NBA Legend Bill Russell Passes Away at 88

Doncic led Slovenia all the way to the medal rounds before ultimately falling to France in the Bronze Medal Game. Doncic later got some revenge on French big man Rudy Gobert, though, as he helped the Mavs eliminate the Utah Jazz in the first round of the NBA playoffs last season. The Jazz have been in rebuilding mode ever since.

JULY 25 THE LATEST ON KD, MITCHELL

In the early hours of Monday morning, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped the latest details in the Kevin Durant trade saga. The Boston Celtics have made their bid.

“The Celtics appear no closer to acquiring Durant than others in discussions with the Nets, but Boston's ability to include All-Star forward Jaylen Brown as a centerpiece in offers does help make the team formidable in its pursuit, sources said,” writes Woj.

Meanwhile, on the Donovan Mitchell trade front, the New York Knicks are still widely believed to be the favorites to land the All-Star guard, but The Athletic’s Shams Shanaria reports that other teams have now entered the mix.

"Along with New York, several other teams have expressed interest to the Jazz when it comes to [Donovan] Mitchell, such as Washington, Miami, Toronto, Charlotte, Sacramento and Atlanta,” writes Shams.

Although things have been quiet lately in the NBA offseason, that could be changing soon … and the Dallas Mavericks will be patiently waiting to see what opportunities might pop up in the aftermath of these potential mega-trades.

JULY 24 CURRY ON CURRY Brooklyn Nets guard Seth Curry, the former Mavs sharpshooter, loves his family.

But he likes to keep his on-court, same-team distance.

"I've thought about it as people bring it up, but to me personally, I enjoy kind of being away from him, trying to create my own path and do my own thing," Seth told Warriors insider Monte Poole, via NBC Sports, when asked if he'd like to play alongside his brother Steph Curry on the Golden State Warriors.

Seth's "own thing'' hasn't quite raised him to Steph's level - especially, of course, when it comes to championship rings. But if you've got a successful big brother? You probably understand his sentiment.

JULY 23 LAKERS OUT? Two names that have often been mentioned as being on thx Mavs’ radar might now no longer be on the Lakers’.

Apparently, talks between Los Angeles and Indiana - with a salary dump of Russell Westbrook as part of it - are “dead,” per The Athletic.

Involved in the talks: the Pacers' Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. 

The problem? The Lakers are willing to part with one first-round draft pick, but not two, per the report.

Westbrook exercised his $47.1 million player option with the Lakers last month, among the reasons Dallas views his acquisition with a firm “he’ll no.”

JULY 16: JET FLIES TO UTAH

On Saturday, The Athletic reported that former Dallas Mavericks champion Jason Terry is joining the Utah Jazz as an assistant coach on Will Hardy’s staff.

But shortly after that note, a source close to the situation tells DallasBasketball.com that the report is “premature.”

On Sunday at 3:41 p.m. CT, Terry was on the way to Utah to finalize a deal, per our source.

There were rumors last summer that Terry could potentially join Jason Kidd’s staff after the Mavs hired Kidd to replace long-tenured coach Rick Carlisle, but Terry instead agreed to become the head coach of the NBA G League Grand Rapids.

For Terry, this is just the next step for him toward eventually getting an opportunity as a head coach in the league. The Mavs and Jazz had many fun battles last season, and those matchups will now feature a warm, familiar face this year.

JULY 16: LEBRON SUMMER For the first time in more than 10 years, LeBron James is making a return to the Drew League.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, James is expected to play in the annual Pro-Am showcase in Los Angeles on Saturday for the first time since 2011 - when he and other stars participated during the NBA lockout.

To build the anticipation even further, it seems 

The Drew League was established in 1973 and has long-featured good talent. But James taking his talents there? That’s next level.

JULY 15: WESTBROOK TRADE COMING SOON?

Ever since the Phoenix Suns decided to match the max offer sheet DeAndre Ayton signed with the Indiana Pacers, the Kevin Durant trade rumors have died down a little bit.

Friday was a relatively quiet day in the NBA when it comes to drama, but there was still a late ripple that raised some eyebrows. According to a report from ESPN, Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook has parted ways with long-time Wasserman agent Thad Foucher due to “irreconcilable differences.”

Foucher apparently thought Westbrook would be best served to play out the last season of his contract with the Lakers while trying to make things work with LeBron James and new head coach Darvin Ham … but that bridge might be burned beyond repair at this point.

If the Lakers want to trade Westbrook without giving up draft capital, they’ll likely have to be willing to take on contracts that have more than one year remaining. If they don’t want to take on future salary, then they might not have a choice but to part with a first-round pick.

Although it would be a risk, this situation could present a great opportunity for the Dallas Mavericks. Not only do the Mavs need another secondary playmaker after Jalen Brunson left for New York, but they could also benefit from either shedding salaries, obtaining a future pick, or potentially both. 

JULY 14: LUKA DANCING ON STAGE WITH SHAQ

As everyone — including Luka Doncic — waits to see what else the Mavs can muster up for roster improvements this summer through trades or free agency, the Slovenian superstar is making sure he has some high-quality fun while passing the time.

On Thursday, Doncic was spotted on the stage of a club partying with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.

Doncic’s fiend and recent Chicago Bulls signee Goran Dragic was also in attendance and joined the star duo on stage. He provided another angle of the festivities on his Instagram account.

Doncic was able to join forces with a second star in an offseason party setting. Perhaps the Mavs can eventually pair him with one on the court at some point as well.

JULY 14: BIG ASK The Utah Jazz have a big ask.

The employees of Donovan Mitchell are now willing to trade him to the Knicks.

No problem.

But according to the Salt Lake newspaper, Utah is also looking to acquire a “majority” of New York’s eight upcoming first-round picks.

Problem?

Utah is also reportedly looking to acquire players from a bunch that includes combination of Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Miles McBride, and Cam Reddish

JULY 14: AYTON MOVING? Suns center Deandre Ayton is an unrestricted free agent and it looks like he’s going East.

He has agreed to a four-year, $133 max maximum offer sheet - the largest such deal in NBA history - with the Indiana Pacers. As ESPN notes, Phoenix now has 48 hours to match and retain Ayton, who was the first overall pick in Luka Doncic’s draft year.

JULY 8: LAKERS VS. LEBRON?

The Lakers don't seem to want Kyrie Irving as much as LeBron James wants him.

And as Brian Windhorst noted on 'Get Up' this week, that seems to be a problem.

"I can't articulate how little LeBron cares about the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick. He has never cared about draft picks. He wants to win tonight, and Kyrie Irving gives them a chance,'' Windhorst said.

Irving is a controversial figure, as Mavs fans know well. But there is something more here.

"We are in a moment right now,'' Windhorst insisted, "when teams are pushing back against player empowerment. The Nets are pushing back for sure. We see some pushback in Utah with the way the Jazz are pushing back Donovan Mitchell. Now the Lakers are staring at this. Are they honestly going to push back on LeBron James if he's sitting there with a pen, ready to sign an extension, making sure the Lakers remain relevant in a championship, possible contender? for the next two years, and they're trying to negotiate. ...

"I'm gonna have my popcorn and watch because I know how LeBron feels about these things."

JULY 7: TYLER DORSEY TAKING MAVS LAST ROSTER SPOT?

When the Mavs curiously chose to leave a roster spot open and let Luka Doncic’s buddy Goran Dragic sign with the Chicago Bulls, many assumed it was because something bigger might be coming via trade in the coming days or weeks … although you don’t have to leave a roster spot open in that situation.

The Mavs are currently brainstorming many sign-and-trade scenarios with the Knicks and other teams, as we wrote about here, and now, they’ve apparently decided to add one more player while keeping that last official roster spot open.

According to multiple European media outlets, the Mavs have struck a deal with 6-5 Olympiacos shooting guard Tyler Dorsey. He was a second-round pick in the 2017 draft, but hasn’t played in the NBA since 2019. In three years playing overseas, Dorsey has averaged 11.4 points per game while shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point range.

Dorsey reportedly impressed the Mavs in a recent private workout, which led to this deal becoming a reality. We’re still awaiting an official announcement from the Mavs. Marc Stein reports that this would be a two-way contract, not a 15-man roster one.

JULY 6: GRINER LATEST As Brittney Griner’s trial in Russia is now underway, her WNBA coach Vanessa Nygaard offers a provocative thought.

"If it was LeBron, he'd be home, right?" Nygaard said, via USA TODAY. “It’s a statement about the value of women. It’s a statement about the value of a black person. It’s a statement about the value of a gay person. All of those things. We know it, and so that’s what hurts a little more.”

Griner has been held in Russian custody for over four months after customs officials claim to have found hashish oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport.

On July 4, Griner sent to President Joe Biden in which appealed to Biden for his help.

“As I sit here in a Russian prison,'' Griner wrote, "alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever.''

Lakers star LeBron has, by the way, campaigned for Griner's release.

JULY 5: LUKA ADDS TRICK

Luka Doncic has more tricks up his sleeve. The latest? While playing for his native Slovenia at qualifiers for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup over the weekend, Doncic went "full-Kareem,'' with a lovely skyhook that he used to help beat Sweden.

Doncic, at 23 a first-team All-Star, averaged 28.4 points per game this past NBA season and helped lead Dallas to the Western Conference finals. Can he really do more in the future?

Sure. Watch out for the skyhook!