans to explore trade opportunities including Paul and Deandre Ayton that could alter the franchise’s roster landscape ahead of a final decision on Paul’s partially guaranteed contract, sources said.”

The Suns lost to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals in six games. Paul suffered a groin injury in Game 2 and missed the rest of the series.

The Rockets Could Steal Kyrie Irving from the Mavericks

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Houston Rockets could pursue Kyrie Irving this offseason if they don’t get James Harden.

Irving becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason, while Harden can become a free agent if he declines his 2023-24 player option with the Philadelphia 76ers.

“I have also heard that the Rockets, in the event that they are unable to lure Harden away from Philadelphia and back to Houston, plan to weigh a run at Dallas’ Kyrie Irving,” Stein wrote. “The Mavericks remain the league’s only known team with definitive interest in signing the mercurial Irving next month, but league sources say that the Rockets have been increasingly cited as a team that could (stress: could) join the bidding if Harden elects to stay with the 76ers.”

If Irving doesn’t re-sign with the Mavericks and Paul is on the open market, Dallas could pursue CP3, who is still an elite playmaker despite being 38 years old. The Wake Forest product averaged 8.9 assists this season in 59 games.

Kyrie Irving Wants to Re-Sign With the Mavericks

Stein, who covers the Mavericks as a credentialed beat reporter, is reporting that Irving wants to re-sign with Dallas this offseason.

If the NBA operates under a $134 million salary cap, Irving would be eligible to re-sign with the Mavericks on a five-year, $272 million max contract.

“Yet two sources close to the process insisted Monday that Irving has consistently expressed a desire to remain a Maverick and actually wants to shut down the notion that he’s angling to get to L.A.,” Stein wrote. “‘He wants to stay,’ said one source. The clear signals Monday out of Dallas suggest that the Mavericks believe that. With or without a LeBron James reunion.”

The idea of LeBron James landing with the Dallas Mavericks has kindled into a trade rumor blaze — not to be confused with the pizza company owned by “The King” — after Shams Charania reported on June 5 that Kyrie Irving reached out to the NBA leading all-time scorer with the hopes of recruiting him to the DFW.

A James trade that would be considered a “fleece” of the Mavericks was proposed by Lake Show Life’s Josh Cornelissen, that’d see the Los Angeles Lakers acquire Josh Green, Jaden Hardy, Reggie Bullock, Maxi Kleber, Davis Bertans, Dallas’ 2023 No. 10 overall draft pick, and a 2027 first-round pick.

Such a proposal would keep Tim Hardaway Jr. as an off-ball threat alongside a new all-time Big Three in Dallas, though it would keep the remaining two years and $34 million off the Lakers’ books. Perhaps that’s where the “fleece” label comes in.

Cornelissen believes that the Mavericks would be opposed to this proposal at first but would eventually relent once it’s understood that it’ll take that much to get a deal done for the 19-time All-NBA legend.

“Would the Mavericks make this deal? Certainly not at first, but they probably do eventually talk themselves into it,” Cornelissen wrote. “Fielding a team with three superstars is nearly impossible under the new CBA, but since it doesn’t kick in until 2024-25 the Mavs would have one season to make a run at it before figuring out the damages next summer.”

LeBron James Rumors a ‘Ploy’ to Get Kyrie Irving to Lakers

According to All Lakers’ Matt Levine, the James-to-Mavericks rumors are merely a ploy to get the Lakers to go “all in” on attempting to sign Irving — and both James and Irving are aware of this.

“Realistically, this idea is just a dream as the Mavericks don’t have the pieces to trade for James and the only way it would be possible for him to join, would be the Lakers buying him out,” Levine wrote. “Which isn’t going to happen. Both players know this fact so this all seems like a ploy or a power move to try and push the Lakers to go all in and bring Irving to sunny California. Getting Irving would form a strong trio of James, Irving and Anthony Davis. The three would compliment each other well on the court and make the Lakers one of the favorites to win it all.”

Levine writes that the Lakers will have their hands tied by James and his previous mention of retirement and may have to sign Irving to avoid having that leverage used against them.

“Los Angeles would need to sacrifice depth from their roster to bring Irving in but if James is dead-set on playing with Irving for his last season or two, the team may have to make it happen,” Levine prefaced before saying, “After all, James did hint at a possible retirement so he could always fall back on that.”

Analyst: Mavericks Have ‘Zero Chance’ at LeBron James Trade

NBA insider Marc Stein poured cold water on the rumors that James could be on his way to the Lone Star State, claiming that there was “zero chance” the Mavericks would be able to assemble a trade package for “The King.”

“The Mavericks have roughly zero chance of assembling a legitimate trade push for the Lakers’ LeBron James, who isn’t even available via trade and only would be, realistically, if he were the one urging the Lakers to send him elsewhere,” Stein wrote.

It’s unclear where else James would want to land, with reunions with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat theoretically on the table given his past free-agent decisions. But Stein doesn’t think James’ fourth career home will be in Dallas.