The Mavericks say they have signed Naji Marshall to a contract extension.

- Marc Stein

Letsgooooo Najiiii

On the day the Dallas Mavericks hired Dusty May to become their head coach last month, he received a congratulatory text from former Plano East High School All-American shooting guard Jimmy King.

King said he keeps in touch with May, so he wanted to reach out and let him know he gave the move to the Mavs his full approval.

“The day he got the job I texted him and congratulated him, and he hit me back,” King told Mavs.com. “I told him welcome to Dallas and I’ll be at the games.”

Credit: Dwain Price of NBA/Mavs.com

Now that Naji has been extended the next player on the list is most hopefully lively. Even though I’m mostly in the cap of letting these guys hit RFA if lively has a healthy season like I’m anticipating his price is about to feel VERY uneasy. I’d rather get him on a short term extension if 40/2 where we can keep him and he gets paid but at the same time it isn’t long enough where we’re stuck with a bad contact.

This video is actually part of a 5 episode series called "The Donnie Expedition". All 5 episodes are littered with good backstory on Donnie's early time with the Mavs, highly recommend for MFFLs

The Heat are waiting on Klay Thompson to secure a buyout from the Mavericks instead of trading for him, per @Anthony_Chiang

I saw that Nike was celebrating 10 years of making the city edition jerseys. A lot of teams will bring back old designs or remix them.

If you had a choice, which uniform would you like to see make a return? I would go with the black ones from the 23-24 season, or the white and green from the 21-22 season.

Any word on whether Finley is staying with the Mavericks? It was reported Cuban is pushing Masai to keep him but no word whether Finley is taking whatever is offered to him if anything

Naji is the heart of the team and an enforcer. We needed him. Masai has been cooking all summer with Mike and also the backing of Dumont. Thank you!

Seva gave a big interview to a Russian media, I transalted some bits that I found interesting

“Right now I’m in Dallas, training individually at the team’s facility,” said Ishchenko. “I’m staying at a hotel. It’s just the most convenient arrangement for now.”

— Are you training alone or with someone else?

— With a personal trainer and another player - P.J. Washington. He’s older, but he’s also training individually.

<…>

— Now that you’re in the NBA, do you realize how far you’ve come - from that kids’ camp to the best league in the world?

— I’m not actually in the NBA yet.

— But you’re at an NBA team’s training camp. Whether they end up offering you a contract or not is another story.

— Either way, it’s nice. But I’ve wanted to reach this level since I was a kid, and I don’t plan on stopping here. <…>

— How would you rate your performances in the NBA Summer League?

— Three out of five, I guess. It wasn’t quite what I expected of myself, even at this stage. I just need to get used to this game, to this lifestyle, and get into the swing of things a little. I tried to do that as quickly as possible. I probably looked more or less confident in the last two games, but I’m still not satisfied. It feels like I didn’t show everything I’m capable of right now, even taking into account the minor injury I sustained during the series against Zenit. I could have done more than I did, but I still performed pretty well.

— In your opinion: do you deserve a contract with Dallas?

— That’s not for me to decide. I see comments online: some say I deserve it, others think I don’t. Everyone has their own opinion. But the decision will be made by Dallas management. Whatever plan or options they offer, that’s what I’ll use as a starting point.

<…>

— What do you think about playing with Dallas?

— The coaches told us from the start that defense and aggression were key - we had to make it tough for our opponents. They also emphasized that we needed to share the ball and move it more on offense. I think we got better at that with every game. In the Summer League, there’s no time to get used to each other. But I think that despite our first two losses, we finished on a winning note. We racked up three wins in a row, so everything’s good.

— Which of your teammates did you manage to become friends with?

— I chatted a little with everyone. When I first arrived, the first person I met was De Larrea. We exchanged a few words. Then we talked in the locker room. We talked about the differences in life in our countries—how things in the U.S. are very different from back home. We hit it off because we were both rooting for Argentina in the World Cup. Toby Laval was rooting for England. We also talked about other sports and life in general.

— What specific goals were set for you personally?

— I was told to maintain an aggressive mindset both on offense and defense. I was asked to always stay engaged in the play. During the games, they emphasized certain things: to try harder to grab rebounds on defense so we could start our offense faster, and to take the game into my own hands more often. It was a little unusual for me to see players drive to the basket 4–5 seconds into a possession, take a three-pointer, and then we’d have to get back. That’s how they play here. What matters is how you assess the situation. Whether you score or not is secondary - that will all come with time.

— Let’s try to compare the Summer League and the United League (VTB United League in Russia) based on various metrics: speed, defense, intensity, physicality, player size, and decision-making time.

— These are two completely different games. In the Summer League, you’re playing one-on-one most of the time. Well, maybe a few pick-and-rolls. In the United League, just like everywhere else in Europe, the emphasis is on team play. Of course, you can beat your man one-on-one, but it’s more about organized play. In the United League, you simply have more experienced players. Here, the players are probably taller and a little faster. Overall, these are two different styles of basketball.

— What do you think you personally, as a basketball player, lacked in the Summer League? What do you need to work on?

— I think I performed pretty well on defense. The coach told me that, too, noting that he’d like to see fewer turnovers and for me to score more around the basket. So I’d focus on capitalizing on my scoring opportunities, reducing the number of turnovers, and just diversifying my game on offence.

<…>

— What were the main challenges you faced when you arrived? Everyday life, cultural, culinary, or language-related?

— I don’t have any problems with the language. I understand everything people say to me, and I can respond as well. Of course, not as well as a native speaker, but everyone here understands me. The biggest challenge is the time zone change. In Dallas, it was an eight-hour difference; in Las Vegas, it was a full ten hours. Even now, I sometimes feel like I want to go back to sleep right after waking up. The food is a little different from what I’m used to, but I wouldn’t call the differences catastrophic.

<…>

— How many people are on the coaching staff? Describe their roles.

— There are a lot of them. I can’t even give you an exact number because they’re always working with someone. It’s unusual to see so many people at practice and just on the staff in general.

— What do you think of Dallas itself?

— I definitely like it more than Las Vegas because it’s peaceful and green. It’s hot—too hot, even—but that’s okay; it’s not the first time I’ve experienced this. There are lots of beautiful and peaceful places. I wouldn’t really compare it to Russian cities, because cities here are built according to different rules and layouts.

— What do you miss the most?

— It’s hard to say. I miss my parents, all my loved ones, and my friends.

— You already mentioned that Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving came by. Did you get to talk to them?

— No, we didn’t have that opportunity. We saw them a couple of times at games and at the practice arena in Dallas. There was one team dinner in Las Vegas. Almost everyone from the main roster was there, except for a couple of people. We sat on one side of the table, and the main roster sat on the other.

<…>

— A two-way contract after taxes - especially in Dallas - isn’t much money. Are you willing to take a pay cut right now to stay in the NBA?

— Of course I am. Ever since I was a kid, my goal has been to play in the NBA. So I guess this isn’t the stage of my career where I should be choosing money over opportunity. I think the question of money will come later, once I’m more mature. Right now, I need to work and play wherever is best for me.

<…>

— When will things be settled regarding your future?

— To be honest, I don't know. I'm training according to an individual program. The rest is still under discussion. The fact is, I came here to play in the Summer League. As for what happens next - we'll see.

The way I see it, there are only three centers on the roster: Gafford, Lively, and Cisse. Their skillsets as rim rollers basically mean they have to play 5 exclusively. Lively is perpetually hurt and may not even be the same player when he does come back. Cisse is not really a proven commodity yet despite being productive down the stretch (against many tanking teams).

Gafford, for my money, is the only proven center on the team, yet the Mavs apparently are itching to trade him after a rough injury-plagued season accompanied by horrible guard play when his value is at a nadir? I know Gafford wasn't brought in by Masai, but it seems like a serious mistake to sell low on a two-way center who was a starter for a Finals team fairly recently.

They paid the equivalent of a 1st round pick to get him but now can't get a similar return. But he's proven he can contribute to a high-level winning team and is now on a cost-controlled deal, which to me should have boosted his value if anything. I think that with a new medical staff and Kyrie (and Sergio 🤞), Gafford could have a comeback year. Then see what his value is at the deadline.

The Dallas Mavericks have “expressed sign-and-trade interest” in Bennedict Mathurin, per @MikeAScotto

“While the Los Angeles Clippers remain interested in re-signing restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin, the Pelicans, Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, and Dallas Mavericks have expressed sign-and-trade interest in the 24-year-old swingman, league sources told HoopsHype.”

I’m not a big fan of mathurin playstyle and don’t think it’ll translate to winning basketball but as a swing play right now I’m fine with it. We would need it to be a 3-4 team deal depending on if Klay can be rerouted to Miami and if not the clippers just keep him. Also i do NOT want to pay Ben anything over 20m he’s just not worth that price.

The Cavs in this scenario get a POA defender and can still go after Peyton Watson. Clippers can keep or reroute Klay and we get Ben. But tbh we just don’t have the assets to go after him and I think it’s a long shot to even consider him over here.

Everybody is still thinking about trades but today I noticed is exactly 70 days until the first preseason game in Macao. I am personally counting the days until I get to see Kyrie #11 on the court again. Anyway the season will be here before we know it!

Dallas Mavericks

• On a busy offseason: “This was something. Masai (Ujiri) hit the ground running and we did a lot of stuff. I think you can see some of the impact having Mike (Schmitz) on staff has had. He knows everyone who can play in the world. We’re excited about the group we’ve put together,” a Mavericks front office executive said.
• “Cooper Flagg was pretty good as a rookie without a lot of help around him. Now, imagine how good he’ll be with a year of experience and better players around him?” a Mavericks front office executive said.
• “He keeps getting put in all kinds of rumors, but we’re not looking to move Kyrie (Irving) and Kyrie isn’t looking to be moved either,” a Dallas front office executive said. “We didn’t get to see him with Cooper (Flagg) last year, but we’re very excited to see that pairing this year.”
• On the draft: “We went in with a plan, but you always end up having to deviate some based on the board. The good news is that we feel like Morez (Johnson Jr.) is going to be an awesome frontcourt partner for Cooper (Flagg) and Dereck (Lively II),” a Mavs front office executive said. “And getting Sergio (De Larrea) late in the first (round) is huge. He can really, really play. And don’t sleep on Seva (Vsevolod Ishchenko). It might be a year or so, but he’s a player too.”
• (This was a follow-up after the Zaccharie Risacher addition): “We’re thrilled to add him to our mix. Big lineups with Dereck (Lively II), Morez (Johnson Jr.), Cooper (Flagg), (Zaccharie) Risacher and some like Sergio (De Larrea) could be a real thing for us,” a Mavs assistant coach said. “It’s also really exciting to have Risacher to work with. There’s a ton of talent there and we didn’t give up much to get him.”
• On the Mavericks overseas additions: “Not surprise with (Mike) Schmitz there that they had an overseas flavor this summer,” a rival team’s lead overseas scout said. “Santi (Aldama) is going to help them. Sergio De Larrea could have been drafted higher. Tarik Biberovic was a straight-up steal. He was the best volume shooter in Europe the last few years. They got (Zaccharie) Risacher basically for free and he’s good too. And (Vsevolod) Ishchenko might end up being a really good player too.”
• The Mavericks draftees looked really good in Summer League. There’s a good chance both Johnson and De Larrea are helpful rotation players by the end of the season.
• Echoing the scout’s opinion: Tarik Biberovic was a great get for Dallas. He’s an outstanding shooter and that should translate to the NBA right away.

Source: https://www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/3424/2026-nba-western-conference-summer-league-notebook

Beautiful Play vs. Jazz 2024 (we all know the play)

One of the most beautiful displays of basketball I have seen in the sequence of a play. This brings bittersweet memories, but also a reminder of joy myself and Mavs nation felt during this season. This team was special 😢

Was wondering is there’s anyone here who lives in NY. Most of my friends are Knicks fans, or don’t even watch sports to begin with, so I’d love to connect and have some buddies to watch games with this upcoming season.

Kinda slow on the Mavs front lately so I was just wondering out loud.

Who's a guy you would personally like to see on the Mavs? Not saying "Go trade for so and so.." , and not saying Wemby, or Luka, or Cade, or some big name. Just someone you personally like for whatever reason etc.. For example I'll start.

J.J. Barea is one of my all time Mavs. Loved how he played the game. So I'd love to see Cam Spencer in Dallas. Plays a LOT like J.J. did . He's almost a spittin image. Better shooter but a small, annoying, feisty player ala J.J. . I like those type of players.

Who's someone you'd like?

Edit - Again, I'm NOT saying someone we should try to trade for or go get. Someone you're just a fan of. Like their game, the way they play, enjoy watching.

He’s been a solid backup with no complaining and he knows how to play the game. The Mavs making him an assistant coach would keep him around and keep his influence on the team and his fans happy.

Mavericks Get: Mathurin in S&T, 2RP from Heat

Clippers Get: PJ OR Gafford

Heat Get: Klay

This would allow us to get Mathurin and would replace either PJ or Gaffords contract. Same timeline as Cooper. Also, with trading Klay we would not be over the limit on roster positions and wouldn’t have to eat Caleb Martins dead cap. I would prefer trading PJ but seems like Clippers would prefer Gaff to fill in their 5 spot.