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WATCH: Mavs’ Tyler Dorsey Dazzles in Greece’s Win Over Belgium - NBA Tracker

As the offseason rolls on, keep up with all news as it relates to the Dallas Mavericks and the rest of the league right here with our DallasBasketball.com NBA Tracker.

DallasBasketball.com Staff

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With EuroBasket 2022 just a few days away from tipping off, one Dallas Mavericks two-way contract player is showing us why he should be considered for a 15-man roster spot instead …

AUG 29 TYLER DORSEY CONTINUES TO IMPRESS

The Mavs were reportedly impressed with Tyler Dorsey’s private workout earlier this summer … so much so that they signed him to a two-way contract soon after. Dorsey’s performances with the Greek national team are showing us what the Mavs see in him.

In his latest outing on Sunday, Dorsey poured in 22 points while shooting 7-11 from the field and 3-6 from deep in 27 minutes as Greece defeated Belgium 85-68 in a World Cup qualifying match. He also tallied four rebounds, three assists and one steal.

AUG 25 LUKA DONCIC, TYLER DORSEY SHOW OUT

On Thursday, Luka Doncic helped Slovenia blowout Estonia 104-83 in a World Cup qualifying match. He finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in 30 minutes of action … and, per usual, he dazzled the crowd with his flashiness along the way.

Meanwhile, Mavs’ new two-way contract signee Tyler Dorsey was hitting big buckets in Greece’s qualifying match against Serbia. Although Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Nikola Jokic was the main attraction, Dorsey was the one who hit a clutch corner 3 — which probably should’ve been a four-point play — to send the game into overtime.

Dorsey finished with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal as Greece ultimately lost to Serbia in overtime, 100-94. Will Dorsey potentially graduate to the Mavs’ main 15-man roster instead of just being on a two-way? He certainly looks capable.

AUG 25 MAVS EX KP LOOKING GOOD

When it comes to breakups, it looks like the one between Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic and former Maverick Kristaps Porzingis is working out well for both sides.

Doncic has looked incredible for the Slovenian national team this summer … and we can say the same for Porzingis, as he lit up Turkey in Latvia’s World Cup qualifying match on Thursday.

Although Porzingis could be poised for a big season with the Washington Wizards, that doesn’t mean the Mavs made a mistake by trading him. Even when healthy, Porzingis still wasn’t a perfect fit next to Doncic, and both sides could potentially be better off going forward because of the trade.

There are no hard feelings between the two players, but basketball fans everywhere would still love to see a Slovenia vs. Latvia match at some point. EuroBasket 2022 will begin on Sept. 1.

AUG 24 LAKERS GET BEVERLEY; CAN MAVS GET OTHER JAZZ PIECES?

Patrick Beverley was one of the Utah Jazz several veteran players we suggested the Dallas Mavericks should pursue in a trade before the offseason ended ... but Beverley is heading to Hollywood instead.

According to multiple reports, the Los Angeles Lakers are trading Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to the Jazz for Beverley. The trade is expected to be finalized on Thursday. Although the Lakers had hopes of trading for Kyrie Irving, it looks like they're being forced to settle now.

Although Beverley is no longer an option for the Mavs, perhaps Dallas can find a way to snag Mike Conley to address its secondary playmaking needs. Given Conley's age and the fact that he's owed $47 million combined over the next two seasons, he should be within the Mavs' price range.

AUG 23 RE-LIVING LUKA'S PLAYOFF BUZZER-BEATER

Two years ago today, in the NBA's "Orlando Bubble," Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic capped off one of the most incredible playoff performances of all time in a 135-133 overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

With just seconds remaining in Game 4, and the Mavs trailing their first-round series against the Clippers 2-1, Doncic put Reggie Jackson on skates and nailed a patented step-back 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired. Doncic finished with an unreal stat line of 43 points, 17 rebounds, 13 assists, two steals and one block to go along with his game-winner. He became the youngest player in NBA history to hit a playoff buzzer-beater.

“I was just trying to make it,” said Doncic. “I can’t explain the emotions, not only when the ball goes in but when I see the whole team running toward me. That was something special. One of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”

Although Dallas ultimately lost that series in six games, Doncic, who was just 21 years old at the time, averaged 31 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists while playing on an injured ankle.

AUG 23 KD STAYING WITH NETS ... FOR NOW

After putting the entire NBA offseason on hold for nearly two months, it appears that the Brooklyn Nets aren't going to trade Kevin Durant ... at least not anytime soon.

On Tuesday, Nets GM Sean Marks released a statement saying Durant and the Nets have agreed to "move forward" in hopes of building a championship team.

"Steve Nash and I, together with Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday," wrote Marks in his official statement. "We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."

Although this likely isn't the outcome Durant had in mind, he likely didn't have any other choice. Given that he has four years remaining on his contract, it was nearly impossible for the Nets to find a trade package that brought back acceptable value for the all-time great. With Durant officially staying in Brooklyn for now, perhaps we will start to see other movement around the league ... such as the New York Knicks trading for Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.

AUG 20 RODMAN TO RUSSIA? As the U.S. government works to bring home detained WNBA star Brittney Griner, a former NBA star wants to travel to Russia to help.

Dallas native Dennis Rodman announced this weekend he plans to get involved.

“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” Rodman said. “I’m trying to go this week.”

The Basketball Hall of Famer, who gained fame as a champion with the Chicago Bulls and also played briefly for the Dallas Mavs, told NBC News of his intention to travel to Russia in the near future to seek Griner’s release.

Former Baylor star Griner, 31, was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia earlier this month after facing drug charges following her arrest at a Moscow airport in February for possessing hashish oil in her luggage.

AUG 20 NBA STARS BACK IN SEATTLE

It's been 14 years since the basketball-loving city of Seattle lost its SuperSonics. If the NBA ever decides to expand again, Seattle could be in the running for getting a team again, but for now, the city has to take whatever form of NBA action it can get until that time comes.

On Saturday night, a handful of NBA stars and potential future stars are set to play in Jamal Crawford's pro-am league, "The Crawsover." The list of players who will be in attendance include: LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Dejounte Murray, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Thomas, Tari Eason and MarJon Beauchamp.

The game will tip off at 7:30pm CT and can be watched on the NBA App and NBA.com.

AUG 13 NBA SCHEDULE LEAKS

Although the full NBA schedule won't be released until next week, a few of the most important matchups have already started to leak out. On Friday, NBA reporter Marc Stein reported that Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are set to take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 25.

"The first draft of next season's NBA schedule has Lakers at Dallas/LeBron at Luka on Christmas Day, league sources tell me," Stein tweeted. "Changes are still possible before the full schedule officially drops next week but Christmas games usually hold."

On Saturday, The Athletic's Shams Charania followed that up by announcing that the defending champion Golden State Warriors opening night game on Oct. 18, which will also be when they receive their rings and raise their championship banner, will be against James and the Lakers.

Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com for a full schedule breakdown once it's officially released.

AUG 12 WCS SIGNS WITH ROCKETS

According to a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, former Dallas Mavericks center Willie Cauley-Stein is signing a one-year deal with the Houston Rockets. Although his deal is for one year, though, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll end up on the Rockets’ final roster. He’ll compete for his spot in training camp next month.

Cauley-Stein appeared in 84 games for the Mavs over the span of three seasons, averaging 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game. He shot 61.8 percent from the field.

Ironically, one of Cauley-Stein’s best game as a Maverick came on Jan. 4, 2021 in a 113-100 win over the Rockets. He finished with 15 points on 5-7 shooting from the field, seven rebounds, one block and one steal in 24 minutes as a starter.

AUG 11 NBA RETIRES NO. 6 FOREVER

After the passing of NBA legend Bill Russell, the league announced on Thursday that they will permanently retire the No. 6 for all teams.

"The National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced today that they will honor the life and legacy of 11-time NBA champion and civil rights pioneer Bill Russell by permanently retiring his uniform number, 6, throughout the league. The iconic Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer will be the first player to have his number retired across the NBA," the league said in an official statement.

“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way. Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized," said commissioner Adam Silver.

Last season, 25 of the league's 30 teams had a player wearing No. 6. If a player is currently wearing that number, he won't have to change it due to this retirement. But going forward, no one else will be able to select that number.

AUG 8 TSAI RESPONDS TO KD ULTIMATUM

Just a few hours after the report of Kevin Durant’s ultimatum to Brooklyn Nets ownership dropped, Joe Tsai took to Twitter to address the situation.

“Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets,” Tsai tweeted.

If the Nets have to choose between Durant or coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks, it appears that Tsai is going with the latter. This means we could potentially see a Durant trade before the season starts … and that could set off a domino effect for other trades around the league.

AUG 8 KD GIVES NETS TRADE ULTIMATUM

Has superstar Kevin Durant softened his stance on wanting out of Brooklyn? Not quite … but he has given Nets’ ownership an option that could potentially make him try to work things out going forward.

According to a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Durant is essentially telling the Nets they can choose to keep him, or they can choose to keep coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks.

“In a face-to-face meeting with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai over the weekend, All-NBA star Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that he needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash,” writes Charania.

It is believed that the most serious suitors for Durant include the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat.

Could the Dallas Mavericks potentially get involved in the Durant sweepstakes? Given their lack of draft assets, a trade for Kyrie Irving would be much more feasible and fill an immediate need. However, we’ve learned to never say never in this league.

AUG 7 NBA SCHEDULE DROPPING SOON...

With not much going on in this part of the NBA offseason, many fans are itching to start making plans to go watch their favorite teams next season. The problem is, it's hard to make plans when you don't know dates for certain games. So, when exactly will the 2022-2023 schedule drop? NBA reporter Marc Stein weighed in:

"Hearing that the full release of the NBA Schedule for the 2022-23 season is not expected until after next week," Stein tweeted.

This means that in a week or two, we'll find out who the Mavs will be playing on Opening Day, Christmas Day and all the other significant dates. In 2020, the Mavs were awarded a Christmas Day game against LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers. It was the first time in nine years that Dallas played on Christmas. In 2021, the Mavs made it two straight years playing on Christmas – this time, against the Utah Jazz.

Both of those games were on the road, however. Let's see if the Mavs can finally stay home with their families this holiday season.

AUG 6 MAVS ADD NEW FRONT OFFICE MEMBER

The Dallas Mavericks have added new personnel to their front office by hiring Brooklyn Nets director of scouting Matt Riccardi. He spent 13 seasons with the Nets and his tenure with the organization began as an intern.

AUG 5 MCGEE WORKS WITH NBA PEERS

On Friday, Mavs’ newly-signed big man JaVale McGee was seen putting in work with some of his NBA peers, including Jrue Holiday, Caris LeVert and Jarred Vanderbilt. The run took place at GBG Hoops in Los Angeles.

Although this scene won’t generate as much buzz as Spencer Dinwiddie rubbing elbows with Kevin Durant last week, it’s still nice to see the 34-year-old training hard nearly two months before training camp begins. Christian Wood was the Mavs’ splashy offseason acquisition, but McGee is going to help out a lot as well with his lob catching and shot blocking.

AUG 5 TRADE RUMORS HEATING UP AGAIN?

The NBA offseason has slowed down significantly over the last few weeks, but that could be changing soon, as HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports the Knicks have had three-way trade discussions with the Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers … and yes, Russell Westbrook is involved.

“The Lakers, Knicks, and Jazz discussed a three-team trade with Donovan Mitchell landing in New York, Patrick Beverley and another key Jazz player to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook on the move, and draft picks to Utah,” wrote Scotto.

Could the Mavs benefit from this potential situation? Read our full story here.

AUG 2 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KP!

On Tuesday, current Washington Wizards big man Kristaps Porzingis celebrated his 27th birthday. The Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Wizards last season in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Although things never worked out the way both sides intended, Porzingis had some nice moments as a Maverick that we wanted to shine some light on since it’s his birthday.

Porzingis averaged 20 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 134 regular-season games as a Maverick. He shot 44.8 percent from the field, including 34.5 percent from deep. In Dallas, Porzingis recorded single-game career highs in the following categories: minutes played (45), rebounds (18), assists (7), field goal attempts (28), 3-point attempts (14), 3-pointers made (8), and free throws made (12).

One of the best regular-season games Porzingis produced came on Feb. 12, 2021, when the Mavs defeated the New Orleans Pelicans at American Airlines Center, 143-130. Porzingis’ chemistry with Luka Doncic is as never perfect, but it was in that night, as the duo combined for 82 points. Porzingis finished with 36 points on 8-13 shooting from deep.

His best playoff moment as a Maverick came in the 2020 “Orlando Bubble” playoffs. In Game 3 of the Mavs’ first-round series against the high-powered Los Angeles Clippers, Porzingis poured in 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in 38 minutes of play. It was later revealed that Porzingis played Game 3, which was his last action of the series, while having a torn meniscus, squashing any questions that may have lingered about his toughness.

A number of unfortunate injuries kept the Mavs’ Porzingis era from being what it could’ve been, but hopefully he finds better fortune over the next few years in Washington D.C.

AUG 1 MOSES WRIGHT GOES TO CHINA

According to a report out of China, Moses Wright is leaving the NBA to join the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in the Chinese Basketball Association after not securing another big-league contract.

Last season, the Mavs had 23-year-old Wright on a two-way contract. Despite averaging 15.5 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 52.5 percent from the field in the Las Vegas Summer League, it wasn’t enough for Wright to get another two-way deal from Dallas.

As the calendar turns to August, the Mavs now have two roster spots to fill — one on the main 15-man roster and one two-way spot. After losing out on summer league standout A.J. Lawson to the Minnesota Timberwolves, could the Mavs turn to 6-1 guard Jerrick Harding for a their final two-way contract, or will there be another out-of-the-blue signing like current two-way man, Tyler Dorsey?

Harding, who is 24 years old, averaged 13.8 points and four assists for the Mavs in Las Vegas while shooting 50 percent from the field, including 36 percent from deep.

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DallasBasketball.com Staff
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