The Dallas Mavericks have been connected to a number of different players around the league in NBA trade rumors and speculation, including Detroit Pistons’ Jerami Grant, Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner, Atlanta Hawks’ John Collins, and more.
And then there’s the NBA Playoffs, NBA Draft and so much more to chronicle. …
Here at DallasBasketball.com, we will keep you up to date on all Mavs-related trade rumors, reports, and speculation as the offseason progresses.
JUNE 7 MAVS BRINGING IN JADEN HARDY FOR WORKOUT?
With the NBA Draft just a little over two weeks away, the Dallas Mavericks have started the process of bringing in prospects for workouts. According to a report from The Athletic, G League Ignite guard Jaden Hardy is expected to be one of the players the Mavs bring in for a workout.
Hardy appeared in 12 games for the Ignite last season, averaging 17.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.2 minutes per game. After being ranked second on the ESPN 100 high school prospects list in 2021, the 6-4 shooting guard’s struggles with efficiency in the G League have dropped him from being a potential lottery pick to being a late first-round pick. Hardy shot just 35.1 percent from the field for the Ignite, including 26.9 percent from deep.
Depending on what materializes on the trade market, the Mavs might be more inclined to select a young big man on draft night, but if Hardy impresses Dallas in his workout, you never know what can happen. Sometimes it’s about taking the best talent available over taking someone just for a positional need.
JUNE 4 NETS STEALING LUKA’S COACH?
According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Brooklyn Nets are expected to hire Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Igor Kokoskov this summer to be an assistant on head coach Steve Nash’s bench.
When the Mavs hired Jason Kidd to be their new head coach last summer, Kidd added Kokoskov to his stellar coaching staff soon after. Kokoskov coached superstar Luka Doncic with the Slovenian national team in 2017, so it was a natural fit.
Although Kokoskov will be missed in Dallas, there will be no shortage of qualified candidates available for Kidd to choose a replacement from. Recently dismissed Lakers and Hornets head coaches Frank Vogel and James Borrego are two names that immediately come to mind.
JUNE 3 NIKE OWNER TO OWN BLAZERS?
Nike founder Phil Knight, along with Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Alan Smolinisky, are in talks to purchase the Portland Trail Blazers for more than $2 billion for the franchise, per a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Blazers were owned by Microsoft founder Paul Allen until his death in 2018; the franchise is presently owned by his family trust. The Oregon-based Knight, 84, has an estimated personal worth of $60 billion and would reportedly plan to keep the Blazers in Portland.
JUNE 2 LEBRON MAKES HISTORY… AGAIN
LeBron James has no shortage of NBA accolades — both on and off the court. From winning championships and MVPs, to climbing the league’s all-time scoring ladder, to helping kids with their education, James has pretty much seen and done it all.
On Thursday, James made history yet again… this time with his wealth. According to Forbes, James has become the first-ever active NBA player to become a billionaire.
“LeBron James – 18-time NBA all-star, 4-time NBA champion, 2-time Olympic gold medalist – has hit yet another milestone, this time doing something no other NBA player has ever done,” writes Chase Perterson-Withorn.
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“After another monster year of earnings – totaling $121.2 million last year – Forbes estimates that James has officially become a billionaire, while still playing hoops.”
The Los Angeles star has a lot to think about when it comes to his on-court future, as the Lakers have fallen far from their 2020 championship form. But no matter where James ends his career, he’s going to continue piling up money in historic fashion.
MAY 30 GORAN DRAGIC RE-JOINING LUKA DONCIC?
According to Eurohoops.net, Goran Dragic, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent in July, is likely to re-join Luka Doncic on the Slovenian national team this summer.
“Although it’s not official yet, Goran Dragic is highly likely to dress up again for the Slovenian national team for one last and also crucial game, according to multiple reports.
“Dragic will reunite with Luka Doncic with whom he led Slovenia to EuroBasket gold in 2017. That was also his last run with the national team.”
Dragic has been linked to the Mavs in the past, so we’ll be keeping an eye open this summer as free agency gets underway. Although Dallas already has Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie on the roster, it never hurts to have another seasoned secondary distributor… especially when that distributor is basically like an older brother to Doncic.
MAY 29 BOSTON CELTICS ADVANCE TO NBA FINALS AFTER GAME 7 WIN
The Boston Celtics have beat the Miami Heat in Game 7 on the road Sunday night, going wire-to-wire in a 100-96 win.
The Celtics will now take on the Golden State Warriors, who just beat the Dallas Mavs in a five-game “gentleman’s sweep” Friday night following a 120-110 win at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Mavs star Luka Doncic pulled Dallas to within single digits after trailing by as many as 25 in the third quarter, but the Warriors’ weapons proved too lethal.
Doncic finished with 28 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, while Spencer Dinwiddie came off the bench and poured on 26 points on 5-7 shooting from deep in the Game 5 loss.
The Celtics will face the Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco for Game 1 on Thursday at 8 p.m.
MAY 29: MAVS BRINGING BACK BENCH MOB?
The Dallas Mavericks have big summer plans to hopefully complete a roster that fell just three wins short of reaching the NBA Finals. However, it seems that the smaller plans have already been laid out as well. According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Mavs are planning to retain a couple of key bench presence and locker room guys.
“One interesting small-scale sidebar to the Mavericks’ offseason plans covered extensively here Friday: Sources say that Dallas is determined to find the roster room to retain both Theo Pinson and Boban Marjanović next season — key figures in its team dynamic despite their extremely limited playing time,” writes Stein.
Marjanovic is arguably Luka Doncic’s best friend on the team, so bringing him back as an end-of-the-bench guy makes a lot of sense. He doesn’t play much, but when he does, he’s effective. The same can be said for Theo Pinson, who scored a season-high 16 points in Dallas’ regular-season finale win against the San Antonio Spurs.
MAY 28: LUKA DONCIC CELEBRATES REAL MADRID VICTORY
After Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the Champions League Final, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic took to Twitter to celebrate the win.
Before Doncic was drafted in 2018, he played for Real Madrid’s basketball club but has continued his loyalty for all things Real Madrid.
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