Tag: Dallas Mavericks

Former Duke basketball star Dereck Lively II breaks into NBA 2K Top 100 after rookie year

After his rookie season included a trip to the NBA Finals, former Duke basketball star Dereck Lively II made the top 100 players in NBA 2K25.

NBA 2K began slowly releasing its top 100 players in the upcoming edition of the popular video game, NBA 2K25, on Monday.

While top Duke names like [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Williamson[/autotag] need to wait to find out where they fit in the NBA hierarchy, one former Blue Devil got some great news in the first round of the release.

Dereck Lively II, the center who just finished his rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks, came in as the 98th-best player in the game with an 81 overall rating.

Lively went to the NBA Finals in his debut season, putting up four double-doubles over the course of Dallas’s playoff run. He earned national praise for his performance in the second round, getting a shoutout from the dictionary as the Mavericks unseated the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.

The seven-footer averaged 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game as a rookie, making the starting lineup 42 times in the regular season.

RJ Barrett, another former Blue Devil who just reached the Olympic quarterfinals with the Canadian national team, also earned an 81 overall rating, finishing 86th on the ranking.

Could the Nets have swapped Kyrie Irving for Mavericks’ Jalen Brunson?

The Brooklyn Nets could have been able to swap Kyrie Irving for Jalen Brunson before trading Irving to the Dallas Mavericks?

The Brooklyn Nets are in the middle of their latest rebuild as they are looking to find their next superstar or two in the upcoming NBA Drafts. The hope is that Brooklyn can find a player that they can develop in-house, but there is one player that could have been with the franchise if certain events went differently.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently went on the “Knicks Film School Podcast” with Jonathan Macri to discuss various topics related to the New York Knicks after everything that has happened this summer. One of the talking points that came up was whether the Nets could have gotten Knicks star Jalen Brunson in a trade for Kyrie Irving during the 2022-23 season with the Dallas Mavericks.

“The funny thing is, if Brunson signs that extension with Dallas, I think there is a high likelihood that he would be with the Brooklyn Nets right now,” MacMahon said. MacMahon is giving his opinion here, but it is interesting to hear these comments from him given that the Mavericks are part of his coverage for ESPN so it’s possible that there could be some chatter behind what he’s saying.

“Mark Cuban has always been about chasing stars,” MacMahon explained. But, I think there’s a decent chance that Jalen Brunson would have been moved to Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving still ending up in Dallas.” During the 2022-23 campaign, the Nets traded Irving to the Mavericks after the two sides were unable to come to terms on a contract extension and Brooklyn received Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith along with draft picks.

To add to this revisited moment, the Mavericks had the chance to offer Brunson a four-year, $55 million deal prior to when he broke out with the Mavericks during the 2021-22 season. As Brunson explained on the “All The Smoke” podcast with former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Dallas wanted to wait to give Brunson the extension and after that, it seemed that Brunson wanted to go elsewhere which is how he ended up signing with New York in free-agency the following summer.

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Shams: Boston Celtics’ opponents for season opener, rematches with Dallas Mavericks revealed

We just learned a little more about the Boston Celtics’ slate of regular season games for the looming 2024-25 season.

There may not be all that much going on in terms of men’s basketball now that the 2024 Paris Olympics are over, but that does not mean that the NBA news cycle is ready to take some time off. To that end, we just learned a little more about the Boston Celtics‘ slate of regular season games for the looming 2024-25 season from the Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Per Charania, we now know who the Celtics will face on opening night as they get their rings for the 2024 NBA title they won at the end of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. That ball club would be the new-look New York Knicks, which Boston will face on opening night on October 22 on TNT, with Boston of course hosting.

The Celtics and their fans also learned when Boston will face their opponent in the 2024 NBA Finals in the league’s 2024-25 regular season.

Boston is slated to face the Dallas Mavericks twice next season. The first tilt will be a road game against the Mavs on January 25, and the second of two will be at TD Garden on February 6.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Led by RJ Barrett, Canada improves to 2-0 in Olympics with win over Australia

Raptors forward RJ Barrett continued a strong start to the Olympic Games to lead Canada to a win over Australia on Tuesday.

Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett continued a strong start to the Olympic Games on Tuesday to lead Canada to a win over Australia at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France.

Barrett produced a game-high 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander both had 16 points in the 93-83 win. Thunder forward Lu Dort added 11 points.

The contest was close throughout the first three quarters, with the lead changing hands 13 times. Canada took a two-point advantage into the final frame and would outscore Australia 21-13 over the last 10 minutes to pull ahead for good and improve to 2-0 in the group phase.

Canada moved into first place in Group A with one game left to play in the preliminary round. Barring a collapse in its final game on Friday against Spain, the Canadians are all but guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals beginning on Aug. 6.

Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey led Australia with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Rockets forward Jock Landale scored 16 points and 12 rebounds and Dallas Mavericks guard Danté Exum had 15 points. Rockets forward Jack McVeigh added nine points.

After defeating Spain in its Olympic opener, Australia dropped to 1-1 in the group phase with its loss on Tuesday. The team is in second place in Group A heading into its last game of the opening round against Greece on Friday (7:30 a.m. EDT).

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Mavericks second-round pick Melvin Ajinça to be stashed in France for 2024-25 season

Mavericks second-round pick Melvin Ajinça will be stashed for the 2024-25 season in the French League.

Dallas Mavericks second-round pick Melvin Ajinça will be stashed for the 2024-25 season in the French League after signing with ASVEL Basket on Tuesday.

Ajinça, the cousin of former seven-year veteran Alexis Ajinça, was the 51st overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft after playing last season with Saint-Quentin in France. He averaged 9.5 points and 3.6 rebounds on 48.1% shooting from the field in 30 games.

The 20-year-old played in the NBA Summer League with the Mavericks, averaging 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in five appearances. He produced his best game on July 13 with 13 points and five rebounds in a loss to the Utah Jazz.

Ajinça began playing professionally in 2019 with Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball. He eventually joined the junior team with Saint-Quentin and was named the Best Young Player in the 2022-23 season after he averaged 8.5 points and two rebounds in 33 games.

The 6-foot-8 forward leaped up draft boards after a tremendous showing with France in the 2023 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup alongside Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr. He was the second-leading scorer, averaging 19.3 points and 2.9 rebounds en route to the silver medal.

Ajinça will now play with one of the top teams in France. The Mavericks were drawn to him because of his size, shooting and defensive ability, which he will be able to further develop in France next season.

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Former Lakers guard Spencer Dinwiddie is now joining the Mavericks

The Lakers have now lost a second rotation player from their 2023-24 roster in free agency.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ weak offseason continues.

Whether it has been in free agency or through a trade, they have added literally no outside players. Their only moves thus far have been to sign draft picks Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.

At the same time, they lost a key contributor when Taurean Prince, a very good 3-point shooter, decided to join the Milwaukee Bucks. Prince shot 39.6% from 3-point range this past season and helped Los Angeles finish eighth in 3-point shooting percentage.

On Monday, the team lost another player who could’ve helped it get better this coming season. Guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who joined the Lakers from the buyout market in February, has agreed to sign with the Dallas Mavericks.

Dinwiddie put up very disappointing numbers with the Lakers, as he often found himself a spectator on offense rather than someone who had the ball in his hands to create for himself or his teammates.

During a previous stint with the Mavs, the Southland native shot just over 40% from downtown and put up good overall numbers. He will now be a member of a team that has gone to the Western Conference Finals in two of the last three seasons.

Western Conference contender is interested in signing Spencer Dinwiddie

Spencer Dinwiddie, who played for the Lakers this past season, and a major power in the Western Conference are said to have mutual interest.

Many Los Angeles Lakers fans are very disappointed and even frustrated these days, as the team hasn’t brought in any outside players from other teams this offseason, either via free agency or trade.

Draft picks Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, particularly Knecht, could help the Lakers right away. But they still need another legitimate center and a 3-and-D wing, as well as an upgrade in terms of a ball-handling guard.

They have already lost forward Taurean Prince, who had a very good season for them by shooting 39.6% from 3-point range. Now, one of their few viable options as far as help at the point guard spot may be on the verge of leaving.

Spencer Dinwiddie, whom L.A. picked up from the buyout market in February, is rumored to be interested in joining the Dallas Mavericks, and the interest is reportedly mutual.

Via Marc Stein’s Substack:

“Dallas could elect to keep the spot open in the short-term, but league sources say that the Mavericks do hold an interest in re-signing Spencer Dinwiddie,” wrote Stein. “I’m likewise told that Dinwiddie has maintained property in the Dallas area since he was traded to Brooklyn in the Kyrie Irving deal in February 2023 and has interest in a return.

“Dinwiddie, who played his high school ball in the San Fernando Valley, chose to sign with his hometown Lakers over a return to the Mavericks last February after he was traded from Brooklyn to Toronto for Dennis Schröder and Thaddeus Young and then bought out.”

While Dinwiddie was a big disappointment during his short tenure with the Lakers, there is a feeling that then-head coach Darvin Ham misused him by not letting him run the offense or attack downhill with the basketball.

He has a history of low shooting percentages, but in parts of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with Dallas, he shot well from the field and just over 40% from 3-point range while playing alongside Luka Doncic. If he were to stay with the Purple and Gold, the hope is that having a strong offensive mind in JJ Redick as head coach could result in a major bump in his production.

Warriors draw Mavericks, Nuggets and others in NBA in-season tournament group stage

The NBA revealed Golden State’s opponents for the group stage of the 2024 in-season tournament.

The NBA’s first-ever in-season tournament came and went for the Golden State Warriors. After tough come-from-behind losses to the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors were eliminated in the group stage of the debut in-season tournament.

In 2024, the Warriors will bring their new-look roster to the second-annual in-season tournament. On Friday, the NBA revealed the draw for the different groups in the tournament. Each conference will have three groups with five teams that will play each other with a ticket to the knockout round on the line. Eight teams will advance to the knockout round.

For the second straight season, the Warriors will be featured in Group C. The Warriors will see the Western Conference defending champion Dallas Mavericks to go along with the Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies.

Via @NBA on Twitter:

Along with battling against players like Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson in the play-in tournament, the Warriors will also get a reunion with Klay Thompson and the Mavericks during the tournament.

NBA Cup play is set to begin on Nov. 30, 2024.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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How do the new-look Mavs stack up against the Boston Celtics?

Can they compete for a rematch with the Celtics in the 2025 NBA Finals?

With the addition of former Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson and promising talents Quinton Grimes and Naji Marshall, the Dallas Mavericks are aiming to create a formidable team around stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Can they compete for a rematch with the Boston Celtics in the 2025 NBA Finals?

The key focus remains on Doncic’s health and conditioning, as his peak performance is crucial for the team’s success. Join us as we analyze how the Mavericks are gearing up to make a serious run for the NBA championship and the pivotal role Doncic plays in their pursuit of glory.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Big Three NBA” podcast, A. Sherrod Blakely, Gary Washburn, and Kwani Lunis, sat down with Mike Curtis of Dallas Morning News to discuss the new additions to the Mavs, and how they’d stack up against the Celtics. Check it out below!

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Klay Thompson to wear No. 31 with Dallas Mavericks

The former Warrior will wear a new number with the Dallas Mavericks.

During his 13-season run with the Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson became synonymous with the No. 11. Thompson won four championships while wearing No. 11 and turned it into a legendary jersey number in Bay Area sports history. The Warriors have already committed to retiring No. 11 with the organization in the future.

However, with the longtime Golden State sharpshooter set to join the Dallas Mavericks, he will be in-line for not only a new jersey, but a new number as well. Thompson’s new teammate, Kyrie Irving, has worn No. 11 since he was traded to Dallas in 2023.

When he was officially introduced as a new member of the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, Thompson held up his new jersey with his new number — No. 31.

Via @dallasmavs on Twitter:

During his introductory press conference in Dallas, Thompson explained why he chose No. 31. Thompson mentioned players like Jason Terry and Reggie Miller as other great players to wear No. 31.

Via @BallySportsSW on Twitter:

Only nine players in Mavericks’ history have worn No. 31 with the last one being Terry in 2012. Nick Van Exel also wore No. 31 during his time with the Mavericks.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!