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Mavs talking about bringing Jones back
08/21/2002

By MARC STEIN / The Dallas Morning News


While still hopeful that Rashard Lewis will spurn a richer offer from Seattle to sign with Dallas, the Mavericks have identified another free agent they hope to sign.

The club has scheduled face-to-face talks this week with ex-Maverick Popeye Jones, the nine-year power forward who broke into the NBA with Dallas in 1993.

Jones averaged 7.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in 79 games for Washington last season, production reminiscent of his Mavericks tenure from 1993-96.

"We are talking to Popeye," said Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. "We think he could help us."

Cuban added that the Jones pursuit is "independent of Rashard." The Mavericks could offer Jones their smaller salary-cap exception ($1.4 million) without impacting the Lewis chase, or part of their $4.5 million exception in the unlikely event Dallas can acquire Lewis by sign-and-trade means.

Cuban also said he plans to discuss the troubled Shawn Kemp with fellow Mavericks executives Don and Donnie Nelson before deciding whether to contact Kemp, who was waived Tuesday by Portland.

Dallas has also targeted Utah's Bryon Russell as a fallback to Lewis and still expects to re-sign restricted free agent Eduardo Najera.

Second-round pick to Italian team

Mladen Sekularac, the Mavericks' second-round pick (No. 55 overall) in June, is expected to leave his Yugoslavian club (FMP Zeleznik) to sign a two-year deal with Italian club power Virtus Bologna.

To come directly to the Mavericks next season, Sekularac would have been forced to pay Zeleznik the bulk of a $1 million contract buyout, as league rules preclude Dallas from contributing more than $350,000.

"It works well," Mavs owner Mark Cuban said. "He gets better, and we hold his rights."