Category: Dallas Mavericks Blog

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Mavericks sign General Manager Nico Harrison to contract extension

The Dallas Mavericks have signed General Manager Nico Harrison to a multi-year contract extension.

“Nico Harrison has demonstrated his leadership and capabilities in the Dallas Mavericks organization,” stated Dallas Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont. “His vision, along with his efforts on behalf of our players and staff have propelled our team to two playoff appearances in three seasons and of course this year’s NBA Finals. We are proud to have him as part of our team for the long term, and we are excited to watch him continue to build on the foundation of success he has helped establish.”

“I am incredibly grateful to Patrick and the entire Dumont and Adelson family for their continued trust and confidence and to Mark for his willingness to hire an unconventional candidate,” stated Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison. “Patrick and his family have accepted me as their own from day one and I am honored to work alongside them, as well as Jason Kidd, as we continue to build a winning culture in Dallas.”

Nico Harrison was named general manager of the Dallas Mavericks on June 28, 2021. Harrison’s tenure, which saw the August 2021 signing of Luka Dončić to his record-setting rookie supermax extension deal and the 2023 NBA Draft selections of Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, also includes the recent 2023-24 trade deadline acquisitions of Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington Jr., which helped propel Dallas to its fifth division title in team history and third NBA Finals appearance in franchise history.

Harrison joined the Mavericks after spending 19 years at Nike, where he most recently held the title of Vice President of North America Sports Marketing. Prior to joining Nike in 2002, Harrison played professional basketball in Europe for over six years.

Thunder eliminated by Mavericks in second round of playoffs

Per the Oklahoman:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander buried his face in his jersey. Chet Holmgren clasped his hands on his head. Jalen Williams, after his desperation heave drifted wayward, bent over, hands on knees.

The game was epic, making the Thunder’s 117-116 defeat in Game 6 all the more agonizing.

Dallas advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Oklahoma City is headed home.

An electric fourth-quarter filled with spectacular shotmaking and would-be game-defining plays was decided by a whistle. A correct whistle, but a whistle nonetheless.

Gilgeous-Alexander, tremendous all night, fouled his old college buddy, P.J. Washington, on a 3-pointer with three seconds left.

Mayhem preceded the call.

FULL ARTICLE

Mavericks take 3-2 series lead on Thunder

Per the Dallas Morning News:

Sprained right knee. Sore left ankle and Achilles. Stiff back.

The accumulation of injuries clearly has taken a toll on Luka Doncic during this second-round series, but Wednesday night he conquered the pain, and Oklahoma City, by summoning Luka Magic in the Mavericks’ 104-92 Game 5 victory in Paycom Center.

“The old Luka, with a smile on my face,” as Doncic put it.

Was it vintage Playoff Luka? No, but he was plenty overpowering, with 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as Dallas took a 3-2 series lead over the No. 1 seed Thunder and moved within one victory of its second Western Conference finals berth in three seasons.

Not coincidentally, care to guess when and where and in what situation Doncic’s other dominant performance was since these injuries mounted? It was Game 5 of the first round, when he had 35 points and 10 assists in Los Angeles in a 30-point Dallas victory that broke a 2-2 series tie.

FULL ARTICLE

Mavericks sign guard AJ Lawson to multi-year contract

The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard AJ Lawson to a multi-year contract.

Lawson (6-6, 185) is in his second season with Dallas after he signed a Two-Way deal with the team on Dec. 26, 2022, after beginning the year on a Two-Way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 14 games for the Mavericks last year, he averaged 3.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game.

In 28 games for the Mavericks this season, he is averaging 3.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game. Lawson scored a career-high 17 points (7-10 FG, 3-4 3FG, 2-2 FT) to go along with a career-high seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in the team’s win against San Antonio on Dec. 23.

The Toronto, Ontario, native has averaged 20.7 points (.530 FG%), 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.6 steals with Dallas’s G-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, in seven games this season.

In 43 career games with Minnesota and Dallas, Lawson has averaged 3.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 7.9 minutes.

Mavericks trade Richaun Holmes to Wizards for Daniel Gafford

The Washington Wizards have acquired center Richaun Holmes and a 2024 first round pick in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks for center Daniel Gafford.

“We welcome Richaun to our organization and look forward to him adding depth and a veteran presence to our frontcourt,” said Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins. “We were also able to add a first round pick in the upcoming draft, which is in alignment with our strategy to continually increase our flexibility and move further toward our long-term goals.”

Holmes (6-10, 240) has appeared in 441 career games (163 starts) over eight-and-a-half seasons for Dallas, Sacramento, Phoenix, and Philadelphia, holding averages of 8.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks while shooting .605 from the field. He has averaged 3.4 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting .559 from the field in 23 games (two starts) for the Mavericks this season. The 30-year-old is one of five players in the NBA to have shot .550 or better from the field in every season since 2016-17.

Prior to being acquired by Dallas in a trade from Sacramento in July 2023, Holmes averaged 12.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting .646 from the field and .788 from the free throw line during his first three seasons with the Kings. That stretch included the 2020-21 season, where he posted career highs of 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.7 assists while starting all 61 games in which he played. Holmes was selected 37th overall by Philadelphia in the 2015 NBA Draft.

The Wizards originally acquired Gafford from Chicago as part of a three-team trade in March 2021. He played in 218 games (145 starts) in three-plus seasons with Washington, averaging 9.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting .704 from the field.

“We appreciate what Gaff brought to our organization and our community as a Wizard,” said Dawkins. “The development he made during his time here is a reflection of his work ethic and commitment, and we wish him the best as he takes the next steps in his career.”

Hornets trade P.J. Washington to Mavericks for Grant Williams, Seth Curry

The Dallas Mavericks have acquired forward P.J. Washington and two second-round picks in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets for forward Grant Williams, guard Seth Curry and a top-two protected 2027 first-round pick.

Washington (6-7, 230) has appeared in 44 games (17 starts) with the Hornets this season and is averaging 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. In his 17 starts, he averaged 14.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.

The 25-year-old Louisville, Kentucky native recorded 43 points off the bench against Utah on Jan. 27, the most points by a non-starter in a game in Hornets history and the most points by a player off the bench in the NBA this season. He is one of three players in Hornets history to record at least 43 points in a game multiple times (Glen Rice, Kemba Walker). In his debut game with the Hornets, the 6-7 forward set a franchise record for the most points scored in a debut (27) and a league record for most 3-pointers made in a debut in NBA history (7).

Through 304 career games (236 starts), Washington is averaging 13.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. During his time with the Hornets, Washington recorded the fifth-most 3-pointers made (536) and fifth-most blocks (295) in franchise history.

Washington was selected with 12th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets after playing two seasons at the University of Kentucky. During his collegiate career, he was a two-time SEC Player of the Week winner after averaging 15.2 points (.522 FG%, .423 3FG%, .663 FT%), 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.2 blocks and 29.3 minutes in 35 games (33 starts) his sophomore season.

Washington will wear No. 25 for the Mavericks.

Williams appeared in 47 games for the Mavericks this season (33 starts) and averaged 8.1 points and 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 26.4 minutes per game while shooting 37.6% from behind the arc. In his first 20 games with Dallas, Williams shot 42.5% from 3-point range and later set a career-high 27 points against Sacramento on Jan. 27. He was acquired by Dallas from Boston on July 12, 2023, in a three-team sign-and-trade. Prior to joining the Mavericks, Willams averaged 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists through 288 games (58 starts) over four seasons with Boston.

Seth Curry appeared in 36 games this season (3 starts), averaging 4.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per game while shooting 36.3% from three. Against the Wizard’s on Nov. 15, he recorded 15 points while shooting a 6-of-6, the first time in his career he has been perfect from the field (min. 5 FGA). Curry signed with Dallas on July 14, 2023, his third stint with the team.

Mavericks, Thunder trade the right to swap a draft pick

In a trade agreement today, the Dallas Mavericks have agreed to the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick with Oklahoma City’s own 2028 first-round pick in order to obtain a 2024 first-round pick from the Thunder.

Oklahoma City will trade the second-least favorable of the Houston Rockets 2024 draft pick (top-four protected), the Los Angeles Clippers 2024 draft pick, the Utah Jazz 2024 draft pick (top-10 protected) or Oklahoma City’s own 2024 draft pick.

Mavericks sign Brandon Williams to two-way contract, and waive Dexter Dennis

The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard Brandon Williams to a Two-Way contract.

And in a related move, Dallas has requested waivers on Two-Way guard Dexter Dennis.

Williams (6-1, 190) appeared in 14 games (13 starts) for the G League’s Osceola Magic at the 2023 Showcase Cup and averaged 22.4 points (.479 FG%, .376 3FG%, .833 FT%), 4.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.9 minutes per game.

After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, Williams began his rookie season with the G League’s Westchester Knicks, before signing a 10-day contract and a later a Two-Way deal with Portland. In 24 NBA games (16 starts) for the Trail Blazers in 2021-22, he averaged 12.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals in 26.7 minutes.

Williams spent the 2022-23 campaign with the G League’s College Park Skyhawks, where he teamed with fellow Mavericks Two-Way guard AJ Lawson. In 40 career regular-season G League games (36 starts) with Westchester and College Park, he has averaged 20.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.1 minutes.

The Los Angeles native played one collegiate season at Arizona in 2018-19, where he averaged 11.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists en route to being named Pac-12 All-Freshman Team Honorable Mention. Williams missed the entire 2019-20 campaign recovering from offseason knee surgery.

Williams will wear No. 00 for the Mavericks.

Dennis (6-5, 210) saw action in four games for the Mavericks as a rookie in 2023-24, averaging 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 7.5 minutes. The former Texas A&M Aggie also appeared in 13 games (all starts) for the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, averaging 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 35.8 minutes.

Mavericks sign Josh Green to contract extension

The Dallas Mavericks have agreed to a multi-year contract extension with guard Josh Green.

Green’s deal is reportedly a three-year, $41 million extension.

Green (6-6, 210) enters his fourth season having increased his averages in each one prior. In 2022-23, he posted career-high averages of 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 25.7 minutes. Green also shot 53.7% from the field (205-382 FG), 40.2% from three (68-169 3FG) and 72.3% (68-94 FT) from the free throw line. When called upon to be a starter last season, he averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 31.3 minutes in 21 games.

“We have seen Josh work extremely hard over his time with the Mavs to become an impactful player on both ends of the floor,” said Mavericks GM and VP of Basketball Operations Nico Harrison. “His energy is contagious for our group, and when he’s in the game he pushes his teammates to play at a different speed. Josh is a high-level person and teammate, and we are happy to have him with our program for the long term.”

The Australian native played one year of college basketball at Arizona before being selected 18th overall by Dallas in the 2020 NBA Draft. Green owns career averages of 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 18.2 minutes over 166 games (29 starts) in his three seasons, and he has 17 games of playoff experience.

Green produced six games with at least 20 points in 2022-23 after not scoring 20 or more points in any game his first two seasons. He tallied a career-high 29 points, including 12 in the third quarter, in 37 minutes at Utah on Feb. 6, and was a +39 on the night. During the month of February, he scored in double figures in a career-best six consecutive games. In March, Green posted three consecutive games with 20-or-more points.

Representing his national team, Green has played for Australia in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he won a bronze medal – the country’s first-ever Olympic medal in men’s basketball.

Mavericks convert Dexter Dennis and Greg Brown III deals to two-way contracts

The Dallas Mavericks have converted guard Dexter Dennis and forward Greg Brown III to Two-Way contracts.

Dennis (6-5, 210) appeared in all four of Dallas’ preseason games and averaged 3.5 points and 1.0 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per game.

Dennis went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft after finishing his college career as a graduate transfer at Texas A&M. In 34 games (all starts) for the Aggies last season, he averaged 9.5 points, a team-high 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 28.7 minutes per game.

Dennis will wear No. 17 for the Mavericks.

Brown (6-8, 217) saw action in two of the Mavericks’ four exhibition games and averaged 2.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 9.8 minutes per contest.

The former Texas Gatorade Player of the Year and Texas Mr. Basketball honoree played one season at the University of Texas, where he was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team for the Longhorns in 2021. Brown was drafted in the second round (43rd overall pick) of the 2021 NBA Draft, spending two seasons with Portland and averaging 4.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 11.5 minutes in 64 games (6 starts).

Brown will wear No. 13 for Dallas.

The Mavericks’ roster stands at 18 players, including three Two-Way players (AJ Lawson, Dennis and Brown).