\nThis was the easiest transition Nike could’ve made given that Morant is already one of the most exciting young players to watch in the entire league. Even if Nike hadn’t cut ties with Irving, Morant would have still gotten his signature shoe, as Shams noted this deal has been in the works for several months now. But perhaps Irving’s departure will speed up the process.<\/p>\n\n\nDEC 4 MORE MAVS-KNICKS MASHUP?<\/strong><\/p>\nAt some point, you’d think the Dallas Mavericks’ connections with the New York Knicks would take a little break, but trade rumors only sleep when they’re dead.<\/p>\n\n\nAccording to Ric Bucher of Fox Sports, the Mavs are interested in Knicks point guard Derrick Rose, who we’ve pegged as being a potential third ball-handler fix for Dallas in recent weeks.<\/p>\n\n\u201cThe Mavericks, of course, lost [Jalen] Brunson to the [New York] Knicks last summer and are in desperate need of a second playmaker to relieve All-Star point forward Luka Don\u010di\u0107,\u201d writes Bucher \u201cThey\u2019ve brought on a former Knick, Kemba Walker, for a test run, but a league source said they also have interest in a current one, the aforementioned Rose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf the Mavs did want to trade for Rose, they’d have to salary-match the $14.5 million he’s making this season. Rose has a team option on his current contract for $15.5 million next season.<\/p>\n
DEC 3 MAVS-KNICKS MATINEE; LAKERS BACK?<\/strong><\/p>\nFor the first time since the Jalen Brunson free agency shenanigans, the Dallas Mavericks will take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden at 11:30 a.m. CT on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Brunson has put up impressive numbers for the Knicks, despite his team being two games under .500. The same can be said for Luka Doncic, who is playing at an MVP level despite the Mavs being just 10-11. Can Dallas get back on track after yet another embarrassing loss to the Detroit Pistons? Will Doncic or Brunson get the last laugh? We\u2019ll find out in a few hours.<\/p>\n\n\nMeanwhile, after being the joke of the league for the early part of this season, it appears that LeBron James\u2019 Los Angeles Lakers are starting to turn a corner. After defeating Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, the Lakers have now won seven of their last 10 games and trail the Mavs by just one game in the Western Conference standings.<\/p>\n
Looks like that Christmas Day matchup between the Mavs and Lakers at American Airlines Center might end up being a lot more competitive than we initially expected it to be.<\/p>\n\n\nDEC 1 KANYE, KIM AND CHRIS\u00a0<\/strong>Kanye West’s series of hateful and harmful public pronouncements are now entering the NBA world.<\/p>\nHe is now claiming that wife Kim Kardashian cheated on him … with Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul.<\/p>\n
The controversial musician took to his recently reinstated Twitter account to declare, “Let’s break one last window before we get outa here I caught this guy with Kim Good night.”\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\nAnd then he posted a photo of Paul.<\/p>\n
With a sincere mention of the damage that this sort of thing can have on a locker room, on relationships, on people … we now return you to your regularly scheduled basketball coverage.<\/p>\n\n\nNOV 26 JADEN HARDY KEEPS DOMINATING THE G LEAGUE<\/strong><\/p>\nHow many more putrid shooting performances must the Dallas Mavericks endure from Reggie Bullock Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr. before they decide to give 20-year-old rookie Jaden Hardy a chance at real NBA minutes?<\/p>\n
Through nine games with the Texas Legends, Hardy is leading the G League by averaging 29 points per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the field, 48.2 percent from deep (on 9.2 attempts per game) and 87.1 percent from the free-throw line. He’s also averaging 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists as well.<\/p>\n
Hardy would likely have his fair share of rookie mistakes if given some real run with the Mavs, but can anyone who has watched Dallas for the first 18 games of the regular season say that it could be any worse than what Bullock and Hardaway produce on most nights? We’re willing to find out, and we think the Mavs should be too, as they’re getting awfully close to “nothing to lose” territory \u2013 a place you never want to be when you have championship aspirations.<\/p>\n
Hardy continued his G League Dominance on Saturday night as he dropped a career-high 41 points on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He shot 13-24 from the field, including 6-11 from deep. He also had six rebounds, six assists and two steals in 37 minutes of action. For a young, energetic dude like Hardy to be shooting nearly 50 percent on 3s on more than nine attempts per game … the Mavs should’ve called him up yesterday if we’re being honest.<\/p>\n
It’s time to try something fresh and new.<\/p>\n
Check out Hardy’s recent 1-on-1 sit-down interview with DallasBaksetball.com here. Hardy talks about his relationships with Spencer Dinwiddie, Christian Wood and coach Jason Kidd, as well as what he’s learned from watching Luka Doncic up close so far and much more.<\/p>\n
NOV 22 NBA TRADE SCUTTLE<\/strong><\/p>\nAs the NBA\u2019s February trade deadline inches closer by the day, trade rumors and speculation start to heat up.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve written about the idea of the Dallas Mavericks taking a buy-low risk on Kyrie Irving, given the team\u2019s limited ability to add a secondary star player next to Luka Doncic. Although it doesn\u2019t seem likely that Dallas would take that risk, now would be the best time to do so given Irving\u2019s current value.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t sit here and lie to you and say there’s much value in trading for Kyrie,\u201d said Bleacher Report\u2019s Chris Haynes<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m on the phone with a lot of teams. His name is not really coming up, even for the Los Angeles Lakers who he was tied to for much of the offseason. That\u2019s just not something I\u2019m hearing right now.\u201d<\/p>\nMeanwhile, according to HoopsHype\u2019s Michael Scotto, the Atlanta Hawks could have a tough decision to make when it comes to John Collins, Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic.<\/p>\n
\u201dFollowing the four-year, $95 million extension with forward\u00a0Following the four-year, $95 million extension with forward De\u2019Andre Hunter, rival NBA executives believe Atlanta will likely have to part with either forward John Collins, swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, or center Clint Capela\u00a0to avoid looming luxury tax concerns next season.<\/p>\n
\u201dOf the three players listed, Bogdanovic is the most available, according to rival executives. Bogdanovic is owed $18 million this season and has an $18 million player option for the 2023-24 season.\u201d<\/p>\n
It has yet to be see how the Mavs fit into this season\u2019s trade market given their lack of draft assets and young players, but at the very least, they should be keeping tabs on all the players listed above.<\/p>\n
NOV 21 MAVS G LEAGUERS BALL OUT<\/strong><\/p>\nIf the Dallas Mavericks are desperate for some shooting for their upcoming three-game road trip, perhaps they should consider calling up two-way man Tyler Dorsey and rookie Jaden Hardy, who balled out for the Texas Legends on Monday night.<\/p>\n
In a 141-133 win over the Lakeland Magic, Dorsey scored a team-high 41 points on 11-18 shooting, including 8-13 from deep. Dorsey scored 30 of his 41 points in the first half alone.<\/p>\n
Hardy, who has been a top-5 scorer in the G League so far, finished with 25 points on 7-14 shooting, including 6-10 from 3-point range. The only blimp for Hardy\u2019s night was seven turnovers.<\/p>\n
Although it might not be realistic to expect the Mavs to throw Dorsey and Hardy into the fire so early in the season, if Dallas has more games like Sunday against the Denver Nuggets where three main players (Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock and Tim Hardaway Jr.) combine for 2-19 shooting in a loss \u2026 maybe it should become more realistic.<\/p>\n
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Mavericks? Click Here.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nFollow DallasBasketball.com on Twitter<\/a> and Facebook.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n