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Love Him or Leave Him: Spencer Dinwiddie

Dallas Mavericks v Memphis Grizzlies - Play-In Tournament

Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images

Does Spencer Dinwiddie still have a place on the Mavericks’ roster, or is it time to say goodbye?

The Dallas Mavericks find themselves in an interesting spot as the offseason officially nears. After trading Luka Doncic in early February, the Mavs had designs on a deep Postseason run as a defensive nightmare for opponents. With newcomer Anthony Davis as Kyrie Irving’s new running mate, things looked amazing for about two-and-a-half quarters of a single game before unmitigated disaster struck. Davis re-aggravated an abdominal injury, Irving suffered an ACL injury a few weeks later, and the Mavericks came dangerously close to not having enough players to field a team on multiple occasions.

After missing out on the Postseason, the Mavs defied the odds by landing the number one pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, all but certainly making Duke star Cooper Flagg the face of the future in Dallas. His pending arrival combined with Irving’s extended absence until at least January of 2026 raises a multitude of roster-related questions for Dallas.

In this series, we’ll take a look at players from last year’s roster to debate whether they are still a fit. We’ll have a look at what they brought to the team thus far, what they can bring under the current circumstances, and whether or not it’s better to keep them (“Love Him”) or forego re-signing/seek to trade them (“Leave Him”) for more favorable assets. Kicking off the series is the sometimes-polarizing Spencer Dinwiddie.

Season recap​


The 6’5 guard was in his second stint as a Maverick, ironically departing in the trade that brought Kyrie Irving to Texas, before signing back as a free agent prior to the start of last season. For the year, the 32-year-old averaged 11 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He shot 41.6% from the floor and only 33.4% from three, a far cry from when he shot just north of 40% from beyond the arc during his first stay in Dallas. In a season when nearly every member of the roster missed meaningful time to injury, Dinwiddie was Dallas’ iron man having logged 78 games played.

Contract status​


Dinwiddie returned to Dallas last Offseason on a one-year deal worth $3.3 million, making him an unrestricted free agent.

How he fits​


Dinwiddie knows the system in Dallas and remains a competent NBA player with plenty of experience. While he may not fit Mavs’ GM Nico Harrison’s ideal vision of a defensive terror, he still brings value to a roster that currently has a massive dearth of guard depth. His assist-to-turnover ratio is a healthy 3.38 and he is no stranger to being a primary ball-handler, having done that job at various points throughout his career.

Final verdict: Love Him​


While he may not be the ideal candidate as a full-time starter, Dinwiddie has proven he’s both capable and available, things the Mavs greatly lack at the moment in respect of their guard position. While any number of transactions and signings may yet happen, it’s not inconceivable to believe the Mavericks will not magically create cap space or swing a big trade that nets them an obvious star guard. With that in mind, Dinwiddie represents an ideal target as Dallas looks to sure up their guard rotation. He knows both the system and the players and he would likely be as affordable as he was last time he signed. In the event he had to start or play heavy minutes to start the season, he would still seamlessly transition back to a bench role after the return of Kyrie Irving. As an affordable piece that would cost the Mavs no other assets, Dallas should bring Dinwiddie back into the fold.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...gent-mavericks-resign-trade-cooper-flagg-duke
 
SB Reacts: The Jason Kidd of it all

NBA: Dallas Mavericks at Minnesota Timberwolves

Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

What’s going on here?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Dallas Mavericks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

This one’s more about feeling than fact. Marc Stein says Kidd doesn’t have interest in the New York Knicks job. Many other media sources say there IS interest. Dallas needs to shut it down unless they’re okay with him walking. Poll results later in the week! Sign up for the emailed surveys!

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/6/10/24446249/sb-reacts-the-jason-kidd-of-it-all
 
Mavericks will not let Jason Kidd interview with the New York Knicks

NBA: Play-In-Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

This weird story can finally go away

The Dallas Mavericks will not allow head coach Jason Kidd to interview with the New York Knicks for their own head coaching vacancy, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania reports that as of Tuesday night the Knicks haven’t made a request to interview Kidd, but the Mavericks will turn them down if that happens.


The Knicks have not requested permission for Mavericks coach Jason Kidd as of Tuesday night, but sources tell ESPN that the Mavericks would reject them. https://t.co/5oSSGQb0x4

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 11, 2025

This finally puts to bed a strange and weird story that has managed to stay alive for almost a week. After the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau last Tuesday, Kidd’s name was almost immediately tossed into the rumor mill by just about every credible NBA reporter. The Knicks were also interested in the Rockets Ime Udoka, but the Rockets unofficially shot that down pretty fast through leaks to the media.

The Mavericks did no such thing, as reports bounced around for the last week with iffy language about whether or not the Mavericks would allow Kidd to interview. Soft language flying around about Kidd’s interest and the Mavericks expecting Kidd to be their coach next season made it difficult to ignore this story, especially when the Mavericks hold all the power and leverage — Kidd can’t go to New York if the Mavericks don’t let him, since Kidd is under contract with the Mavericks.

Why Dallas let this story linger for almost a week is anyone’s guess. For Kidd, reports indicate he’s using the Knicks as a boogeyman to secure another, longer-term extension as the Mavericks organization is in a bit of a precarious spot after the Luka Doncic trade, with Kyrie Irving’s ACL injury and the soon-to-be-drafted Cooper Flagg on the horizon. It wouldn’t have taken much for the Mavericks to squash this story, literally a single text to any NBA reporter saying “no, Jason Kidd is our coach, he’s not going anywhere” would have done the trick. It didn’t even need to be an official statement, the Mavericks could have just leaked this to any media member and gotten the same result. Instead, the Mavericks never definitively put their foot down and the story persisted.

At the end of the day, why the story lasted as long as it did doesn’t matter, aside from the Mavericks seemingly never-ending quest to annoy their fans. Perhaps there was more smoke to this fire than reported, maybe the Mavericks and Knicks earnestly tried to negotiate a trade for Kidd and the deal fell apart. We don’t know and we might never know, but for now, Kidd will be Dallas’ head coach to start next season, so you can go back to your regularly scheduled Cooper Flagg YouTube highlight binges.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...jason-kidd-interview-with-the-new-york-knicks
 
Love Him or Leave Him: P.J. Washington

2025 SoFi Play-In Tournament - Dallas Mavericks v Memphis Grizzlies


Does P.J. Washington still have a place on the Mavs’ roster, or is it time to say goodbye?

The Dallas Mavericks find themselves with plenty of veteran presence amid the pending NBA Draft which will all but certainly net them NBA-ready 18-year-old Cooper Flagg. As is the case every Offseason, every team will either tinker with or overhaul their roster – change is basically inevitable – but Dallas is in a somewhat unique position. The team is currently built around veterans Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, but the future clearly belongs to Cooper Flagg. So what will the cap-strapped Mavs do to build their team this offseason while they await the return of Irving early in 2026?

In the first part of this series, we took a look at Spencer Dinwiddie. Today we’ll take a view on fan-favorite P.J. Washington to see if it makes more sense to keep him in Dallas (“Love Him”) or utilize him as a valuable trade piece to fill other roster voids (“Leave Him”).

Season Recap​


Washington played a key role in the Mavericks’ defensive schemes, primarily splitting time at the 3 and 4. The 6’6 Washington averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The former 12th overall pick connected on 45.3% of his shots, including 38.1% from beyond the arc, both improvements from his first half-season in Dallas. For the type of player he is, he does not get to the charity stripe quite as much as one would think, attempting only 3.5 free throws per game. Despite a few absences due to lower leg/ankle injuries this year, he showed toughness in getting back on the court when he was still clearly ailing, managing to play in 57 games. He will be 27-years-old at the start of next season.

Contract status​


Washington is entering a contract year where he is set to earn $14 million before becoming a restricted free agent in the summer of 2026.

How he fits​


Washington is beloved by the fan base. He is the Swiss Army Knife of the roster, able to shoot the three, drive to the hole and even set up the offense from time to time. He is a versatile defender and shares enforcer duties with Naji Marshall. He struck the unbelievable “standing on business pose” in a playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers that will forever endear him to Mavs Nation, a single image that explains exactly who he is. He is the second-leading rebounder on the roster behind Anthony Davis.

Final verdict: Leave him​


This verdict is painful and certainly not a reflection of my personal desire. Rather, it’s simply the by-product of what I think is reality – Washington is the odd man out. Being the starting small forward for a team that is about to draft a new face-of-the-franchise at the very position Washington mans is an unenviable position to be in. If by some bizarre circumstance Anthony Davis commits to playing center full time, a job he has repeatedly indicated is not his foremost desire, maybe there is a chance Washington remains in Dallas. In reality though, Davis moving to center exposes him to more wear and tear while pushing Dereck Lively to the bench full time. Neither really helps the Mavs. It’s impossible to believe Flagg comes in off the bench and unfathomable to believe Washington will move to a reserve role for the rookie, especially in a contract year. Given the cap situation, the Mavs may not be able to afford Washington next year in unrestricted free agency anyway (unless they are content with possibly blowing past the first or even second apron). With what feels like an overwhelming set of factors leading Washington to the exit, the Mavs would probably be wise to capitalize on his value now. He’s so much more than an expiring contract. His versatility would be welcome on just about any team as he enters his prime. The Mavs have limited draft capital in their control and Washington is the kind of player you could either turn into picks and/or other capable players at a position of need.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...-free-agent-mavericks-trade-cooper-flagg-duke
 
Paige Bueckers torched the Phoenix Mercury defense — but she can’t win games alone

Dallas Wings v Phoenix Mercury

Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings drives to the basket during the game against the Phoenix Mercury during the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game on June 11, 2025 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. | Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images

Bueckers went off for 35 points in Phoenix, but the Dallas Wings dropped their fifth straight game, 93-80, in Phoenix

A tragic Dallas Wings playlet unfolded at Phoenix’s PHX Arena on Wednesday.

Paige Bueckers pulls up to Phoenix’s PHX Arena in the drop-top, slides her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose and says, “Get in, Wings. We’re torching the Phoenix Mercury.”

Pan to an empty sidewalk. None of her teammates have even shown up. End scene.


Bueckers made her first seven shot attempts in her first game back after missing the last four for the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, but despite the rookie phenom’s best effort, Dallas dropped its fifth straight game to the Phoenix Mercury (7-4), 93-80.

Opposing defenses have been hounding star guard Arike Ogunbowale with double-teams, traps and hedges to get the ball out of her hands in Bueckers’ absence, but after Bueckers nailed her sixth-straight field goal, a 3-pointer along the right wing on the first possession of the second quarter, the Mercury shifted that tactic in her direction. Bueckers turned the ball over twice in the next three minutes as the Phoenix defense tried to take away the Wings’ not-so-secret weapon.

Bueckers gave a knowing nod after her second turnover of the second quarter, a shot-clock violation as two Mercury defenders sent her scurrying backward with the ball instead of attacking the basket. Adjustments would be necessary, and adjustments were incoming.

A minute later, Bueckers came open four feet behind the 3-point line on a ball reversal. Her stroke was every bit as pure as her first two 3-point attempts and tied the game, 28-28, midway through the second.

Bueckers shot 8-of-10 from the field against Phoenix, including those three from 3-point range, and set a new career-high scoring mark with 22 points — in the first half, when she played all 20 minutes.


PB FOR 22 IN THE FIRST HALF

Paige Bueckers 22 points in the 1st half was the third highest points in a half for a rookie in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/sXplGmAz3t

— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) June 12, 2025

She needs a ride-or-die, or two, or three, though. While Bueckers went 5-for-5 in the first quarter, the rest of the Wings shot an abysmal 3-of-13. No other Dallas Wings scored more than four points in the first half.

Phoenix held Ogunbowale to a big donut in the scoring column through the first two quarters on 0-of-7 shooting. She picked up her third and fourth fouls two minutes into the third quarter before diving to the rack along the baseline for her first field goal a minute later to pull the Wings to within 47-38.

Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington and Maddie Siegrist combined to shoot 7-of-25 from the field in the loss. Ogunbowale and Carrington combined for eight of Dallas’ 20 turnovers. The Wings shot 5-of-19 from 3-point land as a team in the loss. Everyone not named Bueckers combined to shoot a putrid 0-of-13 from long range. The Mercury — known league-wide this year as 3-point merchants — shot 15-of-35 (42.9%) from deep in the win, outscoring the Wings by 30 points from beyond the arc in the win.

Bueckers’ space station is indeed fully operational. That’s no moon. She has arrived on the scene as a force to be reckoned with in the WNBA. But she needs help in a bad way.

Even before Wednesday’s outburst, she led all rookies in points per game (14.7) and assists per game (6.7). But she can’t manufacture wins all by her lonesome. The Wings’ 1-10 record at the quarter-pole of the WNBA season is the best evidence of that. At this time last year, on their way to a 9-31 finish, Dallas had managed a 3-8 record.

Satou Sabally, who was Ogunbowale’s running partner a year ago in Dallas, led Phoenix with 20 points on four made 3-pointers and 10 rebounds in the win over her old team. Bueckers nailed two more 3-balls in the fourth quarter to give her 35 points and become the first Wings’ rookie to score 30 or more points in a game since Ogunbowale did it in 2019.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...-mercury-defense-but-she-cant-win-games-alone
 
Better Days Ahead, But We’re Not There Yet

Syndication: Democrat and Chronicle

Jamie Germano/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

A recent study labeled Mavericks fans the most negative in the league. But what if that’s not negativity — just the sound grief makes when it believed in something?

When I first saw the Vegas Insider report that Dallas Mavericks fans had been surveyed as the most negative in the NBA, my first reaction was to wince. The vibes, as recently as last year’s playoffs, were better than they had been since the 2011 championship.

It was P.J. Washington standing on business against the Clippers in the first round. It was the Mavericks’ defensive cohesion and timely shot-making against the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder. It was Luka’s step-back three over Rudy Gobert — a capstone moment in franchise history that sent Dallas to its third NBA Finals.

And yes, they lost in five to Boston. But the off-season held promise. What moves around the edges could the front office make to complement a championship-caliber core?

According to Vegas Insider sentiment analysis, Dallas Mavericks fans top the charts for negativity, with nearly a third of all comments flagged as negative.
https://www.vegasinsider.com
The NBA’s Most Negative Fanbases

For a moment, it felt like they were on the right path. Klay Thompson — a Hall of Famer with something to prove — joined the squad. Naji Marshall, “The Knife,” added versatility. Quentin Grimes arrived and impressed. From the moment Luka returned to form in mid-November through late December, the Mavs won 13 of 16 games. At times, they looked like the hottest team in the league.

Then came the unraveling. And no — this isn’t another autopsy of the Luka trade. This isn’t even another critique of Nico Harrison directly, though I haven’t written my last of those.

This is about the survey result — the label slapped on a fanbase as “most negative.”

Calling a fanbase negative misses the nuance. It paints passionate heartbreak as petulance. And it ignores the deeper emotional truth.

Shortly after the Luka trade, I wrote a piece about how the fanbase had fractured into three pieces: those who walked away and may never return… those who say “move on already”… and those of us caught in between, stuck in amber, still driving with the brakes on.

This wasn’t just a playoff flameout. It was the end of an era — interrupted mid-rise.

A commenter named UtahMav dropped an analogy in my recent Captain Kirk analogy post that caught me off guard. At first, I thought he’d wandered into a Reddit thread about a failed relationship. But then I realized — no, this was the analogy:

“My basketball girlfriend has cheated on me, stabbed me in the back and I just can’t go on pretending I trust she’ll make the right decisions going forward. I’ve broken up with her. I’ve been flirting with other girls in the meantime. There’s beauty elsewhere. I’ve spent a good bit of time with one in particular — she’s interesting — but if I’m being honest, in my heart of hearts, I wanted it to work out with my previous long-term partner. We had such a deep connection, made such great memories. I know better than to crawl back to her before she gets her life in order. Major changes need to be made first. And a clear vision of going the right way before I saddle up with her again. It could take a while. Maybe one of these other girls will steal my heart in the meantime.”

That’s not snark. That’s poetry.

It also explains why this fanbase “won” that survey. We didn’t just drop in the standings — we fell through the elevator shaft. Because when you expect an open elevator door to come with the elevator car — when you expect the championship contention path to continue — and instead, you drop like Diana Maldaur’s famous LA Law exit? That’s a very specific kind of suffering.

So yes, when things go well, positivity is easier - which makes unity natural. But why are the Wizards — a franchise mired in mediocrity and worse — just above the Spurs at the bottom of the negativity list? Shouldn’t they be more upset?

No. Because when you’ve been bad long enough, you stop being surprised. You cease expecting better. In the ‘90s, I watched Mavs games on a 12-inch Philco TV, knowing we’d probably lose. But I watched anyway, to see glimpses of development. If your team loses enough, you don’t develop a taste for losing… but you do develop a tolerance for it.

That’s not where Dallas is.

Dallas had Dirk. And after Dirk, we had Luka. The franchise bridged the unbridgeable — two generational players whose legacies overlapped. We watched Luka’s rookie-of-the-year campaign morph into playoff runs, miracle shots, a Finals berth. And then… it all got ripped away.

And again — this isn’t about the trade. It’s about the trauma.

Some of us can’t let go of the hurt. Some of us already have - already humming the breezy Pat Metheny-style soundtrack of “Better Days Ahead.” And others are doing their best to move forward. We have to respect each other across those emotional states.

A few nights ago, I stumbled across a YouTube conversation between jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and Rick Beato. Beato marvels at how Metheny glides effortlessly over difficult chord changes — only for Pat to gently stop him. Paraphrasing the wisdom from Metheny:

“No, it’s not easy. It sounds easy… but I’ve spent a lifetime working on it. Hours and hours. I work at the things I can’t do. And over time, I’ve gotten to the point where I can do them. That’s the only reason it sounds effortless now.”

That moment of gentle pushback from a legend to an admirer registered with me.

Because the people in the “move on already” camp? They might look like they got there effortlessly. Like they rebounded or were never phased start with - and now are ready to talk about spacing and switch schemes again.

But for the rest of us — the ones still caught in amber, still driving with the brakes on — it’s going to take time. And work. We’re going to have to practice healing. Over and over. Let the team show us they’ve changed. See if this isn’t another elevator door opening without a car to step into.

We’re not negative because we love pain.

We’re negative because we loved.

And maybe, just maybe, we’ll find our way back to melody. But not before we fight our way through some tough chords.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...5745/better-days-ahead-but-were-not-there-yet
 
Don Nelson almost passed on Dirk Nowitzki in the draft and other fun stories from the award presser

Dallas Mavericks: Nash and Nowitzki press conference


From keeping Dirk Nowitzki a secret to the not-so-hidden shoe protest and falling out with Mark Cuban because of Steve Nash, former Mavs coach Don Nelson shared a host of stories from a life around the NBA.

In Sunday’s pregame press conference, where Don Nelson received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA), the Hall of Fame coach answered questions and shared a long list of stories and interesting tidbits about his time in the NBA and in Dallas.

Don Nelson, the legendary NBA coach of 34 years, who was with the Dallas Mavericks from 1997-2005, both as a coach and as a general manager, had many things to share about his time in Dallas.

Known for the so-called “Nellie ball”, as well as the advent of the ‘point forward’ position, he forced teams to adjust to a higher pace and increased 3-point shooting, as well as disruptive defensive schemes during his tenure as an NBA coach.

Among many other interesting insights, the former Mavs coach and GM confirmed that the falling out between him and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was because Cuban was unwilling to pay Steve Nash in 2004. Nash left Dallas that summer to sign with the Phoenix Suns. He was a free agent and was offered a more lucrative contract by the Suns than the Mavericks.

In the award press conference, taking place prior to game 2 of the NBA Finals Sunday, Don Nelson also told the fascinating story about how he and Donnie Nelson (his son and assistant coach at the time) tried and succeeded in hiding Dirk Nowitzki from other NBA teams prior to the draft in 1998.

“Dirk was the most talented big man I’d ever seen. He was close to seven feet tall and he played like a small forward. Donnie (Nelson) found a way to isolate him from the NBA scouts, they played in the world games, European against American players down in San Antonio. Donnie got him to train in Dallas and they trained in the YMCA and only two people were allowed in there: that was me and Donnie,” the Hall of Fame coach said.

“So I got a chance to watch him for a week, and no other scout could come in… I didn’t want anybody else to see him, because I liked him that much. He scored like 35 and 15 rebounds and I thought ‘oh man, now everybody’s gonna see him’ but they only saw him the one time and he started slipping in the draft.”

It also turns out that they did the deal to trade back from draft pick six to nine because they were certain Dirk Nowitzki would slip. The reason was that they had told everybody else that Dirk couldn’t come to the NBA for another 2-3 years. Which of course wasn’t true. But it ensured that they were in the black that year instead of red, “and Ross Perot Jr. (the owner at the time) liked that,” Don Nelson added with a smile.

But the real kicker in this story is the fact that Dirk was not even Nelson’s favorite player in that draft (1998), he revealed. Paul Pierce was. And when Pierce started slipping, as well, they suddenly had to make the choice between selecting him or Nowitzki, Don Nelson explained. “Oh shit”, he thought.

At this point, however, his son Donnie reminded him of the lengths they’d gone to in order to hide and keep Nowitzki a secret, and Don agreed - they’d made a commitment and they were going to stand on it. But it wasn’t a smooth start in Dallas for Dirk and Don:

“It was tough for a while in Dallas. People thought I was a mad scientist… we stuck with him and we got (Steve) Nash in the trade and history can answer the rest of it.”

Don Nelson was not about to stop raving about Dirk Nowitzki, however.

“What a player, huh. What a human being. I’m so proud of him,” he added and continued straight into one of the big stories of the night, the shoe protest:

“And Luka too. My dear friend. As a matter of fact, I want everybody to know, I’m wearing Luka’s shoes... And I’m wearing them in protest of the trade from Dallas. I think it’s a tremendous mistake by the Dallas Mavericks franchise to trade him,” Nelson quipped, referring to the protest of the Mavericks’ widely criticized trade of Luka Dončić to the Lakers earlier this year.”


“I’m wearing Luka’s shoes in protest of the trade from Dallas.”

Former Mavericks HC Don Nelson is clearly not rockin with the Luka Doncic trade pic.twitter.com/RyOMco3RjR

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) June 9, 2025

At this point in the presser, Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers head coach and NBCA President - as well as Dallas Mavericks head coach from 2008-2021 - who was seated next to him - let out a loud chuckle, indicating Carlisle’s stance on the matter.


Don Nelson. Legend. pic.twitter.com/2Fu8UZ2y77

— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) June 8, 2025

Don Nelson continued:

“I want everybody to know that. Because I learned from the best. I played a year for Red Auerbach. I played under him for Tommy Heinsohn and Bill Russell. And I had the opportunity to sit and talk with Red about his philosophy. And his philosophy was, when you have a great player… you never lose that player - you keep them for a lifetime. You put his number up and you honor that player,” the former Mavs coach said and continued:

“My philosophy was always to honor the great players. Not trade them away. But to add pieces to that player to make him and that franchise the best that it could be.”

Don Nelson, who is one of only two coaches in NBA history to lead three teams to at least 250 wins, spent 34 years as a head coach in the NBA, as he coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the Golden State Warriors (twice), the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks from 1997 to 2005.

During this short press conference, he also shared how he created “Nellie ball” - he had the idea while playing on the Boston Celtics - and a list of other interesting tidbits. If you’re interested in NBA history and Dallas Mavericks history, it’s worth your time. Watch the full press conference here:

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...he-draft-and-fun-stories-from-the-award-press
 
Broken teams doing broke things: Anatomy of a fourth-quarter Dallas Wings collapse in Las Vegas

WNBA: Dallas Wings at Las Vegas Aces

Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) drives past Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington (21) in the first quarter of their game at Michelob Ultra Arena. | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Wings collapsed down the stretch and let a win slip through their fingers like so much desert sand.

The Dallas Wings (1-11) forced nine straight turnovers and started the second half on a 22-2 run on Friday, but not even climbing up that hill was enough to secure their second win of the season against the Las Vegas Aces (5-4) on Friday.

The Wings collapsed down the stretch of an 88-84 loss at Michelob Arena as the Aces outscored Dallas 17-2 to end the game and cement the Wings’ sixth straight loss in the worst start to a season in franchise history.

Dallas came into Friday’s game at Michelob Ultra Arena searching for that put-away run, that killer instinct, that crucial bunch of stops and buckets on the other end — all the things that add up to winning basketball. They thought they’d found it entering the fourth quarter.

The Wings built a lead as large as 13 points during that 22-2 run to open the third, but Las Vegas cut it to 76-71 on Jackie Young’s drive to the cup with 5:48 left to play. Paige Bueckers nailed a pull-up jumper, DiJonai Carrington drove to the bucket and Luisa Geiselsoder made a nice cut to get open in the lane in response — three straight clutch buckets to extend the Dallas lead to 11, up 82-71 with 3:40 left.

Bueckers turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions down the stretch, the latter of which resulted in a transition take foul that sent Jewell Loyd to the free throw line, then Ogunbowale charged into Loyd after Loyd sunk her two free throws to pull the Aces to within 82-77.

After two more free throws from Young and with 1:53 left on the clock, the Wings were nursing a fragile 82-79 lead. Ogunbowale’s errant pass was picked off by Aces guard Chelsea Gray. Carrington fouled Young on a call Carrington thought should have been a jump ball, and Young sank two more to make it an 82-81 game with 1:05 remaining.

After Bueckers missed a long jumper on one end, a broken play led to Gray’s offensive rebound on the other end. She found Loyd open for a corner 3-ball as Geiselsoder closed out on the shot. Loyd’s fifth 3-pointer of the game swished home as violent wartime flashbacks flooded through the mind’s eye of Wings fans back home. The Aces held Dallas without a field goal in the game’s final 3:55.

The Aces were without star center A’ja Wilson, who is in the WNBA’s concussion protocol, offering Dallas a unique opportunity to sneak away with a win over a quality opponent on the road. But this Wings team just can’t find the grit to put a team away when they have the chance.

Arike Ogunbowale canned a 3-pointer from the top of the key midway through the first to give the Wings a 15-12 lead, but Dallas missed its next six shot attempts over the next four-plus minutes as Vegas went on an 8-0 run to take control of the game and a 24-18 lead after one.

The Wings don’t do well when playing from behind, and they’ve backed themselves into a corner in each of their 11 losses to start the 2025 season. There have been moments of inspiration, but they have come too few and far between. Ogunbowale hit her second 3-pointer, on a smooth little step-back move, with 8:12 left in the second, then found NaLyssa Smith open under the basket two minutes later to pull Dallas within 31-29 and force an Aces timeout.

The Aces outscored the Wings 9-2 out of that timeout, including two open spot-up 3-pointers from Loyd, who scored 16 of her 21 points in the first half. Young led all scorers with 28 points for the Aces in the win. Ogunbowale scored just two points in the fourth quarter but led the Wings with 26 in the loss.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...th-quarter-dallas-wings-collapse-in-las-vegas
 
Wings trade for center Li Yueru; waive backup guard Kaila Charles

WNBA: Seattle Storm at Dallas Wings

Seattle Storm center Li Yueru (28) drives to the basket past Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) during the second half at College Park Center. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Li Yueru reportedly asked for a trade seeking more playing time.

The Dallas Wings have had their share of problems defending in the lane this year, and shooting the 3-pointer has also been an issue. The team believes its latest move may help in both spots.

The Wings traded a second and a third-round draft pick to the Seattle Storm on Saturday for center Yi Lueru (6’7”). Dallas sent back the team’s 2026 second-round pick, which includes the right to swap with the Connecticut Sun, and its 2027 third-round pick, which includes the right to swap with the Indiana Fever, in the deal.

To make room on the roster for Yueru, the Wings also waived backup guard Kaila Charles. Charles averaged 4.9 points in 14 minutes per game through the first 11 games of the season for the Wings, earning one start along the way.

Over nine games in Seattle this season, Lueru is shooting 50% from 3-point range (2-of-4 on the year) and 91.7% from the free throw line. In two games against the Wings this year, Yueru scored six points in six minutes in Dallas’ 83-77 loss on June 3 and went scoreless in 13 minutes in Dallas’ 79-71 loss on May 19. Yueru reportedly asked Seattle to trade her in search of more playing time.

Yueru fills a need at the center position for the Wings, after Teaira McCowan has already left the team for Eurobasket competition, where she will compete with Turkey and will be followed shortly by Luisa Geiselsoder, who will compete for Germany. Geiselsoder, a rookie in the WNBA ranks, started the last three games for the Wings at the five. She is scheduled to report to the German National Team on Saturday, according to the team.

The Wings started the season with Myisha Hines-Allen and NaLyssa Smith in the frontcourt but learned quickly that the starting tandem left the defense exposed against teams with a bigger inside presence.

Yueru’s professional career began in China, playing for the Guangdong Dolphins of the Women’s Chinese Basketball League in 2015. The 26-year-old was selected 35th overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2019 WNBA Draft, but made her debut in the 2022 season with the Chicago Sky following a pair of trades. Yueru averaged 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds over 16 games with the Sky in 2022. She missed the 2023 season due to injury and was traded to Los Angeles before the 2024 season.

Yueru has served as an anchor for the Chinese national team, representing her home country since 2017. She has earned two gold medals (Asian Games), two silver medals (FIBA Asia Cup, World Cup) and a bronze medal (FIBA Asia Cup) on the international stage. She most recently led China with team highs of 17.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She recorded the most points by a woman in Chinese Olympic basketball history since 1998 with 31 points against Spain on July 28, 2024.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...ter-li-yueru-waive-backup-guard-kaila-charles
 
MMB Fever Dream: “You Just Got Cardigan’d”

New York Knicks Host Watch Party For NBA Eastern Conference Finals

Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images

Be warned: An Absurdly Long Satire Awaits

Editor’s note: This is satire. Brent Brooks is not, to our knowledge, the current head coach of the New York Knicks. Yet.

Breaking: Knicks Hire MMB Staff Writer Brent Brooks as Head Coach in Stunning Alternate Timeline Plot Twist

In an offseason already brimming with chaos, the New York Knicks have pulled off the most confounding move of all: they’ve hired Brent Brooks—yes, the MMB writer, the cardigan-wearer, the Mavs Moneyball metaphor merchant-as their next head coach. (In real life, I own zero cardigans.)

The decision came after the Knicks reportedly failed to secure interviews with actual NBA head coaches, including Jason Kidd, Quin Snyder, and Ime Udoka. Permission requests were denied left and right. Desperate, Dolan and company turned to a wildcard: Brent Brooks, a man who once slow-clapped Jalen Brunson so hard in a Dream Lounge at the AAC that Julius Randle tore a meniscus out of pure emotional whiplash. Sources say Dolan, eyes glassy with chaos, muttered something about “needing a vibe shift” and scribbled Brent’s name on a napkin during a press meeting at Tao Downtown.


I am introduced as Head Coach of the Knicks​


In his introductory press conference, Brooks arrived wearing Warby Parkers and a quarter-zip that may or may not have been corduroy. When asked what system he planned to implement, he replied: “Basketball, but with feelings - my coaching inspiration comes directly from lauded basketball writer Mette L. Robertson.”

“Why was I hired you may be wondering, well, I’m not currently an NBA head coach,” the new hire said at the podium, sipping from a 7-Eleven coffee cup. “And apparently, that was the only remaining requirement.”

Brooks, 50, brings no prior coaching experience to the role but cites 65% qualification due to owning multiple cardigans and his ability to slow clap for Jalen Brunson with deep emotional sincerity.

“I’ll stand. I’ll clap. And I will clap with meaning,” Brooks told the New York media who normally would have lobbed tough questions when a no-name NBA blogger from another team is randomly hired to be the new head coach. Instead, they sat in stunned silence, admiring the cardigan and the completely unfounded confidence. “Look at it this way, boys. You media types might see me as an unqualified hack, but we live in a world where anyone can be placed in any position they are unqualified for, and people just accept it.”

A chart behind newly minted Coach Brent Brooks highlighted the projected Knicks Starting Five – Post-Eastern Conference Finals Flameout:

PG: Jalen Brunson – playing like an old man at age 28, runs on willpower and shot fakes alone.

SG: Josh Hart – still rebounding like a power forward and podcasting through the pain.

SF: Mikal Bridges – fresh out of Brooklyn, trying to save his ankles after carrying the Nets.

PF: OG Anunoby – elite defender, allergic to media attention, may or may not be an AI simulation.

C: Karl-Anthony Towns – vibes unclear, game log deeply concerning.

Brooks paused for effect, then added: “Look, I don’t know if we’ll win. But I promise you we’ll feel everything along the way.”

The media room went quiet, save for Ian Begley nodding slowly like a man who just heard the ocean speak.

Brent then quoted David Foster Wallace, thanked the MSG janitorial staff for their “clean emotional palette,” and refused to answer a single question about Towns.

“You’ll know my philosophy when you see us take a charge and mean it,” he said.

He closed by playing a single chord on an acoustic guitar and walking offstage without explanation.

Within minutes, Spike Lee had fallen out of his courtside chair, screaming, “WE HIRED WHO??” at a hot dog vendor who did not work there.

Stephen A. Smith went live on Instagram, pacing in a velvet robe and yelling, “This man writes metaphors! METAPHORS! I need Xs and Os, not… feeling-based clap tempo!

The Knicks did not respond to comment, but team PR released a statement reading: “We believe in Coach Brooks’ unique vision. And cardigan.”

Local Media Breaks the Story Back in Dallas​


Locked On Mavericks: The Emergency Podcast Episode

Nick Angstadt (host voice trembling with disbelief):


“We are here with an EMERGENCY podcast because… the Knicks have just hired… Brent Brooks. That’s right. Mavs Moneyball’s Brent. No assistant experience. No Summer League reps. Not even a G League internship. Just vibes. Vibes and cardigans.”

Isaac Harris (adjusts cap, sermon mode)

“Look, God doesn’t call the qualified—he qualifies the called. And clearly, Brooks is called… to chaos.”

Slightly Biased (interrupting with prop glasses and hand puppets)

“What’s next? Signing me to a 10-day? Me and Bartholomew the stat puppet have been running pick-and-rolls in my apartment since Covid.”

On DLLS, Stein interrupts Cato’s description of the lemon-ricotta pancakes he enjoyed during yesterday’s brunch with his folks.

Mark Stein (breaking news tone):


“Sources tell me the Knicks are set to shock the basketball world by hiring… Brent Brooks. Yes. That Brent. No, I don’t know what his credentials are either. But he’s emotionally intelligent and good at pacing halftime speeches with jazz guitar transitions.”

Tim Cato (deadpan):

“He once called the Luka trade a ‘reverse moon landing.’ I don’t know if that means he’s a genius… or if we’ve all gone mad.”

Bobby Karalla (gentle skepticism):

“We respect the analytics here at DLLS. But nothing in our metrics had Brent’s coaching efficiency rating above ‘Knows How to Log Into Synergy.’ Still… we’ll see.”

Kevin Gray:

“We’ll see what the cardigan brings,” Gray concluded. “But make no mistake: the Knicks just went full game-show host Wink Martindale vibes here — not the defensive coordinator. This isn’t football. This is Tic-Tac-Dough with tears.”

The Mavs Brass Reacts​


Back in Dallas, the mood ranges from stunned to spiritually unwell. Jason Kidd, whose name was originally floated for the Knicks job before the Mavericks refused permission to interview, has reportedly entered what team insiders are calling his “Vengeful Clipboard Era.” He now patrols the halls of the AAC with a laminated copy of Brent’s 2023 “Fire Kidd” op-ed in one hand and a manila folder labeled “Receipts on Brent Brooks” in the other.

“Finally,” he mutters each time Knicks vs. Mavs shows up on the schedule. “A chance to outwit the cardigan.”

He’s allegedly drafted a playsheet titled Attack the Weak Link (Brooks), which is, according to sources, just a blown-up courtside photo of Brooks mid-yawn.

Nico Harrison, meanwhile, is breathing easier—professionally, at least. With Brooks now 1,400 miles away and coaching the Knicks, he no longer has to wake up to metaphors comparing his executive strategy to “Captain Kirk handing the Enterprise over to a Ferengi.” But the emotional toll remains. He refuses to say Brooks’ name aloud, referring to him only as “the analogist.” “His phone now autocorrects ‘Brent’ to [cringe face emoji] and there are whispered reports that he still doom-scrolls Mavs Moneyball at 3 a.m., looking for fresh slander laced with gifs. “I am not no damn Salieri..” he whispers into his goose down pillow.

And then there’s Patrick Dumont.

The neophyte owner—still unsure whether the chorus of boos echoing through the AAC is meant for him or the visiting opponent—has chosen to believe it’s the latter. Once a quiet admirer of Brooks’ metaphors (particularly the ones involving food and post-apocalyptic space diplomacy), Dumont had Brooks on a shortlist to replace Nico.

But when the news broke that Brooks had been hired by the Knicks, Dumont reportedly strode into his office, opened a manila folder labeled “Contingencies,” and pulled a 3x5 index card bearing Brent’s name. Without a word, he took out a jumbo Sharpie and X’d it out with the violence of a man scrubbing blood from prophecy.

“I liked the overcooked metaphors,” he whispered mournfully. “But he got too powerful.”

Every Head Coach Needs A Great Staff​


Brooks selected an unlikely coaching staff that has already made headlines for its... unconventional composition.

Matt Martinez—known affectionately (and fearfully) as “Coach Chill No More”—oversees the Knicks’ defense with the intensity of a man who hasn’t slept since Tibs got fired. His scheme? Blitz-heavy, body-first, accountability-core. His mood? Combative. His relationship with Karl-Anthony Towns? Irretrievably broken.

Martinez and Towns hate each other. Not in a playful “iron sharpens iron” way. In an “HR may need to be involved” way.

Nobody knows exactly how it started. Some say it began during a film session titled “Jokic: Your Personal Kryptonite,” when Martinez hurled a folding chair across the room. Others claim the rift stems from Martinez’s repeated success flirting with, and occasionally dating, Knicks City Dancers, but only the ones Towns had long harbored crushes on. One even left a scrunchie in the locker room. Martinez wore it on his wrist for a week.

When asked about Towns’ defensive motor, Martinez snarled: “Motor? That man’s got a Vespa engine with a flat tire.”

Towns, in response, told the New York Post: “I’m just here so I don’t foul out.”

The feud reached new heights when the Knicks faced the Nuggets, and Martinez demanded Towns watch Jokic highlights on a loop while doing wall sits. It ended in a shouting match so loud, Quentin Grimes (now a Sixer) texted from Philly to ask if everything was okay.

Tensions remain high. But Coach Martinez insists it’s all part of the plan: “You want to stop bigs in the East? You better be ready to bark. And if Towns doesn’t want to get better, I’ll just trade for Brook Lopez out of spite.”

David Trink and Tyler Edsel—real-life respected Mavs Moneyball contributors—have reinvented themselves in New York as the Knicks’ Co-Directors of Advanced Analytics. Officially, they break down lineup data and optimize player efficiency. Unofficially, they’re orchestrating the most audacious underground betting scheme since point-shaving scandals were cool.

Tired of the modest payouts and existential grind of writing about +1450 SGPs, they’ve conspired with select Knicks players to tank specific stat lines on demand. Trink handles the bribery. Edsel manages the spreadsheets. Together, they’ve mastered the dark art of the “Fade the Statline” parlay.

According to one whistleblower’s slip log, entries include: Karl-Anthony Towns under 5.5 assists, paired with six French League overs. Miles McBride under 3.5 rebounds, cross-sported with Tasmanian dog racing. Their burner phone chatter is reportedly filled with terms like “stinky PRA night” and “Spite Unders,” usually mumbled over black coffee at a Midtown IHOP.

When asked about the legal risk, Trink just grins and says, “I once hit a 6-leg parlay on European handball. I fear nothing.”

Edsel adds, “If I’m going to federal prison, I’m taking Brunson’s assist total down with me.”

“Look, if you’re not risking federal prison for your slips, are you even coaching?” Trink asked.

Sudarshan Venkatraman—imported from India and overqualified by several dimensions of time and space—serves as the Knicks’ Offensive Coordinator. Known to players and staff as SV, he is a walking paradox on this otherwise chaotic roster: tactically brilliant, philosophically grounded, and entirely too kind for the emotional war zone that is Madison Square Garden. He spends most of practice drawing up beautiful offensive sets that no one executes because Martinez and Towns are screaming at each other again.

Every week, four different NBA teams try to poach him. Every week, the Knicks decline their interview requests, citing “ongoing strategic value in future analytics-forward triangle-based hybrid sets.” SV doesn’t even know what that means.

He once tried to calm an argument between Towns and Martinez by drawing up a horns action with flares off the weak side. Martinez ripped the clipboard in half. Towns called it “too mathy.”

Deep down, he knows he could be running a top-tier program somewhere else. But for reasons he can’t quite explain — possibly a misplaced sense of duty or an ongoing hostage clause in his contract — he remains. The quiet genius on a staff full of cartoon chaos.

Gracie Villiard remains the most enigmatic member of Brent’s coaching staff. Officially listed as an assistant coach, she doesn’t speak during games and rarely interacts with the team. She simply sits behind the bench, Gatorade towel clenched tightly in both fists, and glares, slowly shaking her head - at what? No one knows. No one dares ask. Players say she terrifies both benches—opposing coaches included—and that even Coach Brooks gives her a wide berth. Josh Hart claims she once muttered something during a timeout, though no one else heard it. That night, she reportedly won the team’s underground poker game in 11 minutes. She is, by all accounts, the architect of that game and its undefeated reigning champion. The vibe around her is so intense that she’s been dubbed the Phantom Coach. Even the arena’s sound system seems to lower itself when she’s in the building. Clint Carroll equates his fear of Gracie to his fear of Mavs Man — high reverence, mixed with childhood trauma. He once ducked behind a vending machine when Mavs Man made a halftime appearance. The footage has been scrubbed, but the fear remains.

Also causing a stir behind the scenes is Jack Bonin, a longtime Mavs Moneyball contributor turned Knicks travel coordinator. Originally brought in to organize charter flights and wrangle Marriott Bonvoy points, Jack has taken on an unexpected side quest: pitching Knicks players on a “protein-forward snack bar concept” he claims is nearing Series A funding. Known online as SnackPr0tein, Jack is often spotted in the bowels of Madison Square Garden, cornering visiting players with lines like, “I know you’re focused on tonight’s matchup, but just imagine… macadamia matcha recovery bites with 12 grams of protein and 0 grams of added guilt.” Team officials have gently warned him, but at this point, the hustle is part of the mystique. Jack doesn’t just coordinate road trips — he roadmaps exit strategies for NBA bodies, one prebiotic chia crisp at a time.

Ben Zajdel is technically a MMB contributor—occasionally an editor—but somehow finds himself on every Knicks team flight. No one knows how he affords it. There’s a persistent theory that he’s converting forgotten Blockbuster Rewards Points into frequent-flyer miles. Ben’s real mission isn’t basketball—it’s gastronomy. He diligently maintains a food blog called “Bites & Bylines” hosted on Blogspot, last redesigned in 2013, where he chronicles the team’s culinary misadventures with alarming confidence. Known to dramatically whip out a leather-bound notebook at restaurants (even airport Chili’s) to jot down tasting notes, he introduces himself to maître d’s as “culinary press” and occasionally scores free appetizers. He believes Yelp is for cowards and insists The Bear is loosely based on his life, despite having never worked in a kitchen. Sudarshan once asked to see the analytics behind Ben’s scathing two-star empanada review. Ben replied: “It’s a vibe thing.”

Kirk Henderson, Mavs Moneyball editor-in-chief turned Knicks staff shadow agent, holds the official title of Chief Vibes Officer / Emergency Timeout Translator. His duties are… fluid. He sits exactly six inches too close to the huddle so players can hear him mumble things like, “This is insane,” under his breath. When the other team goes on a 13–2 run and the Knicks burn a timeout, Kirk solemnly produces a laminated card that simply reads: “You knew this was coming. Why didn’t you adjust?”

Wearing a quarter-zip and Air Monarchs, he glares at whichever assistant is in charge of “grit.” His only job during practice is to sit high up in the stands, sip gas station coffee spiked with Tito’s, and yell, “We tried that in 2016! Didn’t work then either!” Once a month, he gets to override a play call and screams: “Run the ‘I give up’ set! You know the one—double high screen into a 28-foot heave!”

After every game, Kirk delivers a 90-second soliloquy into a hot mic before realizing the press conference hasn’t started yet. He has an ongoing feud with a Knicks camera operator who refuses to pan to him when he does “the eyebrow raise.” Henderson also maintains the team’s secret group text for emotional processing, ominously titled: This Is Why We Drink.

Newly added MMB Staff Michael Harris, originally brought in as a metrics consultant, has become something else entirely: Coach Brent Brooks’ unsolicited personal security detail. A brown-belt martial artist with a passion for comic books and a strict no-nonsense stance on fan behavior, Harris has taken it upon himself to trail Coach Brooks during public outings, especially in restaurants.

Whether Brent is eating risotto, debating metaphors with the sommelier, or explaining potential Cooper Flagg trade mechanics over duck confit, Michael is nearby. Watching. Waiting. Scanning for Nico Harrison fanboys who might want to challenge Brent to a duel of...philosophies. Coach Brooks has repeatedly asked Harris to just enjoy the evening and sit down. Harris, sipping a Topo Chico in the corner, lowers his sunglasses to reply: “I’m good right here.”

Things escalated recently when two middle-aged Knicks fans from Uncasville, Connecticut, approached Brent’s table at Carbone asking, ever so politely, for a selfie “with the Cardigan.” Before Brent could reply, Harris materialized from the shadows and barked, “Three feet back, ma’am! No sudden gestures!” The women, startled and now visibly shaken, were consoled with official Knicks merch and a pair of courtside seats as an apology for what team PR later called a “protective overcorrection rooted in loyalty and brown belt discipline.”

It’s unclear if he was ever officially hired as a bodyguard, but like most things in the Knicks organization under Brooks, his role is a mystery wrapped in sarcasm, encased in deep loyalty. He hasn’t played a real game of Mario Kart since he took the job. “Too much edge required,” he mutters.

Bryan “Robi” Porter is technically just a rookie MMB contributor, but within Brent’s Knicks coaching chaos, he serves as a postgame confidant and spiritual advisor. After every game, Robi appears via glitchy Skype call with a suspiciously perfect background—mahogany bookshelves, roaring fireplace, tasteful globe—and delivers eerily accurate coaching notes. The green screen is an open secret. The staff joke: “Robi’s got more assets than our rotation.” Some say he’s hiding a messy room. Others believe it conceals an ultra-mansion. One particularly persistent rumor suggests Robi is a silent billionaire with stakes in three European basketball clubs and a mid-tier F1 team. He refuses comment. What he doesn’t refuse are opinions. “I wouldn’t play Brunson 43 minutes… but then again, I wouldn’t need overtime to beat Indiana either,” he quipped once. “Ever considered running horns flex out of triangle drift?” he offered another time. “I had the same rug as the Knicks locker room sauna—in my second beach house.” Gracie suspects he’s laundering poker winnings. Josh Bowe tried to Zoom him once and received only a black screen and a Venmo request. Coach Brent Brooks, however, treats it as gospel. He nods. He listens. He takes notes. Because Robi is always—somehow—right. He is the Green Screen Oracle. And his wisdom comes in at 720p.

Hank (aka @PandaHank41), the legendary Mavs YouTuber, now serves as Brent’s Director of Replay Challenge Strategy — though internally he’s referred to as the Crypto-Paid Highlight Whisperer. Officially, he coordinates video replay. Unofficially, he’s a shadow genius who sees everything, edits faster than the league office, and communicates exclusively through encrypted messages adorned with a blinking cartoon panda face.

Hank has made the best Mavs highlight videos on the internet for over a decade. He was born in Taiwan, lives somewhere in the U.S., and has never been seen in person. Not on Zoom. Not at media day. Not even in the background of other people’s photos. Every game-related message arrives with a 7-digit blockchain address and a timestamped panda GIF.

He’s often sent Brent a full highlight reel before the 4th quarter ends, annotated with lines like:

“2nd Q, 7:11 – That’s the foul to challenge. Trust me.”

“3rd Q, 4:20 – Brunson got fouled AND stared down. Bonus spice. Clip incoming.”

“Towns looked at the ball for 3 straight seconds and forgot it was live. We’re cutting that.”


As for payment? Hank accepts only crypto. Not Ethereum. Not Bitcoin. Half in Polygon, half in Akita Inu Coin. Occasionally, he demands one NFT per quarter “for mental clarity.”

“He’s our Oracle,” Coach Brooks whispered. “I trust him with my timeout allotment.”

Team reaction has been appropriately bizarre. Sudarshan once tried converting his entire paycheck into crypto just to understand Hank’s economy of clarity. He still hasn’t recovered. Josh Bowe swears he saw Hank at an airport in Dallas — it turned out to be a guy with a neck pillow and a Dirk jersey. Brent once asked Hank if they could do a strategy call over Zoom. The response? A QR code and a time zone no one recognized.

The Trade Offer​


Sources confirm Coach Brooks has already floated his first major trade offer — OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and all remaining Knicks first-round picks in exchange for Cooper Flagg and “a chance to start fresh with someone who still believes in symbols.”

Flagg’s camp has declined to comment. But Knicks Senior VP of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas—a man forged in the data caverns of Houston and briefly GM of the Dallas Mavericks—is reportedly intrigued.

Rosas has requested a meeting between himself, Coach Brent Brooks, and Mavericks GM Nico Harrison to be held at Ascension Coffee in Dallas. The meeting will not take place immediately. “December,” Rosas clarified. “After the dust settles and we see who’s still standing emotionally.”

League insiders believe Harrison just wants to look Coach Brooks in the eyes and see if he ever truly believed that Captain Kirk metaphor.

Near the trade deadline, back at Mavs Moneyball HQ, someone refreshes the page. “He really did it,” mutters Josh Bowe, somehow still working at MMB, despite now being with the Knicks in a dark closet cutting game film. “The Knicks are getting Cooper Flagg for OG Anunoby. And the Mavericks are attaching a second-round pick; this is nuts. I’ll grab the news piece.”

Nico Harrison faces the media the next morning and in his opening statement says, “Good Morning, Everyone. Cooper Flagg was a talented player, not sure about his breakfast habits, though. Plus, if you don’t value OG as a top-flight defensive player in this league, then you won’t like the trade. And without question, OG fits our timeline of zero-to-one years.”

Later that night, after watching Who’s the Boss? reruns he’d VHS’ed off TV Land during his Nike days, Harrison stood in the bathroom mirror, realizing—deep down—he’d been played again.

Two generational stars gone in a calendar year. All he had to show for it: a British basketball player… and the villain from Unbreakable.

Somewhere, deep inside him, a voice whispered: “You just got cardigan’d.”

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/6/15/24447766/mmb-fever-dream-you-just-got-cardigand
 
Love Him or Leave Him: Kyrie Irving

NBA: Charlotte Hornets at Dallas Mavericks

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Does Kyrie Irving still have a place on the Mavs’ roster, or is it time to say goodbye?

Game 4 of the NBA Finals is in the books, the NBA Draft is less than two weeks away, and Offseason action is soon to pick up. The Dallas Mavericks have a number of decisions to make to balance their roster, with the currently injured Kyrie Irving factoring into the mix in a big way.

Earlier in this series of Love Him or Leave Him articles, we looked at Spencer Dinwiddie, P.J. Washington and Anthony Davis. Here we take a crack at Kyrie Irving to discuss whether the Mavs are best served to keep and even possibly extend Irving (“Love Him”) or switch gears and find what the trade market might provide Dallas in exchange for him (“Leave Him”).

Season Recap​


The 6’2” Irving played beyond his stature as he has throughout his career. Averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, he was the leader in Dallas after the trade of Luka Doncic, and up until an untimely ACL injury that ended his season prematurely. Irving connected on 47.3% of his field goal attempts, 40.1% of his threes and 91.6% of his free throws. Since arriving in Dallas, he has proven to be a leader and mentor for his teammates. This season was no different, as he handled the controversial trade of his “hermano” with aplomb. Sad though it was for Mavs fans to witness, Irving’s last on-court image was draining free throws with tears rolling down his face after and ugly landing cost him an injured ACL in March.

Contract Status​


Irving has a player option that would net him $43 million dollars, should he choose to exercise it. If he does, he will be an unrestricted free agent after this coming season. The Mavericks can also work with Irving to opt out in favor of a contract extension.

How He Fits​


Irving and Anthony Davis are the best players on the roster as it currently stands. Irving is the engine, orchestrator and key clutch performer, making him arguably the most important player as a result. Following Doncic’s departure, Irving led the Mavs in scoring and assists while bringing veteran leadership both on and off the court. He is universally regarded as an excellent teammate and leader in Dallas and should have an intangible connection with the inevitable #1 Pick Cooper Flagg given their shared Duke roots. At 33 years old, it could be argued he doesn’t fit the potential youth movement that Flagg could be ushering in, but aside from that, Irving is a near perfect fit in Dallas.

Final Verdict – Love Him​


Although currently injured and set to miss at least the first few months of next season, the Mavs should make sure Irving sticks around in Big D. The easiest and most obvious approach would be for Irving to pick up his option for a big pay day while rehabbing. Doing so would also give the Mavericks a chance to evaluate his efficacy upon returning from injury, at which point they could pay a more accurate market value for him next year should both sides want to stay together. More likely, however, the Mavs give him a contract extension now.

While no one can predict exactly what an extension would look like, it’s easy to envision a scenario where Irving gets more years in exchange for a slightly lower per-annual salary. This alone won’t cure the Mavericks’ cap situation, but it should afford some flexibility while providing the team with on-court continuity.

Though he may not be back to his full form until late next season (if not later), Irving is the leader of this team and has been nothing but a positive since arriving in Dallas. Furthermore, replacing him is almost impossible, at least in the near term and assuming the Mavs don’t want to lose other assets to acquire a player via trade. It would be far easier and more asset-savvy to go after a free agent such as Chris Paul, who can hold the fort on the cheap before pivoting to a bench role upon Irving’s return. I struggle to find a scenario where Irving isn’t here for the next few years, based on the thoughts above as well as GM Nico Harrison’s commitment to this team he built. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing Irving finish his career as a Maverick.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...t-extension-cooper-flagg-mavericks-free-agent
 
Nothing to Fears but…

Oklahoma v UConn

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Could Jeremiah Fears be the long-term answer for the Mavericks?

Editor’s note: this and a few other profiles were written before the Mavericks winning the lottery. We’re running them anyway because they’re fun.

With the aftermath of the Luka Doncic trade still looming, the Dallas Mavericks have two first-round opportunities, if they don’t trade them, over the next two drafts to add high-ceiling, low-cost players to this roster. The Mavericks’ problems have only been exacerbated by the Kyrie Irving ACL injury, which all but closes the door on Nico’s “Three-year window.”

So, unless the basketball gods bless our ping pong balls on May 12th at the NBA Lottery, the Mavericks will likely be drafting close to the end of the lottery. If Jeremiah Fears is still on the board, the Mavericks could walk away with a cornerstone for the future.

The Basics​


Jeremiah Fears is listed as a 6’4 point guard for the University of Oklahoma. Fears will be one of the youngest players in this year’s draft. He reclassified from the class of 2025 to the class of 2024, and barely turned 18 when OU started its season in November. Fears was a four-star recruit who had an impressive showing in the EYBL circuit, showcasing his ability to be a three-level scorer against some of the best talent in the country. While Fears was ranked as the 32nd-best prospect in the class of 2025, when he reclassified, he dropped in rankings to number 42 of the 2024 class, which is normal when prospects move up a year.

Jeremiah Fears started the season on a tear and was one of the best freshman guards in college basketball. In November, Fears had a 26-point, five-rebound, five-assist game against 24th-ranked Arizona, which propelled him into the national spotlight. In that game, Fears went 4-7 from beyond the arc and a perfect eight for eight from the free throw line. Fears went from being a relatively unknown on NBA boards to a bona fide one-and-done NBA prospect. Fears scored over 20 points nine times this season and dropped over 30 points in two games.

Fears finished the season averaging 17 points, four rebounds, four assists, and 1.5 steals a game. His outside shooting was suspect, averaging only 28% from threes and just under 44% from the field. On a positive note, Fears finished at 84% from the free-throw line, which is a great indicator for shot improvement with development.

Strengths​


Fears is a quick downhill lead guard with the ability to change pace and finish at the basket. Fears absorbs contact and draws fouls and has proven these skills in the toughest conference in the country, doing it a year younger than most freshmen in college basketball. Fears is one of the best ball handlers in this class and while he doesn’t have elite speed, his quickness and ability to get into the paint and decelerate are elite. Fears has the frame to easily add muscle and become stronger, which would only improve his NBA trajectory.

What I love most about Jeremiah Fears are the intangibles. His leadership, energy, and maturity are what don’t show up in the stat sheet. Fears’ leadership propelled OU to the NCAA tournament. He has one of the highest usage rates in the SEC, which is a testament to the energy and competitiveness he brings to the game. While he is not a lockdown defender, his effort and competitiveness make him a plus defender and not a defensive liability, which will keep him on the court early in his NBA career.

Weaknesses​


Fears is listed at 6’4 but looks closer to 6’2. In 2023 at the Nike Elite Camp, Fears measured 6’1 barefoot and had a 6’3 wingspan. Which kind of tracks on film, because Fears is not a long-armed physical specimen that jumps off the screen. In a year where the top point guards in the draft range from 6’5 to 6’9, Fears is a small lead guard who will need to put the work in the weight room to compete at the NBA level.

While he has improved some, Fears’ decision-making is questionable. His assist-to-turnover rate makes me pause on how much time he will need to become an effective initiator at the next level. The speed of the NBA game may exacerbate this problem and could lead to growing pains over his first few seasons.

Fears’ shooting problems are definitely his biggest red flag. While he can make difficult shots in the paint, he will need to improve the rate at which they fall. His three-point shooting is truly feast or famine. Take the month of February 8th through March 8th, he had five games where he didn’t make a three in 17 attempts and another four games where he shot 45% in 20 attempts.

Fit with the Mavericks​


Most scouts agree that point guard is the hardest position to play in the NBA. It takes playing time and a couple of years of development on the court to develop into a great point guard. The Mavericks can give Fears the perfect combination of playing time, mentorship, and time to develop to become the point guard of the future in Dallas.

Fears would give Dallas the ability to rehab Kyrie next year and give fans a young player to grow next to Lively. Fears’ ability to drive to the basket would give Dallas the stopgap they would desperately need next year. Dallas’ loaded lineup would be an easier transition to the NBA than being a number one option on other teams.

NBA Comparison​


Okay, now hear me out, we are drafting late in the lottery at best, so no prospect is perfect, but if you squint and look at the size, frame, and college stats, you can see shades of Tyrese Maxey. While Maxey was picked 21st in the 2020 draft, the former Garland prospect was highly ranked and landed at Kentucky. While Fears didn’t have the same supporting cast as Maxey in college, Fears put the team on his back to lead OU to big wins all season.

Tyrese Maxey and Jeremiah Fears had almost identical stats in college. Maxey averaged 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 35 minutes at Kentucky. Fears averaged more points, assists, and steals in five fewer minutes on the court.

Both Fears and Maxey shot below 30% at three-pointers and shot 43 and 42 percent from the field, respectively. Fears and Maxey also had almost identical effective field goal rates and free throw percentages. Where you see the biggest difference in their games is turnovers; Fears averaged just over one more turnover than Maxey, in five fewer minutes a game. I should mention that Fears’ worst three turnover games were in the first two months of the season.

Overall, Fears is the type of high-upside swing Dallas fans desperately need for a win in the draft this year.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/6/17/24419154/nothing-to-fears-but
 
He’s here in DFW now — But he won’t be for long

Kansas State v TCU

Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images

From Bane to Green, Grimes to Martin, and (gulp) Luka to Davis, Dallas is perfecting the art of asset decay.

He’s Here in DFW Now — But He Won’t Be for Long

That’s what we said back in 2020.

Only we weren’t talking about Nico Harrison.

We were talking about Desmond Bane.

He was hiding in plain sight, right under our collective nose. A microwave scorer out of TCU, built like a tank with a silky jumper. No need for cross-country scouting trips. He was playing just down the road in Fort Worth, lighting up Big 12 defenses and checking every character box you want in a long-term NBA rotation piece. Disciplined, reliable, confident. And yes, he had short arms—but he also had a long future.

And yet, when the Mavericks were on the clock with the 18th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, they passed on Bane. They passed on Tyrese Maxey, too. And Immanuel Quickley. And Jaden McDaniels. They took Josh Green instead—a raw but athletic defensive wing out of Arizona with offensive limitations that have barely evolved since.

It was a mistake. At the time, some fans tried to justify it. The Mavs needed defense. Bane wasn’t long enough. Maxey was a Kentucky blur but hadn’t proven he could shoot. Hindsight is easy, right?

Sure. But only if the mistakes stop there. They didn’t.

A Pattern of Asset Decay​


Josh Green developed slowly. He eventually became a rotation piece and played a role in the Mavs’ 2024 Finals run. But five years after drafting him, he was flipped to Charlotte in a six-team trade that brought Klay Thompson to Dallas.

Around the same time, Dallas traded Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks to Detroit in exchange for Quentin Grimes. While the deals were unrelated, the functional impact was clear: Grimes replaced Green in the rotation.

Grimes, in turn, was traded half a season later for Caleb Martin, a 28-year-old wing who spent the end of the year injured and underwhelming. In Dallas, Martin averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting just 42.4% from the field—and failed to score a single point in two critical Play-In games.

Meanwhile, Grimes exploded in Philadelphia. In the final two months of the regular season, he averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game in April, and 26.6 points per game in March, including a 46-point outburst against Houston. With Embiid sidelined and Maxey in and out of the lineup, Grimes shouldered the offensive load—and showed exactly what Dallas could have had, if they’d simply believed.

The Grimes-for-Martin swap was part of a larger pattern of asset fumbling that predates the Harrison regime, yet has only been continued by a brain trust that continually coats their hands in Land O’ Lakes’ finest butter.

What began as a promising era in 2018—drafting Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson on the same night—has now left the organization with little to show for it. And what followed in 2020, a missed opportunity to draft Desmond Bane or Tyrese Maxey, began a game of musical chairs that left Dallas holding the least impactful asset of the sequence. This wasn’t a lateral move. It was value evaporation.

Desmond Bane, passed over at No. 18 in favor of Green, has quietly become one of the most consistent and efficient wings in the league. He averages 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, shoots 48.4% from the field, and owns a career 41% three-point percentage.

Jalen Brunson, drafted 33rd overall in 2018, developed into a 27-point-per-game star and the beating heart of a surging Knicks team. His departure wasn’t the result of a cap crunch or an inevitable exit—it was a failure of belief. The Mavericks had multiple chances to lock Brunson into a manageable extension. He later confirmed that he was open to staying, saying, “We tried to extend our contract … I wanted to stay there,” and even came back midseason ready to sign again: “If the deal’s there, we’ll do it right now.” Dallas declined. By the time Brunson carried them through the first round—dropping 41 and 31 in Luka’s absence—he’d proven too much to the open market, and the Mavs’ post-season outreach landed with a thud. “We didn’t hear from them,” Brunson said. “Crickets.”

These are two elite guards: one the Mavericks had in-house and let walk for nothing, the other just down the road on draft night, passed over in favor of a lesser option. Different mistakes. Same blind spot.

Enter Nico Harrison​


To be clear, Nico Harrison did not draft Josh Green in 2020, and he wasn’t responsible for the structural error that led Jalen Brunson to hit unrestricted free agency in 2022. That mistake dates back to 2018, when Dallas signed Brunson to a four-year deal instead of the standard three-year rookie contract, forfeiting the right to match any offer when the time came.

But Harrison was at the helm during the window when Brunson could have been extended. According to Brunson himself, he was willing to sign a very manageable deal—reportedly in the neighborhood of three years, $55 million. The Mavericks declined. They let the season play out. And Brunson played himself into a $100+ million contract with the Knicks, leaving Dallas with nothing.

That loss reverberated. It partly necessitated the trade for Kyrie Irving. It further exposed the front office’s failure to evaluate its own talent. And it turned what should have been a historic 2018 draft class — Doncic and Brunson on the same night — into a long-term regret. Two Hall of Fame talents, drafted hours apart, and now neither is on the roster. For Brunson, nothing. For Luka, Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a single future first-round pick.

What was once a miracle haul on draft night in 2018 has mostly been bled dry.

Harrison’s struggles as an evaluator become even more glaring in the absence of experienced counsel. From April 2023 through June 2024, former Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey was on staff as a senior advisor. Under his watch, Dallas made several smart moves—drafting Dereck Lively II, and trading for Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington among them. But after Lindsey departed for a front office role with Detroit, the old habits returned.

Grimes-for-Martin. The Luka trade. The Anthony Davis era begins.

A False Choice: Build or Blow It Up​


Here’s the thing: with Luka Doncic, Dereck Lively II, and a Finals appearance under your belt, the logical move would be to refine, not rebuild. Add smart pieces. Develop continuity. Take another shot next year.

Instead, the Mavs interpreted their Finals appearance as a closing window rather than an opening one. That rationale—we need to win now before Kyrie ages out—was used to justify trading Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, an aging, injury-prone star whose best years are already logged.

You don’t build around 30-somethings. You bet on them. And Dallas just shoved all its chips into a pot led by Kyrie and AD, hoping for one clean year of health, chemistry, and playoff magic.

That’s not a three-year window. That’s a prayer.

Meanwhile, in Memphis​


When Memphis traded Desmond Bane to Orlando, they got four unprotected first-round picks, plus Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony in return. That’s the market for a 26-year-old shooting guard with elite shooting splits and physical toughness.

And then fans looked back at what Dallas got for Luka Doncic: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a single 2029 first-round pick. Reports suggest an earlier offer from the Lakers also included Dalton Knecht and an additional first-rounder—a richer deal that Dallas declined.

Social media lit up. “Fire Nico” trended again.

Why? Because the disparity is obvious. Bane’s return package looks really good. One could argue that it outshines the Luka haul; only Anthony Davis is a Hall of Famer in his own right. The righteous indignation here is reasonable since Doncic should’ve fetched more than Davis, Max Christie, and a pick. A lot more.

If you draft this poorly, if you let Quentin Grimes walk rather than pay him in restricted free agency, if you downgrade from Bane to Green, from Grimes to Martin, and worst of all from Doncic to Davis—you’re not learning. You’re compounding. And now, that same front office holds the keys to the Cooper Flagg era, courtesy of a 1.8% lottery miracle.

Will Harrison resist bad trade offers on draft night? Will he suddenly see talent clearly, now that the stakes are higher than ever? It’s fair to be trepidatious.

Because this is no longer just about the past. It’s about whether Nico Harrison can manage the delicate balance of an 18-year-old franchise savior and a win-now timeline defined by injured veterans. One is recovering from a devastating injury. The other, we’re all bracing for the next one once the season starts.

Back to Where We Started​


Desmond Bane is gone from DFW now. He blossomed elsewhere. But for a moment, he was right here, waiting to be seen, drafted, believed in.

And now? The same line applies again.

He’s here in DFW now — but he won’t be for long.

Only this time, we’re talking about Nico Harrison.

Whether it’s before the season, mid-year, or after another playoff flameout, his time is ticking. Because at some point, it’s not about the mistakes. It’s about the man who keeps making them—and the ones who let him.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/6/19/24451144/hes-here-in-dfw-now-but-he-wont-be-for-long
 
Loyal Mavericks fans Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth don’t appear to be on Team ‘Get Over It’

The Sentry - Round Two

Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler shake hands on the 18th green during the second round of The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on January 5, 2024 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. | Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

Scheffler and Spieth, two PGA Tour golfers with Dallas ties, have recently expressed their own consternation with the Mavericks’ trade of superstar Luka Dončić

Yes, it’s another post about our prolonged frustration with Luka Dončić being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Yes, it’s been four months since the Dallas Mavericks traded Dončić to the Lakers and a future second-round NBA Draft pick to the Utah Jazz in return for Anthony Davis, Cormac Karl “Max” Christie and a future first-rounder.

No, we’re not going to shut up about it and simply move on. Never. Move. On. That’s my stance at least, and I have the microphone (you clicked the link to hate-read this take) so you will listen to every damn word I have to say, to quote Adam Sandler’s Robbie Hart from the 1998 smash rom-com hit “The Wedding Singer.”

There appear to be two more high-profile Mavericks fans who aren’t riding with Team Get Over It. Fist pounds and solidarity go out to PGA stars Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth, both of whom have strong Dallas ties and both of whom in recent days and weeks have spoken out about their own state of perplexity with their home team after the Mavs gave away Dončić’s generational talent and getting about 1⁄4 of his worth in return.

In an April appearance on former NFL star Rob Gronkowski’s podcast, during which Spieth overhauls the ex-tight end’s golf swing, Spieth put it plainly.

“Yea, it hurt.”

That pain was magnified once again just days ago when guard Desmond Bane was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Orlando Magic as part of a package that sent four first-round picks, a pick swap and two players back to Memphis in exchange for the swingman. The Grizz got all that back for a guy who’s never made an NBA All-Star team, as Mavs fans everywhere continue to hang their heads and kick rocks down the driveway.

“If you’re going to pay anybody in the world in any sport, how is he not the guy to pay?Spieth asked. “As a Mavs fan, we rolled from 20 years of Dirk [Nowitzki] right into Luka. They played together for a year, and you’re like, ‘Good, we’ve got the next 20 years with Luka.’ [There’s] 10 different ways I can’t figure it out.”

Even more recently, in the lead-up to last week’s US Open, Scheffler was asked if his interest in the ongoing NBA Finals would affect his schedule during the tournament. Scheffler is also a Mavs fan and took great interest in the 2016 Finals, which also coincided with that year’s NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Scheffler gave a chuckle before answering the question.

“This year’s finals is probably not going to affect my schedule as much,” Scheffler said. “I think Golden State was playing Cleveland in the Finals, and I really wanted to watch that because you had LeBron playing Steph. You know, ever since the Mavs traded Luka, I’ve just been a little bit bummed watching the NBA. It hurts a little bit still.”


Scottie Scheffler says it hurts to watch the NBA ever since the Mavs traded Luka Dončić

Source: TSN Canada pic.twitter.com/fvzBctM41x

— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) June 18, 2025

Spieth was born in Dallas in 1993 and went to Jesuit College Preparatory School. He learned golf at Brookhaven Country Club. Scheffler was born in Ridgeway, New Jewsey, but grew up in Dallas and played golf as a youngster at Royal Oaks Country Club. He went to Highland Park High School. Both Scheffler and Spieth played college golf at the University of Texas at Austin.

And neither of them sound like they’re ready to go on about their NBA fandom as if everything is ok and normal just because a few months have passed since the worst trade in NBA history.

Just sayin’.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...spieth-dallas-mavericks-luka-doncic-trade-nba
 
Do the Dallas Mavericks have a vision or do they just make it up as they go?

2024 USAB Men’s Training Camp In Las Vegas

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

There are a lot of questions we need answered over the next weeks. First on the list is simple: What’s the plan, Dallas Mavericks?

One of the questions we need answered over the next days and weeks, as draft day arrives and free agency begins, is - who is the Dallas Mavericks now?

With the first pick in hand, all accounts point to Dallas picking what looks like the next American superstar in Cooper Flagg.

When you luck into the first pick, things change, of course. But if the Mavs traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, and were convinced that that was a winning recipe, how does Cooper Flagg fit in?

On the other hand, if it’s about building around a future superstar in Flagg, what’s Davis’ role?

There seems to be no doubt, however, that Kyrie Irving continues to be the right fit for Dallas - and Dallas for him. No one really saw it coming, but Irving being the vet leader and a great asset for this team is not even in question.

But if Irving is there for the vet leadership, what’s left for an aging, injury-prone center, who insists on playing the four instead of where he shines - on the five?

A position, by the way, that seems to be preferred as well as optimal for Flagg?

Plenty of people are talking about cap space and mock trades, but that’s not my business here. Instead, I’d really like to know what the plan was and how it’s changing now that Flagg fell into the lap of the Mavericks. This is obviously only one of the questions Dallas needs to answer, others being how will they build around Flagg and who are they targeting in free agency, if any (the latest rumors say that they’re not looking to trade either Daniel Gafford or P.J. Washington to facilitate the acquisition of a guard).

As reported by Marc Stein and others, Flagg met with Mavs GM Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd in Dallas earlier this week, where he had dinner “with a contingent of team officials ... with his visit scheduled to include what one source termed a “light on-court component.”

One can only hope that a comprehensive plan for a Flagg-led future in Dallas was presented to the 18 year old.

As of now though, from the outside looking in, the communication and plan for a clear identity and a vision for the future of this team are blurry at best. In order to create a winning culture, the Dallas Mavericks need a clear identity, a way to communicate it effectively and a vision for the future.

Teams without a long-term strategy usually underperform despite having talented players, and tend to change coaches and staff frequently (we’re seeing this already in Dallas, as the physical training staff have been replaced for a second time, more or less, recently). And even worse, management that doesn’t have a clear vision can be the source of a lack of chemistry and trust on the team.

As a cautionary tale, let’s take a quick look at what has happened to a well-known sports team that seems to have lacked a vision for a long time. What happens to a team who just goes where the wind blows?

Let me introduce you to a familiar topic in my household. The Raiders, then Oakland, now Vegas, and their lack of strategic direction and long-term goals over the last many years.

The Raiders are more or less known for not having a comprehensive strategy and long-term vision, lucking into getting great players, but never really producing any meaningful results or consistency. They’ve changed coaches seven times in the last 15 years.

They’ve made many head-scratching moves over the years, like paying high costs on a trade or for free agents on a whim that ended up not working out (Carson Palmer, DeAngelo Hall, Randy Moss as examples).

But the sad story of star college quarterback from LSU, JaMarcus Russell, is one of the best examples of how an organization risk squandering a potentially great career. Russell, which they drafted in 2007 with the number one pick, ended up being one of the greatest busts in NFL history, a situation the Raiders managed in the worst way possible.

Russell was the consensus number one overall pick back in 2007. But the organization, coaching staff and strategy was not in a place to support and nurture a fragile, young player with a huge potential. Russell made some bad decisions (missing practices, not being prepared for meetings or willing to study film), but the bottom line is that the Raiders did not do what was needed to guide, mentor and provide a long-term plan for him to succeed.

Despite his athleticism and powerful arm, his NFL career was marked by inconsistent play and questions about his work ethic, and all of this led to his release in 2010, after only three years in the NFL. He tried returning, but was never picked up by any team.

The harrowing story of Russell is unlikely to repeat itself in Dallas of course, as Flagg comes into the draft an almost fully developed NBA player and potential All-Star. But the story of what could happen to a talented player and an organization when there’s no plan or vision in place should serve as a cautionary tale for everyone in sports.

Over the next days and weeks, we will know a lot more about what Dallas wants to do with this team and whether there’s actually a plan for the future. But the fact remains that lucking into a first pick in the draft is not a strategy or a vision in any way.

Going where the wind blows is not a sustainable model for success, and if the Mavs stays on that path, they risk wasting the incredible talent of Cooper Flagg.

Prioritizing short-term success over long-term development is a real risk here. A damning quote from GM Nico Harrison right after the Luka trade in February revealed that this may be the biggest issue for Dallas:

“The future to me is 3-4 years from now. The future 10 years from now — they’ll probably bury me and [Jason Kidd] by then,” Harrison said with an awkward chuckle.

Hopefully, we will see a much more cohesive plan of action from the Front Office as the draft and free agency arrive, as well as clear communication on the vision and future identity for this team. Otherwise, we may be in for some tumultuous years in Dallas.

Sometimes, a franchise player can be a catalyst for an organization’s future vision. Like Dirk Nowitzki, followed by Luka Doncic, in Dallas, Nikola Jokic in Denver and Steph Curry in Golden State. But for that to work, the organization has to recognize and implement changes for a new vision. Dallas had done that with Doncic, but decided to move on. Now once again, they’re handed a golden opportunity with a future potential superstar. Let’s hope they take advantage.

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...ice-cooper-flagg-nico-harrison-michael-finley
 
Wings Things: Paige Bueckers is on a tear and she wants her whistle

Dallas Wings v Connecticut Sun

Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings handles the ball during the game against the Connecticut Sun on June 20, 2025 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. | Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images

Bueckers and fellow rookie Azaiah James led the Wings past the Sun in Connecticut, 86-83, on Friday.

Fresh off her first Texas Rangers baseball game, when she threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Rangers fell 6-3 against the Royals on Wednesday, star Dallas Wings (3-11) rookie Paige Bueckers scored 21 points on Friday to lead the Wings to their second straight win, 86-83, at the Connecticut Sun (2-11).

Bueckers has scored 35, 20 and now 21 in her last three games, just the eighth, ninth and 10th games in her WNBA career. She came into Friday’s game at Mohegan Sun Arena sitting in sixth place in WNBA All-Star voting, but after performances like these last three, she can only move up in the coming days. If her current stat lines hold up across her rookie campaign, she will become the only player in league history to average 15 points, five assists and two steals or more per game in their rookie season.

Bueckers shot 7-of-16 from the field and dished seven assists in the win. She was also whistled for a technical foul after campaigning for a whistle after canning a baseline jumper off Li Yueru’s offensive board with 3:14 left in the second quarter. She clapped her hands in the direction of the official on her way back down the floor on defense and chuckled to herself after picking up the first technical foul of her pro career.

Bueckers effectively fought through a blitzing Sun defense when she brought the ball up the floor, she’s always on the move without the ball and she’s no slouch on the defensive end, either. Her second steal of the game came on a Sun inbound pass and led to a leak out and layup by fellow rookie Azaiah James, who the Wings took with the 12th overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft, on the other end.

She’s patient with the ball and is absolutely lethal in the mid-range. And even at this early stage of her pro career, Bueckers wants her whistle as opposing defenses hound her with the ball. She came into the game against the Sun leading the league in scoring this month, at better than 23 points per game in June.

NaLyssa Smith picked up two early fouls but was the closest thing to instant offense the Wings could muster in the first quarter. Wings head coach Chris Koclanes stayed with her despite those two fouls to some impressive early returns on the offensive end. Smith hit four of her five looks from the mid-range to pace Dallas with eight points in the opening frame.

Dallas Wings v Connecticut Sun
Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images
Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings shoots the ball during the game against the Connecticut Sun on June 20, 2025 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Bueckers rose up through the double-team of Bria Hartley and Lindsay Allen late in the shot clock on Dallas’ final possession of the first quarter for a running jumper and a 3-point play to put the Wings up 21-15 after one. Then she ran a little Allen Iverson cut and pulled up three feet behind the 3-point line on the Wings’ first possession of the second for her first long ball of the game to put Dallas up 24-15.

Turnovers have been the thorn in the Wings’ side all year, though, and four consecutive giveaways early in the third fed a little 10-0 Sun run to take a 25-24 lead after Bueckers found her rhythm. Dallas turned the ball over 10 times in the first 14 minutes of the game, but held onto the ball a little better for the final six minutes of the first half.

James earned the second start of her WNBA career in the win over the Sun, starting the last two wins in place of DiJonai Carrington, who until Tuesday was a fixture in the first five for the Wings. The WNBA’s Most Improved Player from 2024 has made a habit of turning the ball over in recent games and came into the matchup in Connecticut leading the Wings with 2.8 giveaways per game.


CAREER HIGH FOR AZIAHA JAMES!!! 10 PTS!! pic.twitter.com/bPyqSYqnBR

— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) June 21, 2025

James, for her part, is finding her way as an up-and-coming playmaker for the Wings. She scored 10 of her 17 points (a new career high mark) in the third quarter and dished five assists in Friday’s win. James finished a fast break off Smith’s steal midway through the third with a behind-the-back find for a Smith, who was trailing the play, to give Dallas a 58-50 lead. James and Bueckers combined to hit 13-of-15 from the free throw line in the win over the Sun.

“We’re a bunch of dogs on this team,” James said in her televised postgame interview. “And I’m just ready when my number is called.”

Dallas scored a season high 109 points in the team’s first trip to Connecticut this season, beating the Sun by 22 on May 27. Bueckers had a team-high 21 points in that win as well.

Arike Ogunbowale was a non-factor for Dallas in the win, scoring just five points on 2-of-8 shooting in the win, until she hit a big shot late in the fourth. Bueckers passed out of a double-team at the top of the key to find Ogunbowale open for three along the left wing to put Dallas up 79-73 with less than three minutes to play.

Tina Charles, the WNBA’s second all-time leading scorer, led Connecticut with 26 points and six rebounds in the loss. Yueru contributed 11 points and nine boards off the bench for Dallas in her Wings’ debut.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...eckers-is-on-a-tear-and-she-wants-her-whistle
 
The downfall of a European Giant can teach us many things, if we care to look for it

NBA: Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Mavericks fanbase should look across the Atlantic for some warning signs about the debilitating effect that sustained incompetence has on a franchise and its fans.

In my very first piece on this site, a little under a year ago, during the dead of the 2024 NBA offseason, I wrote about the comparisons I saw between two of my favourite sports teams: the Dallas Mavericks and Manchester United.

Dallas is at a crossroads, in my opinion. Considering all the drama over the last few months, the franchise is seemingly all at sea, despite the good fortune in the Draft Lottery. The fanbase is fractured, the roster doesn’t have a clear structure, the ownership is invisible, and the Head coach appears to be flirting with other teams. As I thought about this, the dread slowly grew in my head, and I couldn’t for the life of me shake the notion - I’ve seen this before.

That piece last year was a frivolous one in hindsight, that naively tried to draw parallels between the players at the two clubs that I spend most of my time rooting for. I was hyped for the start of the new Premier League season and a newly minted member of the Mavs Moneyball crew. In my mind, it fit the bill. The events of February 1st and all that followed have only cemented that notion in my head. These clubs have eerily similar trajectories based on their recent history, and that’s definitely not a good thing.

Before I elaborate further on why that is the case, let me give you a small history lesson about my European football fandom and, probably, about Manchester United as well. I’m aware that most people know of the Premier League and United, and this might seem like we’re rehashing known history, but sometimes, to get to the point, you need to understand the events that led to it.

If there is one thing older than my love for Basketball, it is my love for European football. I started watching it in 1997 and never looked back. That was the year that Arsenal won the Premier League, and most of my family, at least the ones who could care about football, all support Arsenal. So, one could logically conclude that I would have followed suit and become a diehard fan of the Gunners. (Thank all the higher powers that have ever existed that it never happened that way.)

In my youthful eyes, though, Arsenal were the big powerhouse of the league and the bullies. I found myself drawn to the “underdog” United team. This was before the Internet made information readily accessible to all. I never knew that Manchester United was a historical juggernaut that had a rich legacy of winning in England and Europe. In fact, I didn’t even know that United had won the Premier League in four out of the five seasons that preceded the 1997 season. I just rooted for them because they were fun to watch. I was nine years old. That’s all that mattered to me.

My nascent fascination with the team was validated the following season when Manchester United won the treble – A historical achievement at the time for an English club. The treble, which consists of the League Title (the Premier League), the League Cup (the FA Cup) and the European Cup (the UEFA Champions League), is an undeniably difficult endeavour which involves maintaining focus and form for at least 60 games across all competitions – Something that’s been achieved in England only by United’s crosstown rivals Manchester City (a club that NBA Insider Marc Stein has professed to being a fan of) since 1999, with City achieving the feat in 2023. Imagine the mind of an eleven-year-old Sudarshan at the end of May in 1999 after watching the club he had just started supporting win the lot, as the Brits would say.

Bayern Munich v Manchester United
Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images

From that point in 1999 till the early 10s, Manchester United would remain the dominant club in English football and matched in Europe only by the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. United would win eight Premier League titles, one FA Cup, three Carabao Cups and one UEFA Champions League title in that time, not to mention the finals that they had been to and couldn’t make it over the line (Those two Champions League finals losses against Messi and Barcelona still hurt) – An unprecedented amount of winning for a fanbase to experience. Success wasn’t something a Manchester United fan hoped for. It was something they expected.

However, despite all the success on the pitch, the rumblings behind the scenes weren’t all sunshine and daisies. In 2005, United were bought by the American Glazer family, also the owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The actual story of how everything went down is worth an ESPN 30 for 30 video by itself, involving the manager at the time, Sir Alex Ferguson, the two majority shareholders at the club and a horse called ‘Rock of Gibraltar’. Yes, really.

The deal was a record at the time, costing 800 million GBP – but there was a catch. The Glazer family only supplied around 250 million of that from their pocket, with the rest being borrowed from various sources. In a move foreshadowing their weasel-like nature, the Glazers then put most of the debt on the club in a leveraged takeover – something that has since been banned by the Premier League in the years that followed.

In an instant, Manchester United went from being debt-free and one of the richest football clubs in the world to being saddled with over 500 million GBP of debt from ownership – a move so unpopular with the fanbase that it sparked widespread protests from various fan groups around Manchester.

At the time, I didn’t have much of an opinion. I was a 17-year-old international fan of the club. While there was certainly an affection there, I wasn’t as invested as a local Mancunian who had grown up following the club. The matter of ownership didn’t affect my fandom. I was more worried about the rise of Chelsea, now backed by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and helmed by Jose Mourinho. I cared about the players on the pitch. The likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were the ones I focused on. Not who owned my team.

The real downfall wouldn’t begin until the 2013-2014 season, though. Till then, even after the Glazer purchase, United remained successful because of the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson on the pitch and David Gill off it. Sir Alex, a legendary manager revered by the fanbase, was the architect who resurrected Manchester United at the start of the 90s and made it the global icon that it remains today. He built the team around youth and opportunistic purchases of key players, which, when combined with his tactical versatility, allowed United to transform into a team greater than the sum of its parts. It was his immense ability as a coach and a manager that allowed the club to flourish in the manner that it had for the greater part of three decades.

At the end of the 2012-2013 season, Sir Alex announced his retirement from football, capping off an unprecedented twenty-six-year run at the football club. This was swiftly followed by news of David Gill stepping down from his post as United CEO, overseeing all commercial affairs.

What followed was a decade-plus of abject misery that continues to this day.

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Photo by PETER MUHLY/AFP via Getty Images
Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Buffalo Bills
Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images
Avram Glazer, Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Malcolm Glazer and his spawn – Joel and Avram Glazer, in their infinite wisdom, replaced David Gill with Ed Woodward as the group’s operational head. Woodward, a financial executive who played a key role in the leveraged takeover of United back in 2005, had worked his way up the ladder at the club on the commercial side. He was, rightly, credited with the rise of Manchester United as a commercial giant, with club revenues boosted year-on-year, making the club one of the top earners from sponsorship deals and other financial ventures.

He wasn’t a football expert, though.

The way that football clubs generally work is that you have the Manager, the person who is responsible for the on-field product – Tactics, Training, Game Management, Media, etc. They are usually backed up by a Sporting Director, the equivalent of an NBA GM. The Sporting Director oversees Transfers, Squad Building, and Organisational Strategy. There are ancillary roles at the club, like the Director of Youth Development, who oversees the youth academy, as European football follows an academy model and not a unified draft model like it is in America.

Sir Alex, over his years at the club, had evolved to become a hybrid of the two roles – part Manager and part Sporting Director. He had help from the likes of David Gill and Peter Kenyon when it came to negotiating transfers and player contracts, but it was his authority and his voice that carried through the club – a singular vision that allowed for a streamlined organisation. This worked when he was running the show. It would not work when he was replaced by the likes of Ed Woodward and David Moyes, Ferguson’s handpicked successor as the club manager.

Woodward, being the money guy, thought that throwing money around in the transfer market equated to winning. His lack of footballing knowledge and acumen led to him relying on flash signings and big-name purchases, regardless of fit, to pacify the fanbase that was growing restless with the continued lack of success. His arrogance at being at the helm of the richest football club in the world led him to make the now (in)famous quotes:

Manchester City v Manchester United - Carabao Cup: Semi Final
Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
“We can do things in the transfer market that other clubs can only dream of. Watch this space,”

“Playing performance doesn’t really have a meaningful impact on what we can do on the commercial side of the business.”

The likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Angel Di Maria, Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku were signed for absurd sums of money and only comprise a fraction of the names that passed through Old Trafford without affecting the club’s fortunes on the pitch. In total, Woodward’s signings since he took charge amount to close to a billion GBP, with little to nothing to show for it. In addition to this, the Interest payments of more than a billion GBP only mired the club deeper in debt, rendering Woodward’s successes in the Commercial arena moot.

It’s not only the players that were brought in that were the problem. Where they (the players) failed or couldn’t be bothered, the managers faced the firing squad. David Moyes was swiftly replaced by Louis Van Gaal, who lasted 2 seasons. Van Gaal was then succeeded by Jose Mourinho, hoping that the “Special One” would bring the good times back. Spoiler Alert – He didn’t. Mourinho would last 144 games in charge before he, too, was sacked. The return of club icon Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought life, for a time, to a club mired under a cloud of negativity, but his time in charge was also short-lived, lasting a little more than three seasons. Erik Ten Hag was the latest in a long line of unsuccessful managerial appointments, with uninspiring play executed by underwhelming player signings brought in by an uninterested ownership that placed their faith in an unqualified director.

Olympiacos FC v Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Round of 16
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
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Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Premier League - Wembley
Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images
Watford v Manchester United - Premier League
Photo by Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images

To be fair to Woodward, the issues during most of Ten Hag’s time as manager stemmed from the ineptitude of Woodward’s successors, Richard Arnold and John Murtough. Neither of them reached the dizzying heights of arrogance and incompetence exhibited by Ed Woodward, but both were the final note in the death knell of a global sporting icon.

Yes, Manchester United is under new leadership now, with the Glazers having sold a 29% stake in the club to petrochemical giant INEOS, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who’s brought in his own seemingly more-qualified leadership in Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox, who seem inclined to a total course correction. The results under newly appointed manager Ruben Amorim don’t seem promising to start, but the club has a direction it’s committed to, for what that’s worth. It doesn’t change the facts, though.

An entire generation of United fans who grew up accustomed to continued success have spent more than a decade railing against the Glazer ownership and their failings, both on and off the pitch. It’s reached a point where most fans feel disenfranchised with something they used to love with all their heart. Not a United game goes by where you don’t hear the chants of “We want Glazers out”, and that’s not just from the home fans at Old Trafford. It extends to the numerous fans at away games, often the more vociferous in their protests due to being smaller in number (Old Trafford seats 74,000 fans; Fans in the away ends vary anywhere from 1,500 to 5,000 fans).

Manchester United v Liverpool FC - Premier League
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

It has led to a malaise that has settled over the fanbase and on the pitch. An inexorable curse which has divided the once united supporters, with lines drawn between those who believe that the only way out of the rut is to commit to the path that has proven unsuccessful before and those who posit that a hard reset is required. What used to be friendly discussions and debates about the club have turned into toxic arguments. Club legends like Gary Neville, who grew up at the club and was an integral part of the “Class of ‘92” that revived United’s fortunes, spends most of his days lobbing scathing criticism of the Glazer ownership and their role in the club’s downfall in their roles as a pundit for Sky Sports.

All this comes back to the Dallas Mavericks and the warning signs that are there for those who can see if they care to look. A disconnected ownership backing a misguided front office executive so convinced of his superior intellect, disenchanted franchise icons who have been sidelined and have chosen to stay away in silent protest, and a disheartened fanbase that is divided and constantly at war with each other. Sure, there are differences that one could point to, because the circumstances of each sport and culture are different, but it all feels the same.

The Mavericks fanbase has, in the space of four months, gone from total positivity, buoyed by more-or-less two decades of continued franchise success, where there was a general faith in the club that it would find its way, to being lost and divided. Yes, there were back-office missteps along the way. Yes, there were times when everyone railed against Mark Cuban and his outmoded team-building strategy and his penny-pinching during the post-title era. There was always the team that brought everyone together, though.

2021 NBA Playoffs -Dallas Mavericks v LA Clippers
Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images

The Luka Doncic trade eviscerated that. It turned the whole Mavericks ecosystem into a fog of negativity that I’m not sure the arrival of Cooper Flagg can dispel. The franchise feels limp and rudderless, helmed by a front office that can’t seem to get out of its way and hated by a betrayed fanbase, which is leaning towards apathy at what they perceive as a lack of direction.

For me, as a fan of Manchester United, I’ve spent the past decade listening to the club I love become the butt of all jokes – An utter laughingstock in the football fraternity. It’s gotten to the point where there are times when I can’t summon the energy to feel dejected at the losses or get angry when someone cracks a joke at the club’s expense. I just feel numb. Detached. Dispirited. I’ll always look forward to the next season because, in a lot of ways, it’s the club that I chose to love and support – I don’t know anything else. The joy just slips away a little more with every season, though.

I just hope that the same doesn’t happen to the Mavericks fanbase. Falling into apathy would mean the normalization of the incompetence that has been on display for the past few months, and that would be a damn shame. Learn from history, fellow Mavericks fans. Stand together, engage each other positively, and demand accountability from the franchise. Those are the only things that are in our control.

NBA: FEB 08 Dallas Mavericks Fans Protest
Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...manchester-united-downfall-learnings-warnings
 
What the Mavericks could learn from Luka’s rookie season to build around Cooper Flagg

NBA: Preseason-Beijing Ducks at Dallas Mavericks

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The team’s front office will face similar internal questions that leadership faced in 2018, and would be wise to practice patience this time.

The last time the Dallas Mavericks were in the top five of an NBA Draft was 2018. They’d just endured a 24-win season, their worst since the 90’s, and bad lottery luck found them at five in the order — just beyond the reach of Luka Doncic. The Mavericks made their own luck that night, if you could call it that, and convinced the Atlanta Hawks to make a deal that sent Doncic to Dallas and changed the trajectory of a franchise looking for new life post-Dirk Nowitzki.

Seven years later the Mavericks don’t need to make their luck. Somehow, for reasons that defy all karmic law, an organization that not only traded their superstar before his prime but besmirched him on his way out, leapt in historic fashion to the top of the lottery and will be gifted a generational talent in Cooper Flagg. A fact that I still have to remind myself of every day.

But before the Mavericks get to June 25 and can officially welcome Flagg to Dallas, there are lessons to be learned from that 2018-19 season, in building a new era that suddenly feels a little more bright.



When Doncic arrived in Dallas the team just survived a collection of cobbled rosters in Dirk’s twilight years, a desperate attempt at never letting the bottom fall completely out. An endless saga of will-they-won’t-they free agency and trade deals, mostly failed. But in the two years prior to Luka’s arrival the organization had accepted some reality. A semi-poor season that netted them Dennis Smith Jr. in the summer of 2017, their first step into the next era. The second led them to Luka.

NBA: Sacramento Kings at Dallas Mavericks
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

It’s hard to recall now the tug-of-war in Doncic analysis as a prospect. In retrospect, that he could even drop to three in that draft is ludicrous. But in the fall of 2018 there was plenty of doubt...externally. Internally, Dirk Nowitzki and his teammates knew before training camp even started.

“You could already see it. This kid has got something about him,” Nowitzki reflected in 2023 on that offseason while scrimmaging with Doncic. It was that readiness, his swagger, that didn’t just convince his new teammates. The Mavericks front office saw opportunity with Doncic to be a generational talent, and they wanted the future now.

And that brings us to Flagg. Only now among draft experts and scouts, the analysis is unanimous. His versatility, his drive, his rapid growth shows generational talent, and a generational response. The Mavericks finding themselves here while their spoken intentions were to build for contention next season around two aging, ailing, stars in Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis leaves questions. Can the team be among the competitive elite while their rookie develops? How do you prioritize the development of your team’s future, while being greedy for the present?

Development among players, from elite talent to the eventual role player, never take the same trajectory. Some move rapidly and some take years. It’s worth remembering as we watch the NBA Finals that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, selected 11th in Doncic’s draft and now the reigning MVP, scoring champion, and leading his team to the doorstep of an NBA Championship, was once a 10 point-per-game scorer as a rookie. Development requires patience and an intuitive sense for what needs to be around them. This is something that the Oklahoma City Thunder — who also had the benefit of an entire generation’s worth of picks to explore different development strategies — did well, both in their patience and in identifying complimentary pieces to surround their superstar.

NCAA Basketball: Final Four National Semifinal-Houston at Duke
Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

For the Mavericks back in 2018, seeing the potential of Luka in front of them, they not only felt they could compete immediately but were not interested in patience by developing Luka and Dennis Smith Jr. together. Before the 2019 trade deadline they sent Smith, two first round picks, and veterans to the New York Knicks for Kristaps Porzingis and other supporting players to accelerate that timeline.

We know now that Porzingis didn’t work. The red flags that existed before the deal remained through his tenure in Dallas. And if you were to poll those around the league few would say it’s wrong to try pairing your young superstar with another star. But where you should be careful is how much of your future you mortgage with your first swing, especially when those assets convey nearer your superstar’s prime. The Mavericks giving up a 2021 and 2024 first round pick hampered future roster development around Luka. Never mind who was selected with those picks — those are assets to be managed to better prepare yourself for your superstar’s timeline.

This isn’t to say that Dennis Smith Jr. would have developed alongside Doncic to put them where they needed to be. But patience with your star’s development, and the pieces you put around them will matter later.

The Mavericks will face similar questions this summer and next season. For now, there isn’t a young running mate alongside Flagg that they could send off to skip steps in the timeline. Rather, the team is full of veterans who were brought to Dallas to compete now. This new leadership group, who were not around for those 2018 decisions, would be wise to learn from those mistakes and practice patience in building a very bright future around Flagg.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...season-to-build-around-cooper-flagg-nba-draft
 
Wings Things: Bueckers, Ogunbowale push Washington Mystics to the brink, Dallas falls in overtime

Dallas Wings v Washington Mystics

Arike Ogunbowale #24 of the Dallas Wings dribbles the ball during the game against the Washington Mystics on June 22, 2025 at Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. | Photo by Stephen Goslings/NBAE via Getty Images

Late theatrics by both teams end in a 91-88 overtime win for the Mystics over the Wings

Here’s to a few more classic WNBA welterweight bouts between The Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers and the Washington Mystics’ Sonia Citron in the coming years. Late heroics from both rookie guards provided a bit of late theater in the Mystics’ 91-88 overtime win over the Wings on Sunday at CareFirst Arena. Or, Into the Mystics’ 91-88 overtime win over the Wings, for all the Van Morrison fans out there.

Bueckers didn’t hit her first shot until the 5:40 mark of the second quarter in the Wings’ overtime loss at the Mystics (6-8) on Sunday. She didn’t hit her first 3-pointer until the final 11 seconds of regulation, but it was a monumental make — her first long-range connection tied the game, 84-84, and sent the game into overtime.

The rookie superstar went on a personal 7-0 run that started with that crucial 3-pointer to put the Wings in position to win it late. But Dallas (3-12) didn’t score over the final 2:42 of overtime and the Wings let another win slip through their fingers on the road.

Citron, Bueckers’ counterpart in the Washington backcourt, scored eight points on two made 3-pointers in the first quarter to help ignite Washington’s offense early on. She hit the winning 3-pointer with just 12 ticks left in overtime and scored a career-high 27 points for the Mystics on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range.

Dallas connected on just 1-of-13 from the field to open the game and suffered through a stretch of over seven minutes without a basket before Azaiah James nailed a contested 3-pointer from the left wing with one tick left in the first quarter to regroup, down 27-14 after one.

The Wings reverted to prior factory settings as they dug that early hole for themselves, missing shots in the lane and allowing the Washington offense to run in transition off those missed bunnies. The Wings’ dribble handoffs along the perimeter seemed to cause more traffic congestion than opening driving lanes.

Dallas responded with a 26-9 run starting with James’ 3-pointer late in the first that was capped by Arike Ogunbowale’s open 3-ball with 3:41 left in the first half. Ogunbowale, as she has often done this year, bounced back after her seven-point outing on 2-of-9 shooting on Friday at the Connecticut Sun by going off for 16 in Sunday’s first half to pace the Wings. She scored on a wild, high-arcing 3-point play from near the free-throw line three minutes into the second quarter before nailing two 3-pointers as part of the pivotal run to help pull Dallas from the clutches of certain defeat.

Dallas Wings v Washington Mystics
Photo by Stephen Goslings/NBAE via Getty Images
Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings scores the game tying three point basket during the game against the Washington Mystics on June 22, 2025 at Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C.

Rookie backup JJ Quinerly provided a boost late in the first half with a couple of dynamic drives to the rack to give the Wings a 45-36 lead with 1:07 left in the second as well. Dallas took a 45-40 lead into halftime, somehow, some way. The 31 points the Wings scored in the second quarter on Sunday were the most they’ve scored in any game outside of the team’s 109-87 win at Connecticut on May 27, when they scored 33 in the second quarter and 32 in the third.

The third quarter devolved into a rock fight as the two teams piled up 45 fouls through the game’s first 29 minutes. Dallas absorbed the Mystics’ body blows and took a 69-62 lead into the fourth after Quinerly’s mid-range jumper rattled home as the buzzer sounded at the end of the frame.

Washington made a point to get the ball out of Bueckers’ hands all afternoon, and shutting down Dallas’ playmaking hub finally started to pay dividends for the Mystics down the stretch. Ogunbowale hit a long 3-pointer early in the fourth, then drove for a reverse layup along the baseline to give the Wings a 73-68 lead with seven minutes and change left to play. But Citron, Austin and Kiki Iriafen provided the rebuttal for Washington in the clutch minutes. Iriafen’s post-up over NaLyssa Smith with two minutes left in the game gave the Mystics their first lead, up 81-79, since midway through the second quarter.

Ogunbowale missed a free throw that could have tied the game on the Wings’ next possession, and Brittney Sykes made her two on the other end with 1:20 left to put Washington up 83-80 five seconds later.


PAIGE BUECKERS. CLUTCH.pic.twitter.com/NpNaaVqnYi

— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) June 22, 2025

That’s when Bueckers popped open near the top of the key on a rare blown assignment on an inbounds pass for her first 3-pointer of the game with 11 seconds to play. The clutch jumper tied the game, 84-84, after Citron made just 1-of-2 from the line seconds earlier. The Wings had life once again in overtime. Bueckers found a way to impact the game, pressure defense from a the long arms of the Mystics’ defense be damned.

Her downhill drive to the cup with four minutes left in the overtime period gave Dallas back an 86-84 lead, and just like that, Bueckers and her scoring prowess were back, front-and-center. She scored 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished seven assists in the loss. She forced a Washington turnover with three minutes left in the game, then made a great cut to the bucket the next time down to give the Wings an 88-84 lead on a personal 7-0 run.


What a game from Sonia Citron in this one. pic.twitter.com/LYi0zJlGne

— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) June 22, 2025

But with the game tied, 88-88, in the final minute of overtime, Citron popped open for her fourth 3-pointer of the game along the baseline after a broken play for Washington. Austin found her after a scrum for the ball under the basket, and the Wings couldn’t pull the rabbit out of the hat again in the final 12 seconds of the overtime period. Austin added 21 points and seven boards for the Mystics, while Ogunbowale led the Wings with 27 points in the loss.

DiJonai Carrington was held out of Sunday’s loss with a rib injury. Carrington was replaced in the Wings’ starting lineup by James in her last two games on the floor.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...mystics-to-the-brink-dallas-falls-in-overtime
 
Mavericks agree to contract extension with Daniel Gafford

NBA: Washington Wizards at Dallas Mavericks

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Gafford is set to stick around after signing a three-year extension.

On Monday evening, ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news that the Dallas Mavericks intend to sign Daniel Gafford to a three-year contract extension. Gafford, set to enter the 2025-2026 season on an expiring contract, will remain with the Mavericks through the 2028-2029 season. The deal is reported to total $54 million.

Gafford averaged a career-high 12.3 points per game last season, adding 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Up until his devastating MCL injury in February that sidelined him for 21 games, he remained a consistent for the Mavericks during their injury-plagued season. He stayed ready during the times that Dereck Lively was out, filling in seamlessly in the starting lineup. Gafford’s return offers the Mavericks a level of stability that they will need with the injury histories of Lively and Anthony Davis, who both dealt with grueling injuries last season.

The contract agreement’s announcement would indicate that Dallas intends to roll Davis out at the power forward position, maintaining the vision of having two bigs down low that they had back in February when they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis. This presumably means Gafford will slide into the backup center role for next season with Lively starting alongside Davis.

This leaves Dallas with a core of Davis, Gafford, Lively, PJ Washington, Kyrie Irving (who won’t return until early 2026), and Naji Marshall. While it brings more questions about how the basketball of it all will work once they draft Cooper Flagg later this week, the deal gives Dallas future flexibility, as there will be no trade restriction imposed on Gafford, as they were able to get him on a smaller deal.

A solid backup center in today’s NBA is a dime a dozen, and MFFLs have fought battles begging our front office to bring one in. Gafford’s extension is a great deal, providing Dallas with flexibility to continue to build its roster. Gafford has been a valuable piece to Dallas’ puzzle since his arrival, and his play style allowed Dallas to change their identity in 2024, propelling them into their NBA Finals run. His defensive prowess and contagious energy have landed him a home in Dallas, and it will be interesting to see where the Mavericks go from here.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/6/23/24454578/mavericks-contract-extension-daniel-gafford
 
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