Mavs Tidbits

[Mavinator]

Sure don't... is "Trixz" in there? That guy's my favorite...

[LonestarROB]

Nope, or atleast I haven't found him yet.

[Mavinator]

He's the white guy in those Nike ball-handling commercials... He's got a weird real name, I forget what it is.

[LonestarROB]

More tidbits. Including Finley visiting San Antonio.

"Stein: Sonics' Patterson on Mavs' list of Kobe-stoppers
07/06/2001

By Marc Stein / The Dallas Morning News

Even for teams with gobs of salary-cap space or multiple lottery picks, there's no sense looking. On the NBA open market, and especially in the June draft, the supply is dry.

There are no more Shaquille O'Neals out there.

Which leaves only one natural strategy for the other Western Conference contenders hoping to stay – or get – competitive with the two-time champions from Los Angeles. That strategy: Identify personnel who might help you cope better with Kobe Bryant.

The Mavericks have embraced the idea, knowing that it's considerably more feasible to acquire a rugged swingman to send at Bryant compared to the likelihood of hiring O'Neal-inspired help. And their list of free-agent targets reflects such thinking.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has acknowledged interest in Miami's Bruce Bowen, Houston's Shandon Anderson and a couple defensive specialists who would be much tougher to pry away from their current teams: Sacramento's Doug Christie and Philadelphia's Aaron McKie.

Cuban also confirmed that the Mavericks are looking at one of the most available free agents in this category. Seattle's Ruben Patterson, who long ago dubbed himself the league's foremost "Kobe stopper," might have the natural choice for several teams – before Patterson was sentenced May 15 to a year in jail, with all but 15 days suspended, under a modified guilty plea to an attempted rape charge.

"We like Ruben's game," Cuban said Thursday. "But there are other areas that we would have to put together programs to make sure we feel comfortable that history won't repeat itself."

Seattle granted a qualifying offer to Patterson on June 30, making the third-year guard a restricted free agent. The Sonics would thus have 15 days to match any offer to Patterson from another club.

The Sonics, though, took that step largely to give themselves the option to sign-and-trade Patterson as opposed to losing him without compensation.


Finley and Robinson


The San Antonio Spurs, banking on the highly remote possibility that the Mavericks' negotiations with Michael Finley break down, have invited Finley for a visit to South Texas.
Turns out the Mavericks have made similarly ambitious contact with San Antonio's David Robinson. Mark Cuban said that he has conveyed his interest to Robinson's agent, Jeff Austin, even though Dallas couldn't offer anything more than the $4.5 million salary-cap exception.

San Antonio would only have sufficient funds to tempt Finley if it broke off talks with Robinson and Derek Anderson first. The Spurs are trying to convince Robinson and Anderson to split the club's $15-plus million in cap space – in a manner that would leave a little something left over to sign a small forward to replace Sean Elliott. "

Link

[LonestarROB]

More tidbits. Including Cuban talking to Derek Andersons agent about a sign and trade.

"Finley expected to re-sign
Mavs close on deals with Booth, Bradley

07/18/2001

By Jodie Valade / The Dallas Morning News

The lack of commotion from the Mavericks' camp throughout the now-finished free-agent negotiating period is not to be confused with reason to panic.

It merely means everything has progressed as planned.

Meaning that task No. 1, the re-signing of Michael Finley, is nearly complete – just in time for Wednesday, the first day free agents can sign contracts. Finley, who hasn't even visited with other teams in this negotiating period, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, is expected on Wednesday to sign a seven-year contract valued at about $102 million. That's the maximum deal allowed, and means Finley will forgo an option to sign a one-year deal that would then enable him to sign a heftier seven-year, $120 million contract next summer.

Discussions with Shawn Bradley and Calvin Booth are on pace, Cuban reports, and details continue to be worked on with both free agents.

"I feel good about them both," Cuban said.

The Mavericks can offer Booth an Early Bird contract, at a minimum of two years starting at $4.5 million. And it's Booth's restricted free-agent status that allows the Mavericks to match any outside offer the young forward might receive that has Cuban even more confident.

Bradley has professed his desire to return to the Mavericks, and Cuban said he continues to hammer out details – length and salary – of the contract that will bring back the 7-6 center.

Meanwhile, talks with other free agents have turned into a challenging game of wading through those who are truly interested and those who are using Cuban's declaration that he isn't afraid of the luxury tax as a bargaining tool with other teams.

"Our biggest challenge is determining where the guys are real and where they are using us to get better offers," Cuban said. "In either event, we think we will bring in some people that will help us get better next year."

With backup guard help such as Derek Anderson, Tim Hardaway, Shandon Anderson and Moochie Norris still available, the Mavericks still have options with their $4.5 million salary-cap exception. Those options even include a sign-and-trade deal to acquire San Antonio's Derek Anderson, and Cuban said he has had discussions with Anderson's agent.

As for other free agents, Cuban said he hasn't entertained the big names because he's "not big on wine-and-dine visits."

"It's more about putting together the right deals," he said.

No trent


Another Mavericks top-name free agent hasn't received the same attention as others. Gary Trent has asked for more playing time, a commodity the Mavericks are unwilling to provide. Trent said Tuesday he has had few concrete discussions with other teams, but still holds out some hope for the Mavericks, though he has not talked with Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban.
Trent has fetched little interest leaguewide because of his history of injuries, so if the Mavericks are to be involved in a sign-and-trade with him, it would most likely be done later in the summer.

Kiki update


The Denver Nuggets continue to covet Kiki Vandeweghe, but the Mavericks assistant continues to downplay talk that he is the next Nuggets general manager. Vandeweghe said he still is listening to options in Denver, and expects no quick decision.
Summer league


Forward Donnell Harvey has been the surprise of the Mavericks' summer league team in Los Angeles this week, leading the team in scoring and rebounding. The team concludes its LA schedule Tuesday, and moves to Salt Lake City at the end of the week."

DMN