<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/grading-dangelo-russell-mavericks-contract-2025-nba-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grading D’Angelo Russell’s $13 million Mavericks contract in 2025 NBA free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Grading-DAngelo-Russells-13-million-Mavericks-contract-in-2025-NBA-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>Grading D’Angelo Russell’s $13 million Mavericks contract in 2025 NBA free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T19:24:15-07:00">June 30th, 7:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T19:24:15-07:00">June 30th, 7:24pm</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks have made their first major free agency splash of the 2025 offseason by agreeing to terms with D’Angelo Russell. The 29-year-old guard has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with Dallas, according to ESPN. After a rocky season that saw the franchise stumble through self-inflicted chaos, the Mavericks now turn to Russell as a stopgap solution in the backcourt.</p><p>Recall that Kyrie Irving is likely to miss most of the 2025–26 campaign recovering from a torn ACL. On paper, this is a low-risk move for a veteran with offensive upside. In the context of everything the Mavericks have done (or undone) this past year, though, the signing warrants deeper scrutiny.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Lakers-guard-Luka-Doncic-77-knocks-the-ball-away-from-Dallas-Mavericks-forward-Anthony-Davis-3.jpg"><figcaption>© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h2><b>A Year to Forget in Big D</b></h2><p>Imagine trading Luka Dončić for just one first-round pick (okay there’s Anthpony Davis, too), all in the name of long-term viability. Sure, that sounds like a nightmare scenario. However, Mavericks president Nico Harrison made it real, and by choice!</p><p>Dallas stumbled <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/dal">to a 39-43 record</a> and fell in the Play-In. Yes, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-naji-marshall-admission-success">there were some bright spots</a> like Naji Marshall, but injuries seem to have cost the Mavs more player value than any team. Of course, this isn’t about effort. It’s about willingly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-naji-marshall-hurt-reaction-to-luka-doncic-trade">giving up a generational 25-year-old</a> and then smearing him on the way out.</p><p>The fallout? Kyrie Irving tore his ACL. Luka dropped 45 in his Dallas return, twisting the knife. The reward? Cooper Flagg at No. 1 overall.</p><p>Yes, drafting Flagg was massive. That said, between that and the AD trade, the Mavs now have a logjam up front and no steady ballhandler to cover forIrving. Hence, the Russell deal.</p><p>Here we will hand out our grade for D’Angelo Russell’s $13 million Mavericks contract in 2025 NBA free agency.</p><h2><b>D’Angelo Russell: A Band-Aid or a Building Block?</b></h2><p><b>Contract: 2 years, $13 million</b></p><p><b>Grade: C</b></p><p>At $6.5 million per year, D’Angelo Russell comes at a bargain. For a 29-year-old combo guard with playoff experience and a respectable offensive résumé, that’s solid value. Over the four seasons leading into 2024–25, Russell averaged 17.1 points and 6.2 assists per game while shooting a strong 38.4 percent from three. However, this past season told a different story. His three-point percentage dipped to a career-worst 31.4 percent. This has raised concerns about his shooting consistency and overall offensive impact.</p><p>Still, the Mavericks aren’t bringing Russell in to be a star. With Irving expected to miss most of the season recovering from an ACL tear, Dallas simply needs a competent playmaker to stabilize the offense and absorb regular-season minutes. In that context, Russell fits the bill. He’s experienced, durable, and capable of stepping into a lead-guard role when needed.</p><p>What he does well still has real value. Surrounded by vertical lob threats like Davis and an emerging slasher like Flagg, Russell could serve as a capable offensive connector. His ability to anchor second units or mesh in staggered lineups gives Dallas some needed flexibility. This is especially true while they sort out their overloaded frontcourt rotation.</p><h2><b>Defensive Concerns Undercut the Fit</b></h2><p>Here’s the rub though: defense. Russell has long been one of the NBA’s worst guards on that end. He has routinely ranked near the bottom in metrics like Dunks and Threes’ estimated plus-minus. His inability to stay attached to his man, navigate screens, or execute basic help-and-recover schemes makes him a liability. These aren’t flaws that go unnoticed, and they’re rarely masked by offensive production alone.</p><p>That’s what makes this move feel so philosophically dissonant. For over a year, Mavericks president Harrison has preached a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-luka-doncic-nico-harrison-defense-wins-championships">gospel of “defense wins championships.”</a> This was especially apparent in the wake of the Doncic trade. This signing, while modest in financial terms, flies in the face of that message. Russell may be a quick fix, but he’s a poor match for a team supposedly reshaping its identity around grit and defensive toughness.</p><p>So while this contract won’t break the bank, it raises bigger questions: Are the Mavericks sticking to their vision, or are they just patching holes as they go?</p><h2><b>Draft Recap: Balancing the Scales</b></h2><p>Though the Mavericks struck out in free agency’s opening salvos, they did hit big in the 2025 NBA Draft. The highlight, of course, is Flagg. He enters the league as arguably the most hyped two-way prospect since Davis himself. He’s a defensive savant with size, anticipation, and shot-blocking instincts. Those are things Dallas sorely lacked all year. His offensive game is raw but promising, particularly as a transition finisher and connective passer.</p><p>Adding Flagg gives the Mavericks someone who should be a long-term contributor, if not bona fide cornerstone. As good as he is, though, Flagg doesn’t really solve the team’s current ballhandling void.</p><h2><b>Final Grade: C</b></h2><p>Russell’s deal is neither a disaster nor a home run. It’s a placeholder. In isolation, it makes sense. He’s affordable, experienced, and can carry some of the playmaking burden. On the flip side, the Mavericks aren’t operating in isolation. They’re trying to course-correct from one of the most baffling superstar trades in recent memory. Adding a minus defender with shaky efficiency to run the show doesn’t exactly scream “long-term vision.”</p><p>If this is a bridge until Irving returns, fine. However, Dallas now has to reconcile its frontcourt logjam, backcourt inconsistency, and overall defensive fragility. For a team already deep in its own mess, this signing doesn’t dig them deeper—but it doesn’t pull them out either.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grading D’Angelo Russell’s $13 million Mavericks contract in 2025 NBA free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-mavericks-guard-lebron-james-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Former Mavericks guard adds intrigue to LeBron James trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/LeBron-James-during-Lakers-warmups.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Former Mavericks guard adds intrigue to LeBron James trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T18:40:08-07:00">June 30th, 6:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T18:40:08-07:00">June 30th, 6:40pm</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Even though <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-makes-52-6-million-contract-decision" rel="noopener">LeBron James exercised a $52.6 million player option</a> to stay with the LA Lakers, rumors persist of a possible trade. </p><p>They stem from <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-makes-52-6-million-contract-decision" rel="noopener">Rich Paul’s recent comments</a> that James would be open to a trade if the Lakers aren’t up to championship caliber. However, Paul clarified, saying that no trade option is available. </p><p>Among those believing James will abandon ship for greener pastures is former Dallas Mavericks guard Theo Pinson.</p><p>On Monday, Pinson <a href="https://x.com/tpinsonn/status/1939830329738457490" rel="noopener">took to X</a> to speak it into existence. </p><p>“Bron leaving LA,” he posted. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bron leaving LA</p><p>— Theo pinson (@tpinsonn) <a href="https://twitter.com/tpinsonn/status/1939830329738457490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>James will be entering his 23rd season in the NBA. He has been with the Lakers since 2020. Legacy-wise, James has won four NBA championships: two with the Miami Heat (2012, 2013), one with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016), and one with the Lakers (2020). </p><p>James continues to defy the adage that superstar athletes typically decline in their early 40s by remaining at the top of their game. This past season, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. </p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-makes-52-6-million-contract-decision" rel="noopener">Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs</a> in five games. </p><p>Pinson has been in the league since 2018. That year, he was drafted by the Brooklyn Nets before being traded to the Mavericks in 2021. </p><p>He has averaged 8.5 minutes per game while shooting 32% from the field. Pinson is currently playing with the Mets de Guaynabo of the Puerto Rican Basketball League. </p><h2>Why are rumors of the LeBron James trade swirling?</h2><p>Paul said that James wants to contend for another championship. This comes as speculation about his final season remains unresolved. </p><p>However, there is a no-trade clause in James’ contract. His age, 40 years old, is a factor, plus the situation involving the Lakers roster status has trade rumors fuming. </p><p>Nevertheless, James’ age could be a liability to any other team if a trade option was available. Among the teams highlighted as possible trade destinations include the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, and the Cavaliers. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Former Mavericks guard adds intrigue to LeBron James trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dangelo-russell-kyrie-irvings-replacement-13-million-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks pick D’Angelo Russell as Kyrie Irving’s backup with $13 million contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Mavericks-news-DAngelo-Russell-named-Kyrie-Irvings-Dallas-replacement-with-X-million-contract.jpg"></figure><h1>Mavericks pick D’Angelo Russell as Kyrie Irving’s backup with $13 million contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T16:05:59-07:00">June 30th, 4:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T16:05:59-07:00">June 30th, 4:05pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks and free agent guard D’Angelo Russell <a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1939821946553925904" rel="noopener">have agreed</a> to a two-year, $13 million contract, league sources told ClutchPoints on Monday night.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">D’Angelo Russell is signing a 2-year $13 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks, per <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettSiegelNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrettSiegelNBA</a>. <a href="https://t.co/N41rGQArj1">pic.twitter.com/N41rGQArj1</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1939822401946362324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Russell, 29, came to an agreement with the Mavs quickly once the free agency window opened, as he had been seeking a new opportunity with a playoff-contending organization. He will immediately slide into a starting role with Dallas as superstar guard Kyrie Irving continues to recover from a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-out-injury-torn-acl">torn ACL in his left knee</a> late during the 2024-25 season.</p><p>Before the free agency window opened, Russell was being heavily linked to the Mavs given his relationships with the players and staff.</p><p>Irving, who just recently agreed to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-contract-option-119-million-deal">new three-year, $119 million contract</a> with the Mavericks after declining his $43 million player option, is expected to return shortly after the calendar turns to 2026. All indications point to Irving being right on schedule in his recovery process.</p><p>The exact terms of Russell’s free agency contract with the Mavericks were first reported by ESPN.</p><p>This past season, Russell played 29 games with the Los Angeles Lakers before he was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-trade-grade-dangelo-russell-dorian-finney-smith-deal">traded to the Brooklyn Nets</a> in December as part of a four-player deal. Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks were sent to Brooklyn, as Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton joined Los Angeles.</p><p>Lewis was waived by the Nets on Friday, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-contenders-lurking-dorian-finney-smith-declines-option">Finney-Smith opted out of his $15.4 million player option</a> with the Lakers to become an unrestricted free agent.</p><p>After joining the Nets in the aftermath of his reduced role with the Lakers, Russell thrived as a veteran leader at the point guard position during his reunion with Brooklyn. In 29 games, he averaged 12.9 points and 5.6 assists per game. For his career, Russell has averaged 17.3 points and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 36.5 percent from 3-point range, making him the ideal sixth-man-like talent for Dallas to add.</p><p>The Mavericks will be Russell’s fifth team since 2020.</p><p>Despite all of the consistent backlash executive Nico Harrison has received since trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers before the trade deadline in February, the Mavs will enter the 2025-26 season with high championship aspirations, especially after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-point-guard-kyrie-irving-return-injury">drafting Cooper Flagg with the first pick</a> in the 2025 NBA Draft.</p><p>Flagg will hold a key role immediately during his rookie season next to All-Star big man Anthony Davis.</p><p>These two featured players will be joined by several other contributing forces in Dallas during the 2025-26 season. Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, Klay Thompson, and Naji Marshall remain on the Mavericks’ roster, making Dallas one of the deeper teams in the league with this addition of Russell to the backcourt.</p><p>D’Angelo Russell’s willingness to accept a small contract proves that he is willing to fill any role that is needed of him for a true contending team. Once Irving returns from his knee injury, Russell will likely be moved to the bench and lead the Mavericks’ second unit during the second half of the 2025-26 season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks pick D’Angelo Russell as Kyrie Irving’s backup with $13 million contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-trade-proposal-for-lebron-james-could-dallas-work-with-lakers-again');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ trade proposal for LeBron James: Could Dallas work with Lakers again?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/756497454-mavericks-trade-proposal-for-lebron-james-could-dallas-work-with-lakers-again.jpg"></figure><h1>Mavericks’ trade proposal for LeBron James: Could Dallas work with Lakers again?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T09:07:40-07:00">June 30th, 9:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T09:07:40-07:00">June 30th, 9:07am</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LeBron James has never been traded during his soon-to-be record-breaking 23 seasons in the NBA. That could change this offseason, and the Dallas Mavericks have emerged as a potential front-runner for the all-time great if he does officially ask out.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-makes-52-6-million-contract-decision">James just opted into his $52.6 million deal</a> for next season, but his agent, Rich Paul, made some peculiar<a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1939343388660146673" rel="noopener"> comments</a> when he did.</p><p>A James trade would shock the world, but so did the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-trade-grade-luka-doncic-deal">deal involving Luka Doncic</a>. The Slovenian guard was, of course, traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in arguably the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/the-most-shocking-nba-trades-ever-ranked">most surprising trade in NBA history.</a></p><p>While the Lakers fleeced the Mavericks in that deal, it is clear that Mavs general manager Nico Harrison has a plan, isn’t afraid to make controversial decisions, and is comfortable working with the Lakers. The Mavericks GM even has a Nike connection with James. So what could a James-to-Dallas trade look like?</p><h2><b>Mavericks’ potential trade package for LeBron James</b></h2><p><b>Mavericks receive:</b> LeBron James, Bronny James</p><p><b>Lakers receive:</b> Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell, Max Christie</p><p>After James picked up his player option, Paul said, “[James] knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”</p><p>While this wasn’t a clear-cut trade request, it certainly opened the door for the possibility of a trade.</p><p>James and Doncic formed arguably the best duo in the NBA after the blockbuster pre-deadline deal last year, but the trade that saw Anthony Davis shipped to Dallas also left the Lakers with some flaws; enough flaws that they aren’t viewed as one of the best contending teams heading into next season.</p><p>In particular, Los Angeles doesn’t have much center depth to speak of. Fans have already seen a Davis-James pairing work as the two won the championship together in 2020.</p><p>Both players are past their primes, but if they could string together a healthy season, perhaps it could work again. After all, the Mavericks have a youngster to carry the load now, as they just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-officially-selects-cooper-flagg-2025-nba-draft">drafted Cooper Flagg first overall.</a></p><p>This trade would not only reconnect James and Davis, but it would also re-pair James with former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving.</p><p>James and Irving won a championship together with the Cavaliers before the point guard sought a chance to prove himself as the top option. Considering another ring has alluded him since then, Irving would likely welcome a chance to play with James again.</p><h2><b>Is a LeBron James trade to the Mavericks likely?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/LeBron-James.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>While it is fun to think about a James trade, especially if the Lakers were to negotiate with the Mavericks again, it is far from realistic, and James will probably end up finishing out his career with the Lakers before he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-overheard-revealing-wife-wants-retire">retires in a season or two.</a></p><p>James has criticized his teams publicly in the past in order to put pressure on the front office to make roster changes. Paul’s quotes are probably more about this than an actual desire for his client to be traded.</p><p>Additionally, the Mavericks would have to be hesitant to trade with the Lakers again after they were scrutinized for the last deal that they made with the team. James is one of the best NBA players ever and still has something left in the tank, but he is also 40 years old, and it would take a lot of assets to make the money work in a trade for him.</p><p>The Mavericks have to move on from Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell, and Max Christie in this deal, the latter of whom impressed after being a part of the Doncic trade, and the former three of which are key rotation players.</p><p>This deal would leave the Mavericks without much depth, which has been a strength of theirs recently. In return, they’d likely only get one or two more years of James. Despite his greatness, regression is a realistic possibility for the 40-year-old.</p><p>Furthermore, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-kyrie-irving-undergoes-successful-surgery-on-acl-tear">Irving is at risk of missing the entirety of next season because of a torn ACL</a>. James wants another championship, and although the Mavericks could be contenders upon Irving’s return, it doesn’t make much sense for James to wait around for a team to get one of their best players back to health.</p><p>The Mavericks don’t have to trade any draft capital in this trade proposal, but that could also be a deterrent for the Lakers. All in all, a James-to-Dallas deal is highly unlikely despite reports suggesting that could be a possible landing spot.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ trade proposal for LeBron James: Could Dallas work with Lakers again?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-rumors-dallas-looking-to-make-trade-in-order-bring-back-key-guard');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks rumors: Dallas looking to make trade in order to bring back key guard');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dante-Exum-shoots-from-the-corner.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks rumors: Dallas looking to make trade in order to bring back key guard</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T07:47:17-07:00">June 30th, 7:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T15:10:45-07:00">June 30th, 3:10pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks are on a mission to find a point guard with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-contract-option-119-million-deal">Kyrie Irving set to miss time</a> during next season so he can recover from a torn ACL. They have options, and one of them is D’Angelo Russell, who has a good chance of signing with the team. Even if they are able to strike a deal with Russell, they could <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-freshest-and-hottest-nba?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167147450&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">look to bring back</a> another one of their key guards, according to the Stein Line.</p><p>“Word is that the Mavericks, though, have not abandoned hope of creating roster room for re-signing Dante Exum even if they seal their anticipated deal with the Brooklyn free agent,” the Stein Line wrote.</p><p>“Russell would be the Mavericks’ 15th and final standard contract once he comes to terms, but the Mavericks are expected to explore the trade market for 2023 first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper in search of a team willing to absorb his contract and potentially open a spot to bring back Exum for additional backcourt depth,” they continued.</p><p>Exum played in 20 games for the Mavericks last season and averaged 8.7 points and 2.8 assists, and the season before he averaged 7.8 points and 2.9 assists in 55 games. With Irving out, he would be a nice addition to bring back to the team, as he’ll already know what his role is.</p><h2><b>Mavericks are favorites to sign D’Angelo Russell </b></h2><p>It’s been known for some weeks now that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-rumors-dallas-overwhelming-favorite-sign-dangelo-russell">Mavericks could be the favorites to sign Russell</a>.</p><p>“The Mavericks continue to be described by rival teams as the overwhelming favorites to sign D’Angelo Russell away from Brooklyn to be their starting point guard while Kyrie Irving continues his rehabilitation from a torn ACL,”  the Stein Line wrote.</p><p>Russell has been a quality guard for most of his career, and he will greatly help the Mavericks when Irving is sidelined. The Mavericks have a squad that’s ready to compete, especially after drafting Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick. With a starting lineup of Russell, Klay Thompson, Flagg, Anthony Davis, and either Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II, they have a chance of being one of the better teams in the Western Conference.</p><p>The hope is that when Irving returns, they are in good standing in the West and they can continue to build on that momentum. The first step is getting a guard in free agency, and Russell sounds like the player they’ll be getting.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks rumors: Dallas looking to make trade in order to bring back key guard

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-lakers-insider-buzz-lebron-james-trade-mavericks');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Lakers insider reveals ‘buzz’ for LeBron James trade to Mavericks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/LeBron-James-7.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Lakers insider reveals ‘buzz’ for LeBron James trade to Mavericks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T07:23:53-07:00">June 30th, 7:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T07:23:53-07:00">June 30th, 7:23am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Lakers superstar <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lakers-rumors-what-lebron-james-didnt-discuss-la-contract">LeBron James has already been a talking point</a> this offseason after picking up his $52.6 million player option on Sunday. However, that decision along with comments from his agent, Rich Paul, have sparked all kinds of discussion in the 24 hours since the news broke.</p><p>Paul’s comments raised concerns about a possible trade away from the Lakers, which has been all the rage in the day since he spoke. As it turns out, there is some <a href="https://x.com/NationMffl/status/1939527027024871535" rel="noopener">buzz around a potential trade</a> with James going to the Dallas Mavericks, according to Lakers insider Jovan Buha.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jovan Buha on LeBron James:</p><p>There has been some buzz I will say in the general NBA ether over the last week or two with LeBron and Dallas… If he does ask out… I would say keep an eye on Dallas…</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/jovanbuha?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jovanbuha</a>, h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinGraySports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KevinGraySports</a>)<br> <a href="https://t.co/SrH00IUfFE">pic.twitter.com/SrH00IUfFE</a></p><p>— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationMffl/status/1939527027024871535?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I don’t think we’re at the point of him asking out,” Buha said on his podcast, <i>Buha’s Block. </i>“But if he does, I assume there will be a list. In terms of teams that make sense, I came up with four: Dallas, Cleveland, New York and Golden State in no particular order. I will say that there has been some LeBron and Dallas buzz going on a couple years now. …</p><p>“If you just loom at the situation, they have [Anthony Davis], they have Kyrie [Irving], they have Jason Kidd, who LeBron played with on Team USA and also played under with the Lakers. They also have Nico Harrison, which as funny as that is to some, he is a former Nike guy and LeBron is Mr. Nike.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lakers-news-fans-thinking-lebron-james-trade-rich-paul-comments">comments from Paul were a bit strange</a>, with the Klutch Sports CEO talking about James wanting to compete for a title next season.</p><p>“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul said. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.</p><p>“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”</p><p>That certainly sounds more like a farewell wish than an all-in message to Los Angeles. However, for now, James is still a Laker as LA looks toward next season.</p><p>James has also traditionally declined his player options in the past to sign long-term deals, so this decision raised speculation about this potentially being his final season. The four-time champion will turn 41 years old in December and will be playing his 23rd season in the NBA, so such speculation is only natural.</p><p>Regardless, any trade buzz around LeBron James at the moment is purely conjecture and the likely outcome is still that he will be suiting up in the purple and gold next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Lakers insider reveals ‘buzz’ for LeBron James trade to Mavericks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-rumors-contract-dangelo-russell-expected-sign');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks rumors: The contract D’Angelo Russell is expected to sign');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DAngelo-Russell.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks rumors: The contract D’Angelo Russell is expected to sign</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T06:43:29-07:00">June 30th, 6:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T06:43:29-07:00">June 30th, 6:43am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks were thrown a lifeline at the NBA Draft after trading Luka Doncic away last season, as they improbably landed the No. 1 overall pick and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-reveals-favorite-wnba-players-game">chance to select Duke superstar Cooper Flagg</a>. Now, with Flagg in the lineup, Nico Harrison and the Mavs finally have a chance to see out their vision of a defense-oriented contender in the Western Conference.</p><p>Of course, that will be difficult to achieve early in the 2025-26 season while star point guard Kyrie Irving is still sidelined after tearing his ACL back in March. As a result, the Mavs need to find a solution at the lead guard spot this offseason to carry the load until Irving gets back.</p><p>Insert D’Angelo Russell, who looks likely to be the Irving replacement for the first few months of the season at least. The former <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-rumors-dallas-overwhelming-favorite-sign-dangelo-russell">Brooklyn Nets guard has been heavily linked to the Mavericks</a>, and now a potential contract framework is in place.</p><p>As it turns out, the Nets could be getting Russell on <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-freshest-and-hottest-nba?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167147450&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">somewhat of a bargain</a>, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.</p><p>“A two-year deal from Dallas approaching the $12 million range is widely expected for D’Angelo Russell … largely because the whole league knows that the Mavericks can only offer the former All-Star guard a two-year pact that starts at the $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception,” Stein and Fischer wrote.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-rumors-chris-paul-reason-dangelo-russell-priority">Chris Paul is another option for the Mavericks</a>, but that looks unlikely with the future Hall of Famer wanting to be closer to his family back in Los Angeles. As a result, Russell is one of the better names that will be available for them on the market.</p><p>Russell’s role and overall numbers took a hit last season, which he split between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets. In just over 25 minutes per game, he scored 12.6 points a night while averaging more than five assists per contest.</p><p>For a Mavericks team that doesn’t need a star in the backcourt, Russell could be the kind of viable bridge option that can keep them in playoff contention until Irving gets back on the floor.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks rumors: The contract D’Angelo Russell is expected to sign

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-rumors-chris-paul-reason-dangelo-russell-priority');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks rumors: The Chris Paul reason D’Angelo Russell is such a priority');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Russell-vs-the-Mavericks.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks rumors: The Chris Paul reason D’Angelo Russell is such a priority</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T14:54:30-07:00">June 29th, 2:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T14:54:30-07:00">June 29th, 2:54pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-rumors-dallas-overwhelming-favorite-sign-dangelo-russell">Dallas Mavericks are currently looking for ways</a> to add to their roster after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-nico-harrison-doubles-down-on-how-cooper-flagg-addition-will-win-back-fans-hearts">selecting Cooper Flagg</a> with the first overall pick in the recent NBA Draft. The Mavericks’ biggest need at the current moment would appear to be at the point guard position since Kyrie Irving will likely miss a considerable chunk of the 2025-26 season.</p><p>Both Chris Paul and D’Angelo Russell have been floated as potential options for the Mavericks in that department, and recently, NBA insiders Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line on Substack reported on why Russell appears to be the <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/chris-pauls-looming-free-agency-with?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167117215&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">more likely candidate.</a></p><p>They reported that the Mavericks are “widely regarded as a strong favorite to come to terms with another former All-Star — Brooklyn’s D’Angelo Russell — once free agency officially beings Monday night … essentially because the Mavericks regard Russell as far more attainable. Paul does not appear to be interested in spending another season in Texas with his children, both teenagers, in Southern California.”</p><h2><b>A big decision for the Mavericks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dallas-Mavericks-general-manager-Nico-Harrison.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Once Kyrie Irving comes back to the lineup, the Mavericks figure to have one of the stronger starting lineups in the NBA, with Irving lining up alongside Klay Thompson, Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and either Dereck Lively or Daniel Gafford.</p><p>However, Irving tore his ACL late in the 2024-25, meaning he may not be back until around the All-Star break next season.</p><p>With this being the case, it makes sense that the Mavericks would be in pursuit of someone who can competently run the offense at the point guard position for a few months, and both Paul and Russell would appear to fit that bill.</p><p>With Paul evidently wanting to move closer to Southern California, where he spent several years as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, it makes sense for Russell to be reported as the more likely candidate.</p><p>Russell spent the end of last season as a member of the Brooklyn Nets following his trade from the Los Angeles Lakers and is currently a free agent.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks rumors: The Chris Paul reason D’Angelo Russell is such a priority

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-rumors-dallas-overwhelming-favorite-sign-dangelo-russell');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks rumors: Dallas the ‘overwhelming favorite’ to sign D’Angelo Russell');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Mavericks-overwhelming-favorite-sign-DAngelo-Russell.jpg"><figcaption>© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks rumors: Dallas the ‘overwhelming favorite’ to sign D’Angelo Russell</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T08:50:15-07:00">June 29th, 8:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T08:50:15-07:00">June 29th, 8:50am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks">The Dallas Mavericks</a> have reportedly honed in on their replacement point guard for the injured Kyrie Irving<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/players/b97409dd/dangelo-russell">: D’Angelo Russell.</a></p><p>According to NBA insider Marc Stein, <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-lots-more-of-the-latest" rel="noopener">who has long been</a> plugged in with the Mavericks, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-rumors-kyrie-irving-make-dallas-a-leading-suitor-dangelo-russell">Russell is believed to be by other teams a top target for Dallas</a> this offseason.</p><p>“The Mavericks continue to be described by rival teams as the overwhelming favorites to sign D’Angelo Russell away from Brooklyn to be their starting point guard while Kyrie Irving continues his rehabilitation from a torn ACL,” Stein wrote for The Stein Line.</p><p>Russell, 29, spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-dangelo-russell-trade-nets-4-player-trade">then the Brooklyn Nets following a trade</a> in late December 2024. The second overall pick in the 2015 draft, Russell has proven to be a top-notch scorer and distributor at his peak, but the 2024-25 season was by far the worst of his NBA career.</p><p>Between the Lakers and Nets, Russell’s playing time not only reached a career low, but he proved to be far more ineffective than he had previously shown. Aside from his rookie season, Russell has not averaged fewer points per 36 minutes than last season. Additionally, his 3-point shooting shockingly suffered; after back-to-back seasons hovering around or above 40% on 3-pointers, Russell shot 31.4% from beyond the arc in 2024-25, which ranks as the worst mark of his career. Previously, he had shot below 34% in a season only once.</p><p>The context in which all that happened cannot be ignored, though, as Russell was the subject of numerous trade rumors a year or more before he ultimately was dealt by the Lakers. And when he arrived in Brooklyn, he joined a franchise with little incentive to try to win games. As a result, the Nets traded multiple players who could have been of help in that regard, including Dennis Schroder, as well as Dorian Finney-Smith, for whom the Lakers traded Russell.</p><p>Now, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-brian-windhorst-left-dumbfounded-over-brooklyn-draft-picks">after drafting three guards and four players total</a> in the first round of this past week’s NBA Draft, the Nets have little reason to seriously pursue the idea of retaining Russell, who just completed a two-year, $36 million contract extension that he signed with the Lakers two offseasons ago.</p><p>As for the Mavericks, they could certainly use Russell, particularly if he regains the form he had even two seasons ago. Dallas will likely be without starting guard Kyrie Irving for most of or the entire 2024-25 season after suffering a torn ACL in March.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks rumors: Dallas the ‘overwhelming favorite’ to sign D’Angelo Russell

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/1-sneaky-good-player-dallas-mavericks-must-sign-in-2025-nba-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', '1 sneaky good player Dallas Mavericks must sign in 2025 NBA free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-sneaky-good-player-Dallas-Mavericks-must-sign-in-2025-NBA-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>1 sneaky good player Dallas Mavericks must sign in 2025 NBA free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T08:12:43-07:00">June 29th, 8:12am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T08:12:43-07:00">June 29th, 8:12am</time><address><a>Garrett Kerman</a>Garrett Kerman also goes by the name of The Fight Analyst. He covers all combat sports, from MMA, to boxing, to even bare-knuckle. He is also very well-versed in all American sports when it comes to news and betting analysis. Whether you want betting advice or some breaking news, Garrett is your guy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/the-player-dallas-mavericks-must-avoid-in-2025-nba-free-agency">Dallas Mavericks</a> enter the 2025 NBA free agency period with a clear agenda: fortify their roster for another deep playoff run while navigating the uncertainty surrounding <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-point-guard-kyrie-irving-return-injury">Kyrie Irving’s health</a>. With Irving sidelined until at least January 2026 due to a torn ACL, the Mavericks’ need for a reliable, cost-effective backcourt presence has never been more urgent. Amid the flurry of big names and headline-chasing rumors, one sneaky good player stands out as a must-sign for Dallas: Dennis Schroder.</p><h2>Why Dennis Schroder Is the Perfect Fit</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dennis-Schroder.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p> </p><p><b>1. Proven Stop-Gap Starter</b></p><p>Schroder, a seasoned NBA veteran with playoff experience, fits the Mavericks’ immediate needs almost perfectly. Dallas is expected to use its $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception to sign a stop-gap point guard, and Schroder is among the top candidates identified by league insiders. With Irving’s timetable for return stretching into the new year, the Mavericks require a guard who can not only hold down the fort but also thrive alongside Luka Doncic in the backcourt.</p><p><b>2. Versatility and Experience</b></p><p>Schroder’s NBA journey has seen him thrive in a variety of roles, starter, sixth man, and clutch closer. He’s played for playoff teams like the Lakers and Celtics, and his stints with the Thunder and Raptors showcased his adaptability. Last season, Schroder averaged double-digit points and over five assists per game, demonstrating that he can still drive an offense and create for others. His ability to play both on and off the ball makes him an ideal complement to Doncic, who thrives with a secondary ball-handler to relieve pressure and initiate offense when needed.</p><p><b>3. Defensive Intensity</b></p><p>While Schroder is not a lockdown defender, his quickness and tenacity on the perimeter have made him a disruptive force against opposing guards. Dallas, which struggled at times with perimeter defense last season, would benefit from Schroder’s willingness to pick up full court and set the tone defensively. His energy and competitive fire are assets that fit well with the Mavericks’ culture of grit and resilience.</p><h2>The Market and the Mavericks’ Cap Situation</h2><p>Dallas’s financial flexibility is limited, especially with Irving’s contract and Doncic’s supermax deal on the books. The $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception is their primary tool for adding a rotation-caliber player. While bigger names like James Harden will command salaries far beyond what Dallas can offer, Schroder’s expected market value aligns perfectly with what the Mavericks have to spend.</p><p>Additionally, Schroder’s willingness to accept a defined role, whether as a starter until Irving returns or as a key reserve afterward, makes him a low-risk, high-upside signing. He’s unlikely to disrupt team chemistry or demand a usage rate that would infringe on Doncic’s dominance.</p><h2>How Schroder Elevates the Mavericks</h2><p><b>1. Ball Movement and Pace</b></p><p>One of the criticisms of Dallas’s offense in recent years has been its predictability and reliance on isolation sets. Schroder’s speed and ability to push the pace would inject a new dynamic, allowing the Mavericks to generate easier transition points and keep defenses off balance. His knack for attacking the rim and collapsing defenses would create open looks for shooters like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Josh Green.</p><p><b>2. Insurance Against Further Injuries</b></p><p>NBA seasons are long and unpredictable. With Irving’s health in question and Doncic carrying a heavy burden, having a proven playmaker like Schroder is invaluable insurance. If either star misses time, Schroder can step in and keep the offense afloat, minimizing the risk of costly losing streaks.</p><p><b>3. Playoff Experience</b></p><p>Schroder’s postseason pedigree shouldn’t be overlooked. He’s played in high-stakes games and delivered in pressure moments, most notably during his time with the Lakers. For a Mavericks team with championship aspirations, adding a veteran who won’t shrink under the bright lights is a smart move.</p><p>While other teams will undoubtedly show interest in Schroder, his market is unlikely to reach the frenzy of top-tier free agents. This gives Dallas a real shot at landing him without a bidding war. The Mavericks’ situation, immediate playing time, a defined role, and a shot at a deep playoff run, should appeal to Schroder as he looks to maximize his impact at this stage of his career.</p><p>The move would fly under the radar compared to splashier signings, but the value could be immense. Schroder won’t command headlines, but his steady hand, veteran savvy, and two-way play could be the difference between early playoff exits and a legitimate Finals push.</p><p>In a free agency class headlined by stars and inflated contracts, the Dallas Mavericks would be wise to focus on fit, value, and versatility. Dennis Schroder is the sneaky good player they must sign in 2025, a move that could quietly transform their backcourt and keep their championship window wide open while Irving recovers. Sometimes, the best moves are the ones that don’t make the loudest noise, but deliver the biggest results when it matters most.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 sneaky good player Dallas Mavericks must sign in 2025 NBA free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-kevin-garnetts-reaction-bronny-james-cooper-flagg-showdown');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kevin Garnett’s hyped reaction to looming Bronny James-Cooper Flagg showdown');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Garnett-at-a-ceremony.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kevin Garnett’s hyped reaction to looming Bronny James-Cooper Flagg showdown</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T21:59:51-07:00">June 28th, 9:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T22:00:29-07:00">June 28th, 10:00pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 Las Vegas NBA Summer League is set to tip off on July 5, but all eyes are already locked on the marquee matchup scheduled for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/nba-news-potential-cooper-flagg-bronny-james-faceoff-gets-date">July 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN</a>, a faceoff between <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-officially-selects-cooper-flagg-2025-nba-draft">Dallas Mavericks’ No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg</a> and second-year Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James. The anticipated duel has caught the attention of NBA legend Kevin Garnett, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/tic_pix/3665159953372995470/" rel="noopener">who took to Instagram to express his excitement</a>.</p><p>“Awwwww S**t… just got the summer league schedule and I see that got BRONNY VS THE FLAG.. FIRST NIGHT TYPE ISHHHH… yooooo the energy in the building is about to be crazy,” Garnett wrote. “YESSS LET’S GET THIS THANG STARTED.. I need to see it.”</p><p>Flagg, selected first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Mavericks, enters the Summer League following a dominant freshman season at Duke. The 6-foot-9 forward led the Blue Devils across all major statistical categories, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks over 37 games. Even with an ankle injury sidelining him for part of the ACC Tournament, Flagg returned strong, notching 27 points and seven rebounds in a Final Four loss to the Houston Cougars.</p><p>James, who was picked 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, had a limited rookie season with the Lakers. He appeared in 27 NBA games, averaging 6.7 minutes, 2.3 points, and 0.7 rebounds. However, his G-League numbers with the South Bay Lakers told a different story, as in 11 games, James averaged 21.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, showcasing the development that earned him a return spot on the Lakers’ Summer League roster.</p><p>The matchup gains further intensity considering the February trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Mavericks, ramping up the rivalry between the two franchises.</p><p>Garnett’s excitement follows his past praise for both players. On his podcast with Paul Pierce, he commended Flagg’s <a href="https://www.talkbasket.net/186709-kevin-garnett-on-cooper-flagg-we-aint-have-no-badass-cold-ass-white-boy-like-this-in-a-long-time" rel="noopener">star power</a>, stating, “We ain’t had no bada**, cold a** white boy like this in a long time.”</p><p>Kevin Garnett has also shown consistent support for Bronny, particularly during the guard’s G-League performances.</p><p>The Lakers-Mavericks game will be part of a doubleheader that also features the San Antonio Spurs vs. Philadelphia 76ers, with top prospects Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe also taking the court. All 30 NBA teams are participating in the 11-day event.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kevin Garnett’s hyped reaction to looming Bronny James-Cooper Flagg showdown

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-point-guard-kyrie-irving-return-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Will Cooper Flagg be Mavericks’ point guard until Kyrie Irving returns from injury?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Dukes-Cooper-Flagg-charges-down-the-court.jpg"><figcaption>Bob Donnan-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Will Cooper Flagg be Mavericks’ point guard until Kyrie Irving returns from injury?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T10:26:54-07:00">June 28th, 10:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T10:26:54-07:00">June 28th, 10:26am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kyrie Irving is likely going to take over the Dallas Mavericks’ starting point guard role at some point in the 2025-26 season. To begin the campaign, though, Irving will be unavailable as he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-inside-look-acl-injury-recovery">recovers from ACL surgery</a>. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-chris-paul-point-guard-interest">Mavs have been rumored to be interested</a> in adding a point guard this offseason as a result. During 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg’s introductory press conference on Friday, however, head coach Jason Kidd said the rookie could spend some time at the position.</p><p>“I don’t look at the position, I want to put him at the point guard,” Kidd told reporters. “I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts being able to run the show.”</p><p>Kidd said Flagg could play multiple positions, though.</p><p>“Being able to play the two, play the three, he’s comfortable playing that,” the Mavs head coach continued. “But we want to push. I think he’s going to respond in a positive way. It’s alright to fail. It’s alright to turn the ball over, we talked about that.”</p><p>Kidd doesn’t seem to be confirming that Flagg will be the Mavericks’ point guard during the 2025-26 season with these comments. Rather, he is saying that he wants to challenge Flagg, which placing him at point guard would do. There is a realistic chance that Cooper will spend some time at the one during the 2025-26 campaign.</p><p>“Cooper… can handle the ball,” Kidd added. “As we go forward this summer and throughout the season… Try to get the ball in his hands as much as possible so that he can become comfortable running our offense. And then when you have multiple guys out there that can dribble and pass it just makes the game simple and easy.”</p><p>The Mavericks may add a starting caliber point guard to run the offense with Irving out. If not, Dallas will likely implement a number of different players at the point guard spot. Either way, the Mavs will need to find an answer for the first couple of months of the year.</p><p>Kyrie Irving could return in January. His return will be pivotal as Dallas hopes to make a championship run. However, playing a quality brand of basketball early in the season amid his injury absence will unquestionably be important.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dallas
Mavericks NEWS

Mavericks News: Get the latest Dallas Mavericks news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Mavericks News

Grading D’Angelo Russell’s $13 million Mavericks contract in 2025 NBA free agency

Former Mavericks guard adds intrigue to LeBron James trade rumors

Mavericks pick D’Angelo Russell as Kyrie Irving’s backup with $13 million contract

Mavericks’ trade proposal for LeBron James: Could Dallas work with Lakers again?

Mavericks rumors: Dallas looking to make trade in order to bring back key guard

NBA rumors: Lakers insider reveals ‘buzz’ for LeBron James trade to Mavericks

Mavericks rumors: The contract D’Angelo Russell is expected to sign

• Mavericks rumors: The Chris Paul reason D’Angelo Russell is such a priority

• Mavericks rumors: Dallas the ‘overwhelming favorite’ to sign D’Angelo Russell

• 1 sneaky good player Dallas Mavericks must sign in 2025 NBA free agency

• Kevin Garnett’s hyped reaction to looming Bronny James-Cooper Flagg showdown

• Will Cooper Flagg be Mavericks’ point guard until Kyrie Irving returns from injury?

DallasMavericks NEWS

Mavericks News: Get the latest Dallas Mavericks news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Mavericks News

Grading D’Angelo Russell’s $13 million Mavericks contract in 2025 NBA free agency

Former Mavericks guard adds intrigue to LeBron James trade rumors

Mavericks pick D’Angelo Russell as Kyrie Irving’s backup with $13 million contract

Mavericks’ trade proposal for LeBron James: Could Dallas work with Lakers again?

Mavericks rumors: Dallas looking to make trade in order to bring back key guard

NBA rumors: Lakers insider reveals ‘buzz’ for LeBron James trade to Mavericks

Mavericks rumors: The contract D’Angelo Russell is expected to sign

• Mavericks rumors: The Chris Paul reason D’Angelo Russell is such a priority

• Mavericks rumors: Dallas the ‘overwhelming favorite’ to sign D’Angelo Russell

• 1 sneaky good player Dallas Mavericks must sign in 2025 NBA free agency

• Kevin Garnett’s hyped reaction to looming Bronny James-Cooper Flagg showdown

• Will Cooper Flagg be Mavericks’ point guard until Kyrie Irving returns from injury?

Dallas
Mavericks NEWS