Dallas Basketball

Luka Doncic Pal Boban Signs New Deal With Rockets: Tracker

As the NBA transactions continue to roll, stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com as we keep you updated on everything happening with the Dallas Mavericks and the league.

Dalton Trigg

In this story:

SEPT 11 BOBAN SIGNS Our old pal the gentle giant Boban Marjanovic is staying in Texas. But Luka Doncic's pal isn't going to be the Mavs. Rather, he will return to the Houston Rockets to begin his ninth NBA season.

"Bobi'' is known for many things across the NBA, especially his friendships with 76ers forward Tobias Harris and Luka and others. The 7-4 center is a "chemistry guy,'' and the Rockets now bring back a player that will, in our opinion, undoubtably help the young Houston locker room.

JULY 20 MAVS EX MOSLEY COACHING USA BASKETBALL A former coach for the Dallas Mavericks is getting a chance to represent the USA this summer.

According to The Athletic, Jamahl Mosley will lead the USA Select team, which will practice and scrimmage against the FIBA World Cup team.

The Select Team is expected to feature Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder), Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons), Jalen Green (Houston Rockets) and Keegan Murray (Sacramento Kings) among others.

Mosley, 44, served as an assistant coach for Rick Carlisle's Mavericks staff from 2014-21 before he was hired by the Orlando Magic. In two seasons with the team, Mosley has led the Magic to a 56-108 record.

Now, he looks to get another coaching opportunity to build his resume.

JULY 13 HARDY PARTY OVER Jaden Hardy was the centerpiece of the Dallas Mavs' entire Summer League program, and it has worked to some degree, But now the promising youngster will miss the rest of the Vegas schedule due to a shoulder contusion, as the Mavs are opting to shut him down.

Hardy has been one of the top scorers in the summer showcase and did play three games. He'll miss the final two scheduled games, though, taking with him the fact that he averaged 23 points per game ... despite an occasional lack of efficiency.

The Mavericks look forward to the exciting prospect Hardy to play a key role in a backcourt led of course by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

JULY 2 TWO FORMER MAVS JOINING NEW TEAMS? The NBA offseason has slowed down for a couple of big reasons: 1) the league is waiting to see what happens with James Harden and Damian Lillard, as both stars are expected to be traded soon, and 2) restricted free agents can’t officially sign offer sheets until Thursday.

In the meantime, though, we have small tidbits of free-agency news trickling in to get us by. According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Justin Holiday, who played 18 games with the Dallas Mavericks last season as a buyout signing, is joining the reigning-champion Denver Nuggets.

Meanwhile, according to Bleach Report’s Chris Haynes, another former Mavericks guard, Darren Collison, could be making his NBA return soon, but nothing is written in stone yet. Collision worked out for the Phoenix Suns recently, and he apparently had a “great showing.”

Collision spent the 2012-13 season with the Mavs, where he started 47 games. His last NBA appearance was during the 2021-22 season when he played in three games for the Los Angeles Lakers.

JULY 1 DAME WANTS OUT OF PORTLAND – According to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, as well as several over reports, Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard has requested a trade from the only NBA franchise he's ever known. The 11-year veteran and seven-time All-Star is expected to land at his preferred destination, wherever that might be. The Miami Heat, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers would all make sense as Lillard suitors.

Obviously, the Dallas Mavericks aren't going to be in that group due to their recent re-signing of Kyrie Irving to a three-year, $126 million contract, but the Dallas front office should have their eyes peeled for any potential fire sale opportunities that come from the aftermath of a Lillard trade.

JULY 1 DENNIS SMITH JR. REUNITES WITH DORIAN FINNEY-SMITH IN BROOKLYN – Once upon a time, the Dallas Mavericks had high hopes for a young, potential star backcourt duo of Luka Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. However, that book only got halfway through its second chapter before being closed due to the Mavs trading for Kristaps Porzingis in 2019 with Smith going to the New York Knicks.

Since then, Smith has bounced around from team-to-team due to some unfortunate injuries, but he had a resurgent year with his home-state Charlotte Hornets last season. His play resulted in him getting a new, one-year contract with the Brooklyn Nets, according to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania.

This, of course, means that Smith is reunited with one of his best friends from his Mavs days in Dorian Finney-Smith. In previous interviews with DallasBasketball.com, Smith would always talk about how he was close with Finney-Smith and Doncic. Smith also told us in an exclusive interview last summer that he was open to reuniting with the Mavs on a one-year deal, but the feeling in Dallas apparently wasn't mutual.

Regardless, we'll be rooting for 'Da Smith Way,' as Dennis and Dorian like to call it, throughout next season from afar.

JULY 1 CAVS EXECUTE 3-WAY SIGN-&-TRADE FOR MAX STRUS – According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cleveland Cavaliers have executed a sign-and-trade to acquire Miami Heat shooting guard Max Strus.

"Free agent guard Max Strus has agreed on a four-year, $63 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his agents, Mark Bartelstein and Kieran Piller of Priority Sports, told ESPN on Saturday morning," Wojnarowski wrote.

"The Cavaliers are landing Strus in a three-team sign-and-trade agreement that'll send Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs and a Cleveland second-round pick to the Miami Heat."

The Cavs were rumored to have interest in Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. earlier this year, but with this move for Strus, we have to believe that interest has faded. Given the addition of Seth Curry on Friday night, though, it still seems like a real possibility that Hardaway gets moved at some point.

JUNE 30 BIG, BIG CONTRACT EXTENSIONS – According to multiple reports, the Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton and Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane both struck gold with their new contract extensions on Friday night. Haliburton signed a five-year max contract that could be worth up to $260 million. Bane's extension was also a max contract, but it was for five years and $207 million.

Now look, Haliburton and Bane are exceptional players, and we realize the higher salary numbers for certain players are due to salary-cap increases year after year, but it's just crazy to think that Desmond Bane makes the same amount of money as Dallas Mavericks' four-time All-NBA First Team star Luka Doncic. When Doncic signed his max extension a few summers ago, it was already viewed as a bargain, and now it might be viewed as a steal.

JUNE 30 DUKE TO DALLAS – After all the bluffing quickly faded, reality struck for Kyrie Irving as the Mavs agreed with him on a three-year contract worth $126 million. The deal for Kyrie, 31, has a player option for the third season.

And then, in a Duke stroke - as that's Kyrie's old school, and Seth Curry's, too - Dallas signed old friend Curry for another go-around with the Mavs.

Curry, 32, averaged 9.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 61 games this season. He played the previous two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, including 40 of his performances alongside Irving. 

JUNE 30 MAVS STRIKEOUT; BRUCE BROWN SIGNS WITH PACERS — First reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews, free agent wing Bruce Brown has agreed to a two-year, $45 million deal with the Indiana Pacers. 

Brown, who was reported to be Dallas' top target and was scheduled to meet with the Mavericks on Friday, got a deal from Indiana that surpassed the $12.4 million dollar Mid-Level Exception that the Mavs could offer. 

Dallas must now pivot to Plan B to utilize their MLE to provide a starting-level defensive minded player such as Grant Williams or Donte DiVencenzo to put alongside Luka Doncic. 

JUNE 30 MAVS SHOWING ‘RESTRAINT’ WITH KYRIE NEGOTIATIONS? — According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Kyrie Irving is attempting to create a free agency market for himself ahead of the official opening, but the Dallas Mavericks are going to "show some restraint" and "discipline" when making an offer to him.

Although it makes sense for the Mavs to avoid bidding against themselves, they must also be careful not to offend Irving with a lowball offer that will make him want to go elsewhere. Dallas trades Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie and an unprotected 2029 first-round pick for Irving, so it would probably be in the team’s best interest to keep him around longer than just 20 games at the end of the 2022-23 season.

JUNE 29 SIXERS TRADING HARDEN; MAVS FIT? — Will the news on James Harden's offseason plan to exit the Philadelphia 76ers create a domino effect that might lead to the Dallas Mavs losing Kyrie Irving?

We know about Harden picking up his $35.6 million player option with the Philadelphia, with the two sides already mapping out a trade. (The Clippers and New York Knicks are getting mentioned as likely suitors.) We also know that Irving is a free agent who the Mavs have full intent of retaining ... even as there are some wonky rumors about him making visits. (Example: It seems the Kyrie-to-Suns thing is bogus.)

The idea of Harden finding his way to Dallas seems unrealistic, given his preferences, but the idea of Irving making his way to another Eastern Conference contender with the reigning MVP Joel Embiid? That could make some sense, and the Mavs could benefit from some three or four-team trade scenarios if Irving decides that he likes Philly.

JUNE 29 MAVS A TOP SUITOR FOR BRUCE BROWN? — When free agency opens on Friday evening, the Dallas Mavericks are one of the first teams that will meet with Denver Nuggets ‘glue guy’ Bruce Brown.

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Brown intends to meet with several teams in free agency after free agency opens on June 30, with the Mavs being among the teams that will meet with him.

"Bruce Brown intends to meet with the Mavs soon after the opening of free agency," MacMahon wrote. "Brown is expected to have several suitors and has not ruled out a return to Denver despite the financial constraints. His market is $12.4M midlevel but Nuggets are limited to $7.8M."

Given that the Mavs lost their own glue guy in Dorian Finney-Smith during the Kyrie Irving trade, adding Brown into the mix could make a big difference next season as they attempt to get back to the playoffs.

Follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter. SUBSCRIBE to Mavs Step Back on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Mavericks? Click Here. Follow DallasBasketball.com on Twitter and Facebook.

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Dalton Trigg
DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Editor-In-Chief for Dallas Basketball, as well as the Executive Editor overseeing Inside The Rockets, Inside The Spurs, All Knicks, and The Magic Insider. He is the founder and host for the Mavs Step Back Podcast, which is a proud part of the Blue Wire podcast network. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. After spending a few years with multiple Dallas Mavericks-related blogs, including SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, Trigg joined DallasBasketball.com as a staff writer in 2018 and never looked back. At the start of 2022, he was promoted to the EIC title he holds now. Through the years, Trigg has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Mavs GM Nico Harrison, now-retired legend Dirk Nowitzki and many other current/former players and team staffers. Many of those interviews and other articles by Trigg have been aggregated by other well-known sports media websites, such as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and others. You can find Trigg on all major social media channels, but his most prevalent platform is on Twitter. Whether it’s posting links to his DBcom work, live-tweeting Mavs games or merely giving his opinions on things going on with Dallas and the rest of the NBA, the daily content never stops rolling. For any inquiries, please email Dalton@MavsStepBack.com.

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