Mavericks waive guard Nate Hinton

The Dallas Mavericks have waived guard Nate Hinton.

Hinton (6-5, 210) went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft after two seasons at the University of Houston and signed with Dallas as a two-way player on Dec. 1, 2020. He played in 21 games for the Mavericks last season.

Most recently, Hinton played for the Mavericks at the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas where he averaged 7.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals in five games (all starts).

Mavericks sign Feron Hunt, Carlik Jones and EJ Onu

The Dallas Mavericks have signed rookie free agents Feron Hunt, Carlik Jones and EJ Onu.

The contracts are likely all non-guaranteed deals that merely bring the players to Mavs training camp.

Hunt (F, 6-8, 195) spent four seasons at SMU. In 78 games (41 starts), Hunt averaged 9.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.86 blocks and 26.3 minutes while shooting 55.7% (300-539 FG) from the field. Among SMU leaders, he finished his career ranked fourth in field goal percentage, 32nd in rebounds (533) and T-17th in blocks (67).

Hunt attended DeSoto High School in suburban DFW and averaged 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds as a senior.

Jones (G, 6-1, 185) finished his collegiate career at Louisville, where he was an All-ACC First Team selection and the 2020-21 AP ACC Rookie of the Year. Jones became the first person in Louisville history to reach double figures in his first 17 games as a Cardinal.

Prior to joining Louisville, the Cincinnati native played three seasons at Radford and was named the 2019-20 Big South Player of the Year after being the only NCAA Division I player to average at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists that year.

Onu (C, 6-11, 240) played 125 career games (64 starts) over four years at Shawnee State in Portsmouth, Ohio. Onu averaged 12.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.2 blocks last season en route to helping Shawnee State to the NAIA championship.

The Richmond Heights, Ohio, native finished his 2020-21 campaign as a First Team NAIA All-American, the Mid-South Conference Player of the Year and a First Team All-Mid-South Conference selection. He also garnered his third consecutive Mid-South Conference Defensive Player of the Year award. Onu finished his career as Shawnee State’s all-time leader in blocks (529).

The Mavericks training camp roster stands at 20 players.

Mavericks sign rookie forward Eugene Omoruyi to two-way contract

The Dallas Mavericks have signed rookie free agent forward Eugene Omoruyi to a two-way contract.

Omoruyi (6-6, 235) signs with Dallas after going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft. He finished his collegiate career at Oregon, where he earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors, after playing three seasons at Rutgers. In his four-year collegiate career, Omoruyi averaged 9.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 22.8 minutes in 121 games (72 starts).

As a senior, Omoruyi averaged a team-high 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 30.6 minutes while shooting 47.3% (174-368 FG) from the field, 37.6% (41-109 3FG) from behind-the-arc and 76.5% (91-119 FT) from the foul line. He was the only Duck to start all 28 games and helped lead Oregon to the Sweet 16.

Born in Benin City, Nigeria, Omoruyi and his family moved to Canada when he was a toddler. He attended Orangeville Prep in Orangeville, Ontario, where he played high school basketball with future NBA lottery picks Jamal Murray and Thon Maker.

Omoruyi (oh-moh-ROO-yee) will wear No. 2 for the Mavericks.

The Mavericks roster now stands at 17 players.

Mavericks sign Sterling Brown

The Dallas Mavericks announced yesterday that they have signed free agent guard Sterling Brown.

Brown (6-5, 219) was selected by Philadelphia with the 46th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. His draft rights were traded to Milwaukee, where he spent the first three seasons of his career.

Brown spent last season with the Houston Rockets, where he averaged career highs in points (8.2), rebounds (4.4) and assists (1.4) in 51 games (14 starts). Over four NBA seasons, Brown has averaged 5.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 215 appearances (26 starts).

A native of Maywood, Illinois, Brown played four seasons at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he averaged 8.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He finished his collegiate career in 2017 as the school’s all-time leader in wins (109).

Brown will wear #0.

Dallas Mavericks sign Reggie Bullock

The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard/forward Reggie Bullock.

Bullock (6-6, 206) holds career averages of 7.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 21.5 minutes in 366 games (202 starts) with the L.A. Clippers, Phoenix, Detroit, the L.A. Lakers and New York. The eight-season veteran shoots 43.3% (1,014-2,342 FG) from the field, 39.2% (560-1,428 3FG) from 3-point range and 84.4% (211-250 FT) from the line.

Bullock most recently spent two years as a member of the New York Knicks. Last season, he averaged 10.9 points, a career-high 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 30.0 minutes in 65 games (64 starts). The Knicks returned to the NBA playoffs in 2021 following a seven-season layoff. Bullock averaged playoff career highs of 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 32.4 minutes in five first round starts against the Atlanta Hawks.

Early in his career, Bullock had two brief stints in the NBA G League, averaging 24.8 points in five games with Bakersfield (four games in 2014-15) and Grand Rapids (one game in 2015-16).

Bullock, who hails from Kinston, North Carolina, played three years for the University of North Carolina before becoming an early-entry candidate for the 2013 NBA Draft when he was drafted 25th overall by the Clippers.

In three years with UNC, Bullock averaged 9.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 24.6 minutes in 100 games (53 starts). He finished his collegiate career ranked eighth in school history with 188 3-pointers made.

Following his junior season, Bullock was named All-ACC Second Team, averaging collegiate career highs of 13.9 points (third on team), 6.5 rebounds (second) and 2.9 assists in 35 games (all starts). He also earned First Team ACC All-Tournament honors, helping the Tar Heels to the championship game, where they fell to Miami.

Bullock will wear #25.

Mavericks exercise contract option on Willie Cauley-Stein

The Dallas Mavericks have picked up the second-season contract option for center Willie Cauley-Stein that is reportedly worth $4.1 million.

Per the Dallas Morning News, “Cauley-Stein seemingly became more expendable Saturday when Dallas acquired promising 21-year-old center Moses Brown from Boston to complete the trade of Josh Richardson from the Mavericks to the Celtics. A Mavericks source, however, said on Saturday the team planned to keep Cauley-Stein “unless something crazy falls in our lap.”

Cauley-Stein (7-0, 240) holds career averages of 9.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 22.6 minutes in 402 career games (253 starts) with Sacramento, Golden State and Dallas. Last season, he averaged 5.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 17.1 minutes in 53 games (16 starts). The career 54.5% shooter has shot at least 50% from the floor in each of his seven NBA seasons, including a career-high 63.2% (115-182 FG) last year.

The Spearville, Kansas, native was acquired by Dallas from Golden State on Jan. 25, 2020, in exchange for a 2020 second round pick.

Cauley-Stein was the sixth overall pick by Sacramento in the 2015 NBA Draft after a three-year career at University of Kentucky. He earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors following his rookie campaign in 2015-16.

As a junior at Kentucky (2014-15), Cauley-Stein was named First Team All-SEC, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus First Team All-American. Cauley-Stein was also a two-time All-SEC Defensive Team selection (2013-14, 2014-15) and garnered SEC All-Freshman Team honors for the Wildcats in 2012-13.

Mavericks trade Josh Richardson to Celtics for Moses Brown

The Boston Celtics have acquired guard Josh Richardson from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for center Moses Brown.

A six-year NBA veteran, Richardson, 27, has posted career averages of 12.3 points (42.7% FG, 35.8% 3-PT, 83.2% FT), 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocked shots, and 30.6 minutes in 373 career games (299 starts) with Miami, Philadelphia, and Dallas. He has averaged at least 10.0 points in each of his last five seasons from 2015-16 to 2020-21, including a career-high 16.6 points per game with Miami in 2018-19.

Richardson produced 12.1 points (42.7% FG, 33.0% 3-PT, 91.7% FT), 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 30.3 minutes in 59 games (56 starts) with the Mavericks last season, marking the fourth time over the last five seasons he has recorded at least 10.0 points and 1.0 steals. The Oklahoma native was one of four NBA players to average 10.0 points and 1.0 steals while shooting at least 91.0% from the free throw line in 2020-21 (Paul/Curry/Irving).

Brown (7-2, 245) holds career averages of 7.3 points (.540 FG%), 7.6 rebounds, 0.9 blocks and 18.3 minutes in 52 games (32 starts) with Portland and Oklahoma City.

The 21-year-old averaged 8.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 1.1 blocks and 21.4 minutes in 43 games (32 starts) with the Thunder last season. He recorded 21 points (8-10 FG) and a career-high 23 rebounds, including 17 points and 19 boards in the first half alone, against Boston on March 27. Brown became the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 1998 to produce 17 points and 19 boards in a single half. His 19 first-half boards also set a Thunder franchise record for most in a half and were the most by any NBA player in a half in 2020-21.

After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft, Brown spent the 2019 preseason with Portland and signed a two-way contract with the club on Oct. 17, 2019. He appeared in nine games for the Trail Blazers as a rookie while also seeing action in 30 G League games for the Mavericks’ affiliate, the Texas Legends, that year.

Brown signed a two-way deal with the Thunder on Dec. 8, 2020, and went on to earn All-NBA G League First Team and NBA G League All-Defensive Team honors for the Oklahoma City Blue in the bubble. After his 21-point, 23-rebound effort against the Celtics on March 27, he signed a multi-year deal with the Thunder the following day.

On June 18, Brown was traded along with Al Horford to Boston in the deal that sent Kemba Walker to Oklahoma City.

A native of New York City, Brown played one collegiate season at UCLA and earned Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors for the Bruins in 2018-19.

Dallas Mavericks name Nico Harrison new general manager

The Dallas Mavericks have named Nico Harrison as the team’s general manager.

“We are very excited to bring Nico Harrison to Dallas and have him join our organization,” said Mark Cuban. “Nico brings a wealth of basketball knowledge along with both executive and leadership skills. He has proven to have a unique eye for talent on and off the court. I’m looking forward to watching Nico lead the Mavs to new heights.”

Harrison joins the Mavericks after spending the last 19 years at Nike, where he most recently held the title of vice president of North America basketball operations. In his role, Harrison supervised Nike’s basketball brand managers and worked closely with many of the brand’s star players, including Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

“It’s a true honor to be the general manager of the Mavericks; an iconic franchise with a rich history not only within the NBA, but across sports,” said Harrison. “I’m grateful for this rare opportunity and want to thank Mark and the rest of the organization for putting their trust in me to move the team to the next level.”

Prior to joining Nike in 2002, Harrison played professional basketball in Belgium for over seven years.

Harrison spent his final three college seasons at Montana State University after transferring from Army West Point. He was a three-time, first team All-Big Sky selection and eclipsed 1,000 points in his three years at MSU. As a senior in 1995-96, Harrison led the Bobcats to a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

The Spokane, Washington, native was also named an Academic All-American and a two-time winner of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar-Athlete Award during his career at MSU. He was inducted into the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.

Dallas Mavericks name Jason Kidd new head coach

The Dallas Mavericks have named Jason Kidd the franchise’s 10th head coach.

Kidd, who was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, begins his third stint in Dallas after spending eight of his 19 seasons as a player with the team and helping the Mavericks to the 2011 NBA title.

Kidd joins the Mavericks after most recently serving two seasons as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was part of the franchise’s 2020 NBA championship season.

“We are excited to welcome J-Kidd and his family back to Dallas,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said. “He possesses a winning mentality that carried him through a Hall of Fame career as a player and has helped him successfully transition to the NBA’s coaching ranks. We are eager for him to get to work and lead our franchise and talented young players into the future.”

Kidd’s coaching career began in 2013 when he helmed the Brooklyn Nets for one season. He is the third person since the NBA-ABA merger (1976) to become a head coach in the season after he retired as a player. As a rookie head coach, Kidd earned a pair of Eastern Conference Coach of the Month awards (January and March), leading the Nets to 44-38 record and an appearance in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

On July 1, 2014, Kidd became the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks in a transaction that sent two second round draft picks to Brooklyn (2015, 2019). He became the first coach in NBA history to lead two teams to the postseason in his first two seasons after helping the Bucks to a 41-41 record and improving on their 15-win season from a year earlier. Kidd finished third in NBA Coach of the Year voting following the 2014-15 season.

In three-plus seasons with Milwaukee, Kidd amassed a 139-152 record and appeared in the playoffs twice before parting ways with the franchise midway through the 2017-18 season.

“Dallas has meant so much to me as a player and I want to thank Mark Cuban for the opportunity to return as a head coach,” Kidd said. “I am excited to get to work with this young, hungry and incredibly talented team and to continue to build a winning legacy for the Mavericks organization.”

Kidd was drafted second overall by the Mavericks in 1994 NBA Draft and spent two-and-a-half seasons in Dallas before being traded to Phoenix during the 1996-97 campaign. He shared Rookie of the Year honors with Grant Hill after averaging 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists in his first season.

Kidd returned to Dallas from New Jersey in an eight-player trade in February 2008. Following the trade, Kidd teamed up with former Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki and together they led the Mavericks to the 2011 NBA title, defeating Miami 4-2 to bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to DFW.

The 10-time NBA All-Star averaged 12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.9 steals in 1,391 games (1,350 starts) with Dallas, Phoenix, New Jersey and New York. In 500 games with Dallas (all starts), he averaged 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.4 assists 1.9 steals and 34.6 minutes. Kidd’s 12,091 career assists and 2,684 career steals are the second-most in NBA history behind John Stockton. His 107 career triple-doubles represent the fourth-most in NBA history.

Kidd played two seasons at the University of California. The Oakland, California, native led the Golden Bears to consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament and, as a sophomore, was an All-American and the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He also won two Olympic gold medals as a member of Team USA (2000, 2008).

Dallas Mavericks hire Dirk Nowitzki as an advisor

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that Dirk Nowitzki will serve as a special advisor to the franchise. Nowitzki will assist with the hiring of both a general manager and head coach as well as consult on other front office decisions.

“Mark Cuban approached me about a role as special advisor and I am happy to support my Mavs,” said Nowitzki. “Donnie Nelson and Rick Carlisle were both mentors and played huge roles in my career and the success of this franchise, and I am going to miss them. It is important for me now to join Mark and contribute as much as I can as we move forward.”

Nowitzki is the sole player in league history to play 21 seasons with the same franchise. He led the Mavericks to their only NBA championship in 2011 en route to being named Finals MVP.

The 14-time All-Star is the Mavericks’ all-time leader in points (31,560), rebounds (11,489), defensive rebounds (10,021), field goals made (11,169), 3-pointers made (1,982), free throws made (7,240), blocks (1,281), games (1,522), starts (1,460) and minutes (51,368). He finished his career with averages of 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 33.8 minutes per game.