NBA PM: Deron Williams To Dallas?
The Dallas Mavericks are about to violate the cardinal rule of winning NBA championships. According to multiple reports and various sources close to a number of players, the Dallas Mavericks are about to disband the core group of players who helped them become NBA champs last June in an effort to land a key free agent next summer.
Chandler And The Nets, Warriors?
First and foremost there is Tyson Chandler. Chandler was not the star of the Mavericks’ title run, that would be amazing Dirk Nowitzki; however, without Tyson Chandler there is absolutely no chance that the Mavs would have won the first title in franchise history. Chandler gave the Mavericks a dynamic front court presence on both ends of the floor, something the team hasn’t really had since the days of Roy Tarpley.
Chandler is no Tarpley, but he gave the Mavs the defensive presence they drastically needed next to Nowitzki, and he also gave Jason Kidd a target for lobs and easy points down low. It was widely believed that the deep-pocketed Mavericks would absolutely bring Chandler back, but now that free agency is upon us they haven’t seemed at all interested in their starting center. Sources close to the situation say that Chandler is very likely to be either a New Jersey Net or a Golden State Warrior going forward.
JJ Barea Gone?
Next up we have reserve point guard JJ Barea, who was very often the player who came off the bench and got things going for the Mavs. He spelled Jason Kidd, but he also made up for the lack of production from Roddy Beaubois, from whom the Mavericks expected a great deal in 2010-11. Barea’s performance in last year’s playoffs has inspired a great deal of interest around the NBA, with the New York Knicks and Miami HEAT both very interested in signing him.
“It’s not looking good here in Dallas, I don’t think,” Barea said Tuesday night. “I’m disappointed. I wasn’t expecting this. Hopefully, it gets better.”
Caron Butler And The Clippers?
Caron Butler was also expecting a little bit more from the Mavericks, and yet he, too, has heard nothing but the dial tone from his former team. Granted, the Mavs won the title while Butler was sidelined with an injury, but they did it by adding piecemeal players here and there, from Sasha Pavlovic to Peja Stojakovic to Corey Brewer, and would do well to have one consistent starter back in that spot. That won’t be Butler, however, as he appears to be set to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers without so much as a sniff from Dallas.
Stevenson, Terry, and Fernandez
It can also be assumed that the Mavericks won’t be bringing back DeShawn Stevenson, whose defense was huge throughout the 2010-11 season. He took on everyone from Kevin Durant to LeBron James during the playoffs, and was a big part of why the Mavs are champs today. He’s also not someone who would cost Dallas a ton of money to bring back . . .but they won’t. Instead they seem satisfied to fill Stevenson’s slot with Rudy Fernandez, whom they acquired on draft day. Fernandez’ contract expires next summer, and he has talked incessantly about returning to Spain when his NBA obligation is over.
In a someone less surprising, yet related, move, the Mavs have also refused to engage in extension talks with sixth man Jason Terry.
“I don’t think it’s been talked about officially, but they know where I’m at with it,” Terry said Monday. “In my entire career I’ve never been a restricted free agent and now it’s time to be a staple of this organization. Being here as long as I have, I think I’ve earned it. And we’ll see what happens.”
Terry is 34 years old, and while he has been the heart and soul behind two Finals runs during his time in Dallas, it makes some sense to wait until next summer to make a decision about Terry . . .based on the rest of the team’s landscape.
So what’s going on here?
On the surface, the Mavs are demonstrating that they haven’t learned much from those who have gone before. The most successful NBA franchises in Mark Cuban’s time as owner of the Mavs are the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers, and those teams maintained their dominance by keeping their respective core groups in tact. The Mavericks seem poised to sacrifice the chance to repeat as champions based on a free agency pipe dream.
The Deron Williams Pipe Dream
The Dallas Mavericks brain trust has just one thing on their mind as we prepare for free agency 2011, and that’s free agency 2012.
Rather than field a team with a reasonable shot at repeating as NBA champs this season, it appears the Mavericks are working hard behind the scenes to clear enough cap space to make a run at Deron Williams next summer. As things stand, the Mavs have just over $43 million in committed salary at the end of the 2011-12 season, and if they save their amnesty for use on, say, Brendan Haywood next summer, they could free up another $8.3 million. That would certainly be enough to make a pitch to Williams, a Dallas product, but what would lure Williams to town in that scenario? An aging Dirk Nowitzki? An even older Shawn Marion?
The truth is that Deron Williams is incredibly likely to be back in New Jersey long-term after his free agency, and the Mavericks might even be helping that happen. What the Nets have to do is a put a contending team around Williams to inspire him to commit, and a front court of Tyson Chandler and Brook Lopez would certainly help them in that cause. Like the Mavs, the Nets have an owner who is more than willing to spend, and he has given Williams the opportunity to have significant input into the makeup of the roster. It’s a great situation that Williams will probably not want to walk away from.
So what about the Mavs? Is it smart to let several key pieces of their championship team walk away in favor of hoping to land someone better a year from now? More importantly, is that fair to Dirk Nowitzki? Is it fair to Jason Kidd, who is likely preparing for his last year in the NBA? Is it fair to ask those guys to go out and compete against a league that will be gunning for them without giving them the support they need, all in the name of maybe getting a player next summer?
This could be a very tough year for the Dallas Mavericks.
Very tough, indeed.
Really? Dalembert?
The Houston Rockets seem to have found their big man, which should come as a relief to NBA fans in Houston.
After chasing Marc Gasol, Nene and Tyson Chandler, the Rockets have their man, and they will not start the 2011-12 NBA season without a starting center in their mix, as many have feared.
Yes, according to sources close to the situation Samuel Dalembert is set to be the next starting center for the Houston Rockets.
(crickets)
What? Not blown away? Not picking up your cell phone to order tickets and run out to your nearest NBA retailer to find that Dalembert Rockets jersey for Christmas?
Me, neither.
This is not to needlessly disparage Dalembert, who is a good guy and a decent player. We’re talking about someone who has career averages of just over eight points and eight rebounds, and even managed 10 and 10 one year while he played for the Philadelphia 76ers. He would be a solid addition to a team that was one piece away from a title . . .like Miami, for example . . .maybe New York.
But Houston?
The Rockets need a lot more than a nice complementary piece in the front court; they need a player who will command a double-team and dominate at least one end of the floor. They need an instigator for the defense and a low post scoring threat.
Dalembert simply doesn’t fit that need.
Last season Dalembert got 92.5% of his offense in the half court, and converted just .825 points per play the Kings ran. That put him in the 33rd percentile in the NBA, for a rank of “average” in scouting circles.
On the defensive end, Dalembert ranked higher than “average” in just two categories: pick-and-roll defense (52nd percentile) and post-up defense (75th percentile). He was just average in guarding spot-ups, “below average” in guarding isolations and spot-ups, and “poor” in defending off a screen.
Does that sound like the solution for a team that will, according to new head coach Kevin McHale, focus on improving defensively? The Rockets were already rated as “very good” in defending the post, due largely to the efforts of Chuck Hayes, but were only “excellent” in one category: defending cutters. They were ranked as “average” or “poor” in every other defensive category, and Dalembert won’t significantly change that.
If this is Houston’s answer to the center position they had better spend a lot of time scouting the draft class of 2012. They will have yet another lottery pick to use in their quest to make sense of a roster that is already laden with young unproven players.The Houston Rockets seem to have found their big man, which should come as a relief to NBA fans in Houston.
After chasing Marc Gasol, Nene and Tyson Chandler, the Rockets have their man, and they will not start the 2011-12 NBA season without a starting center in their mix, as many have feared.
Yes, according to sources close to the situation Samuel Dalembert is set to be the next starting center for the Houston Rockets.
(crickets)
What? Not blown away? Not picking up your cell phone to order tickets and run out to your nearest NBA retailer to find that Dalembert Rockets jersey for Christmas?
Me, neither.
This is not to needlessly disparage Dalembert, who is a good guy and a decent player. We’re talking about someone who has career averages of just over eight points and eight rebounds, and even managed 10 and 10 one year while he played for the Philadelphia 76ers. He would be a solid addition to a team that was one piece away from a title . . .like Miami, for example . . .maybe New York.
But Houston?
The Rockets need a lot more than a nice complementary piece in the front court; they need a player who will command a double-team and dominate at least one end of the floor. They need an instigator for the defense and a low post scoring threat.
Dalembert simply doesn’t fit that need.
Last season Dalembert got 92.5% of his offense in the half court, and converted just .825 points per play the Kings ran. That put him in the 33rd percentile in the NBA, for a rank of “average” in scouting circles.
On the defensive end, Dalembert ranked higher than “average” in just two categories: pick-and-roll defense (52nd percentile) and post-up defense (75th percentile). He was just average in guarding spot-ups, “below average” in guarding isolations and spot-ups, and “poor” in defending off a screen.
Does that sound like the solution for a team that will, according to new head coach Kevin McHale, focus on improving defensively? The Rockets were already rated as “very good” in defending the post, due largely to the efforts of Chuck Hayes, but were only “excellent” in one category: defending cutters. They were ranked as “average” or “poor” in every other defensive category, and Dalembert won’t significantly change that.
If this is Houston’s answer to the center position they had better spend a lot of time scouting the draft class of 2012. They will have yet another lottery pick to use in their quest to make sense of a roster that is already laden with young unproven players.
Chris Paul Traded By Saturday?
The start of the 2011 NBA free agency period is just hours away, starting on Friday, December 9th, and the closer we get to that date the more likely it seems that Chris Paul will be in a new uniform by Saturday morning.
I’ve got to hand it to Hornets GM Del Demps, dealing Chris Paul immediately is a brilliant move on his part. The team could start the season 50-0 and the only thing anyone would want to talk about would be Chris Paul’s future. By trading Paul now, Demps avoids that stupidity and allows the fan base in New Orleans to begin the recovery process immediately.
The frontrunners today seem to be the Los Angeles Clippers, who may be willing to part with Eric Gordon in a package that could also include DeAndre Jordan, though they prefer to offer a package including Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledson, Chris Kaman (expiring) and the 2012 first round pick they own from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sources close to the situation have told HOOPSWORLD’s Eric Pincus that Gordon could, indeed, be on the table if his inclusion gets a deal done quickly.
The Golden State Warriors are also very much in the mix, with an offer that includes budding young star point guard Steph Curry. In fact, the Warriors may have the offer to beat, all things considered.
On the table from the Warriors is an offer of Curry, Ekpe Udoh and Klay Thomson, which would also give the Hornets $23 million in cap space going forward. The deal would not only position the Hornets to follow the business model used by the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, it would put them in a great position to be sold to a new buyer. Instead of burning cap space on David West, the Hornets could being back Carl Landry and have an exciting young core in place to build upon for years to come.
It’s unfortunate that Chris Paul’s camp is forcing a trade, but it does appear that the Hornets can benefit long-term based on the trades being offered.
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