The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports: Dallas Mavericks veteran guard/forward Eddie Jones exercised his player option Tuesday morning and will return for a 15th NBA season and second with the Mavericks, a team official confirmed. Jones, 36, is due $2 million next season. Signed last season as a free agent to bolster the team’s 3-point shooting and defense at the shooting-guard spot, Jones struggled through injuries, most notably a bad knee and ankle. He played in just 47 games and averaged 3.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
Author: Inside Hoops
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Talking Rumors: Free agent talks begin
July 1: Free agent negotiations began today (Tuesday) and even more than usual, always assume that any good or great free agent is going to re-sign with their own team, because almost no one else has the money (under salary cap rules) to make it happen. So, Jose Calderon will go back to the Raptors, totally expected since the team is still going to trade T.J. Ford away for Jermaine O’Neal.
I think the Wizards are making a mistake giving Gilbert Arenas the max. He’s a terrific player, certainly a star, but I always felt a max contract should only go to players who instantly make a team with good role players a contender. Select top superstars deserve the max, and that’s it.
Baron Davis to the Clippers? That would be fun if it happens. I don’t know how good the combo of Baron Davis, Al Thornton, Elton Brand and Chris Kaman will be — this assuming that Corey Maggette is gone if Baron comes on board (a money thing). On paper it sounds good.
I predict the Celtics successfully wind up keeping James Posey.
If the Rockets can land Brent Barry, it’ll help a little if he’s healthy, but aside from some three-pointers and nifty passes in very limited minutes he won’t do too much. He’s 94 years old (in other words, double the age of Greg Oden).
P.J. Brown shouldn’t retire. He may, but he shouldn’t. He clearly helped the Celtics and can do it again.
Wow, Shaun Livingston and Sebastian Telfair are both now unrestricted free agents, and possibly now considering the world famous InsideHoops.com rec team as an option. Livingston showed more flashes of talent than Telfair did, but that awful injury to Livingston unfortunately changed all that. I won’t pretend to know how Livingston is playing right now, but I assume he has a long way to go in his road to recovery. And a few guys I talked to don’t think he’ll ever recover. Telfair will probably get signed by someone, but probably a short term deal for very low money.
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Dorell Wright ready to test market
The Palm Beach Post reports: Dorell
Wright said he has been in frequent contact with his new agent, Arn Tellem, and expects other teams to show interest. “I love Miami. I’ve already been in the system,” said Wright, a part-time starter the past two seasons. “But if I have a chance to go elsewhere, I understand it’s a business.” … The Heat likely will pursue a point guard aggressively for the second consecutive off-season.
Heat like short-term free agents
The Miami Herald reports: Pat Riley has a different plan this free agency period. He’s recruiting with a reluctance to offer anything more than a two-year contract as the Heat looks to save up for the sweepstakes of 2010, when D. Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire and LeBron James could be on the open market. Taking such a frugal approach into free agency could lead to another long summer as the Heat waits for the market to set itself and the trickle-down process to take affect. Would Chris Duhon be willing to take a two-year, $12 million deal from the Heat when New York or Phoenix might double that offer?
Raptors want to keep Jose Calderon
The Globe and Mail reports: Toronto Raptors president Bryan Colangelo was probably on the phone, too, but he only had one call to make above all others: to offer Raptors point guard Jose Calderon the best deal he can afford and hope it’s enough to convince the emerging Spanish star that his future is in Toronto.
Rockets want Brent Barry
The Houston Chronicle reports: The Rockets began free agent recruiting period with an 11 p.m. call to Spurs guard Brent Barry, but the team could have already hit a snag in its hopes to bring back forward Carl Landry. The Rockets called Barry as quickly as NBA rules allow in an effort to land the free agent that got away during the season when Barry was released by the Seattle SuperSonics but chose to return to the San Antonio Spurs.
InsideHoops.com says: Barry is 94 years old.
LeBron loves Brooklyn
New York Newsday (Ken Berger) reports: “My favorite cities are New York; Washington, D.C.; Dallas, Texas; Los Angeles, California, and Akron, Ohio,” LeBron James said, pausing only before offering his hometown of Akron, which was suggested by me. “What’s your favorite borough?” LBJ was asked. “My favorite borough?” he said, without a hint of hesitation. “Brooklyn.”
Baron Davis opts out
The Contra Costa Times reports: What promised to be a tumultuous offseason for the Warriors was kicked into overdrive Monday when point guard Baron Davis left $17.8 million on the table and opted out of the final year of his contract, becoming an unrestricted free agent and throwing Golden State’s immediate plans into confusion. Davis has maintained for months that he wants to remain a Warrior, and according to one team source was telling teammates last week that he would not opt out, but with mere hours to spare the man most responsible for breaking Golden State’s 12-season playoff drought reversed course dramatically.
Rockets pick up Steve Novak option
Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has picked up the option on the contract for forward Steve Novak. Per team policy, financial terms were not released.
InsideHoops.com says: Novak is likeable, very tall, and able to hit open outside jumpers. That’s about it.
Brand and Maggette both opt out
The Los Angeles Daily News reports: In a surprise move Monday afternoon, Clippers forward Elton Brand opted out of the final year of his four-year, $16.4-million contract. Brand announced his decision to the Daily News. Brand will be an unrestricted free agent as of 9 p.m. Monday night and will join teammate Corey Maggette, who also opted out of the final year of his contract Monday.