<!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/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-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

Draymond Green

Jimmy Butler III

Trae Young

Donovan Mitchell

D'Angelo Russell

Jayson Tatum

Jeremy Lin

Joel Embiid

Devin Booker

Tristan Thompson

1x All Star

2015-16 All-Rookie

Los Angeles Lakers

Brooklyn Nets

Minnesota Timberwolves

Golden State Warriors

1 season

Career

https://twitter.com/Dloading/status/1643514938202136582/

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Got my brother sending me the scouting report like he in the league. #BigBro

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2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
12.6	2.8	5.1	0.4	1.0

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
12.6	2.8	5.1	0.4	1.0

D'Angelo
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