Dallas Mavericks Blog – Page 8 – NBA Blog

Mavericks sign rookie Jaden Hardy

The Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, July 7 signed second-round pick Jaden Hardy.

Dallas acquired the draft rights to Hardy, the 37th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, from Sacramento in exchange for 2024 and 2028 second-round picks.

Hardy (6-4, 198), who turned 20 years old on July 5, spent the 2021-22 season with the NBA G League Ignite and averaged a team-high 19.8 points to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in 24 games.

The former Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year and Las Vegas Review-Journal Boys Athlete of the Year will compete for the Mavericks’ Las Vegas summer league team that tips off against the Chicago Bulls on Friday, July 8 at 3 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

Hardy will wear No. 3 for the Mavericks.

Mavericks sign Theo Pinson

The Dallas Mavericks yesterday signed guard/forward Theo Pinson.

Pinson (6-5, 212) returns for his second season with Dallas after he joined the club midway through the 2021-22 campaign. In 19 games for the Mavericks last year, he averaged 2.5 points and 1.1 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game. Pinson scored a season-high 16 points (5-5 FG, 4-4 3FG, 2-2 FT) in the team’s regular-season finale against San Antonio on April 10.

The Greensboro, North Carolina, native originally signed a pair of 10-day contracts with Dallas under the COVID-related hardship allowance (12/20/21 and 12/31/21), before signing a two-way contract with the club (1/10/22).

In 87 career games with Brooklyn, New York and Dallas, Pinson has averaged 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 8.7 minutes.

Longtime Dallas Mavericks executive Keith Grant announces retirement

Longtime Dallas Mavericks executive Keith Grant announced his retirement today after 42 seasons. The Mavericks assistant general manager confirmed that the 2022 NBA Draft was his last duty as a full-time member of the Dallas front office.

“Keith Grant is an NBA legend with a heart of gold,” Mavericks Governor Mark Cuban said. “He did so much for the Mavs, and he made our organization and our community better. I can’t express enough appreciation for everything that KG has done for this franchise.”

The Oklahoma City native began his tenure with the Mavericks in the fall of 1980 prior to the start of the team’s inaugural season. In 1984, he moved to the scouting department and prior to the 1986-87 season was promoted to advance pro scout where he was integral to the Mavericks 55-27 record and the team’s first-ever Midwest Division title.

From 1990 to 1994, Grant served as the club’s director of scouting before being elevated to the position of director of player personnel in 1994 and eventually becoming vice president of basketball operations in July of 1996.

Grant was promoted to his current title of assistant general manager in 1998 and held the title through four Western Conference Finals appearances (2003, 2006, 2011, 2022), two NBA Finals runs (2006, 2011) and the Mavericks’ first-ever World Championship in 2011.

“When I reported to work in September of 1980, I could have never imagined the 42-year ride that awaited me,” Grant said. “I have so many people to thank for this incredible journey. Thank you to the various ownership groups, the coaches, the players, the NBA and all the individuals who worked alongside me behind the scenes. There are too many people to name, but they all played a role in the success of the Dallas Mavericks. Lastly, I would also like to especially thank my family for putting up with my job, the hours and the inconveniences, yet never complained and always supported me.

“There are no words to express all this organization has meant to me and my family. I have unbelievable memories that can never be taken away.”

Grant will remain as a consultant to the Mavericks and General Manager Nico Harrison.

“Keith is not only instrumental to the success of the organization, but he has also meant a lot to me in my first year with the Mavs,” Harrison said. “He has provided me with amazing support and guidance since day one. KG is an incredibly selfless person who always put the success of the Mavericks first.”

Rockets trade Christian Wood to Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks have acquired forward/center Christian Wood in a trade with the Houston Rockets, who receive the draft rights to the 26th overall selection Wendell Moore, guard Sterling Brown, guard Trey Burke, forward Marquese Chriss and center Boban Marjanović.

The Rockets then traded Moore’s rights to Minnesota in exchange for the rights to guard TyTy Washington Jr., who was selected 29th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, and two future second round picks. Washington was originally drafted by Memphis before his rights were acquired by the Timberwolves.

Wood (6-10, 223) holds career averages of 14.2 points (.519 FG, .380 3FG), 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 23.6 minutes in 222 games (122 starts) with Philadelphia, Charlotte, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Detroit and Houston. He appeared in 68 games (67 starts) for the Rockets last season and averaged 17.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks in 30.8 minutes.

Last season, Wood became the only second player to have posted his totals of points (1,218), rebounds (686), assists (155), blocks (65) and 3-point field goals made (131) through the first 68 games played of a season, joining Karl-Anthony Towns in 2018-19. He also became the fifth different player to have averaged at least 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while shooting 50.0% or better from the floor and to have hit at least 50 3-pointers while shooting 39.0% or better from deep in a single season, joining Larry Bird, John Collins, Karl-Anthony Towns (3 times), and Chris Webber.

The Long Beach, California, native went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at UNLV. Wood earned first team All-Mountain West honors in his sophomore season after averaging 15.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in 33 games. Prior to his tenure with the Runnin’ Rebels, Wood won 54 consecutive games while playing for Findlay College Prep and won the ESPN National High School Invitational championship in 2012.

Wood will wear No. 35 for the Mavericks.

Burke (6-0, 185) was in the midst of his second stint with Dallas after being signed to the roster in July 2020, just before the start of the NBA Bubble. Burke averaged 6.4 points (.415 FG, .890 FT), 1.5 assists and 13.7 minutes in 112 games (two starts) since re-joining the organization.

Marjanović (7-4, 290) was originally signed by Dallas in July 2019 and, in three seasons with the Mavericks, averaged 5.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 8.5 minutes in 97 games (eight starts). Last season, he contributed 4.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in 5.8 minutes over 22 games.

Brown (6-5, 219) signed with the Mavericks in August 2021 and averaged 3.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 12.8 minutes in 49 appearances (three starts).

Chriss (6-9, 240) signed a contract with the Mavericks in January 2022 after his third 10-day contract under the COVID-related hardship allowance expired. In 34 appearances with Dallas, Chriss averaged 4.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 10.1 minutes.

Warriors eliminate Mavericks in five games to reach 2022 NBA Finals

ESPN.com: The Golden State Warriors are heading back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2019 and for the sixth time in the last eight years. The Warriors punched their ticket with their 120-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 on the Western Conference Semifinals on Thursday night. Klay Thompson played his best game of the series, finishing with a game-high 32 points on 12-of-25 shooting, including eight 3-pointers.

ESPN.com: Stephen Curry celebrated the Golden State Warriors’ return to the NBA Finals by adding a new trophy to his collection as he was named the first Western Conference finals Most Valuable Player on Thursday. After the Warriors eliminated the Dallas Mavericks with their 120-110 win in Game 5, Curry was handed the brand-new Magic Johnson Western Conference finals MVP trophy and was immediately hugged and lifted in the air by his teammates. Nine members of the media voted on the series MVP at the end of the game.

San Jose Mercury News: “Steph Curry added to a dusty trophy case Thursday night as the Western Conference Finals’ MVP. What comes with that is the NBA’s inaugural Magic Johnson Trophy, named after the Los Angeles Lakers’ legend. “The new trophy is pretty cool,” Curry said, “especially with who it’s named after and the standard that Magic set in terms of being a champion and playing the point guard position — and other positions — and the excellence he had through his career.” What may be surprising is that Curry’s trophy case is not as filled as you might suspect for a Warriors legend who’s closing in on his fourth NBA championship. In his three NBA Finals triumphs, MVP honors did not go to Curry, but rather Andre Iguodala in 2015 and Kevin Durant in 2017 and ’18. Of course, that Larry O’Brien Trophy is Curry and the Warriors’ ultimate goal once the NBA Finals get underway for the first time in San Francisco, at the Chase Center next Thursday night.”

Reggie Bullock wins 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award

The NBA today announced that Dallas Mavericks guard-forward Reggie Bullock has been named the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion. Bullock was selected from a group of five finalists for his dedication to pursuing social justice and advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically marginalized or systemically disadvantaged, specifically within the LGBTQ+ community.

After his sister, Mia Henderson – a transgender woman – was murdered in 2014, Bullock dedicated his life to honoring her legacy and fighting for increased visibility and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community Upon joining the Mavericks ahead of the 2021-22 season, Bullock immediately connected with organizations in the Dallas area, including Abounding Prosperity, Dallas Southern Pride, House of Rebirth, The Black-Tie Dinner, the Resource Center and the Muhlashia Booker Foundation, to take action in support of their work.

“We are all one, and I believe love lies in everybody’s heart,” said Bullock. “It’s incredibly important to me as a cisgender athlete to stand in support of the trans and LGBTQ+ community.”

Dallas Mavericks fined for bench decorum reasons, again

The Dallas Mavericks organization has been fined $50,000 for violating league rules regarding team bench decorum, it was announced today by NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell.

Per the league:

The amount of Dallas’ fine also reflects prior infractions of team bench decorum rules in the 2022 NBA playoffs.

On multiple occasions, several players and a member of the coaching staff stood for an extended period in the Mavericks’ team bench area, stood away from the team bench, and were on or encroaching upon the playing court during game action in the Mavericks’ 123-90 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 7 of their conference semifinal playoff series May 15 at Footprint Center.

Per ESPN.com, “The Mavs were also fined $25,000 on May 6 for similar violations that occurred during their Game 2 loss to the Suns. Dallas considers team chemistry an essential ingredient of their success, and the Mavs made it clear at the time that they had no intention of toning down the enthusiasm from two-way player Theo Pinson, injured guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and the rest of the bench.”

On the Warriors and Mavericks Western Conference Finals matchup

The 2022 Western Conference Finals, featuring the Golden State Warriors against the Dallas Mavericks, begin tonight. Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle on the Mavs:

Luka Doncic, the sort of generational talent who can drag mediocre teams to first-round exits through sheer excellence, is now balling lock-step with his supporting cast, most of whom are stepping up at critical moments. The first round was a Jalen Brunson coming out party. Dorian Finney-Smith, who has spent years percolating in the organization, is a rangy wing with great defensive chops who is shooting the 3 at just under a 40% clip. Reggie Bullock is a more than serviceable professional basketball player with cool hair (he’s shooting it pretty well too). And then there’s Maxi Kleber, the pesky floor-stretching German big who can and probably will punish this often disengaged Warriors team.

The Mavericks in general are built to punish the disengaged, to chase down the weak links again and again, as they showed so memorably against Chris Paul, going at him disrespectfully hard, eventually grinding him to future Hall of Fame dust. They will score off of sloppy turnovers. They have, and will again, put Steph Curry in a half-court dungeon. The Warriors will need to be crafty, perhaps even mean-spirited with their adjustments. Jason Kidd, who will be barking on the sideline like some mix of a Sea Lion and the singer of Sleaford Mods, will make sure his guys know exactly who to exploit, when to trap, how they’ll ram the ball down Golden State’s gullet, and all the best places in Oakland to get a steak. He’s a great communicator, Jason Kidd.

NBA fines Dallas Mavericks $25,000 for bench decorum reasons

The Dallas Mavericks organization has been fined $25,000 for violating league rules regarding team bench decorum, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations.

Per the league, “on multiple occasions, several players and a member of the coaching staff stood away from Dallas’ team bench and were on or encroaching upon the playing court during game action in the Mavericks’ 129-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of their conference semifinals playoff series May 4 at Footprint Center.”

Donovan Mitchell good to go for Mavs at Jazz Game 6

Donovan Mitchell, star guard for the Utah Jazz, said that he will be available for Game 6 against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, a day after an MRI on his left hamstring came back negative.

Mitchell stated he’s suffering from soreness as a result of a bilateral quadriceps contusion, as diagnosed by the team’s medical staff. He did, however, state unequivocally that he would be able to play in Thursday’s home game against the Jazz, who are in danger of being eliminated.

Via ESPN.com