Acquiring a point guard is one of the top priorities for the Mavericks in the 2o25 offseason, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. With star point guard Kyrie Irving recovering from ACL surgery and hoping to get back on the court by January, the team finds itself with 22-year-old Jaden Hardy as the lone primary ball-handler under contract.
In a mailbag column for the Morning News, Curtis discusses how Chris Paul will likely be a name to watch for Dallas, citing NBA Insider Marc Stein who listed him as a potential option along with Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday. The latter two players are still under contract but their respective teams may entertain offers for them, given roster construction and salary cap considerations.
After a rocky season as a part-time starter for the Suns, Curtis doesn’t consider upcoming unrestricted free agent Tyus Jones a serious target, writing, “Jones has proven he can run an offense, but there are better options on the market this offseason.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
One name to watch as the Spurs continue to search for stars to put around Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox is Jaylen Brown, says Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix (via Youtube). While Giannis Antetokounmpo is the main target being rumored for the Spurs, Mannix believes that the asking price of adding Stephon Castle along with other pieces would shorten San Antonio’s contention window more dramatically than they’d be comfortable with, which could lead them to look for cheaper trade packages. “*I think if you’re Boston, you’re not going to… get a Stephon Castle in a potential Jaylen Brown. You would get a number two pick back in return, you would get some of the pieces… the **Devin Vassell**‘s, the **Keldon Johnson*‘s, future first-round capital. That’s something I’d watch,” Mannix says.
Dennis Smith Jr. is set to work out with the Mavericks next week as part of a veteran mini-camp, reports Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. The athletic, defensive-minded guard would fill a need for the Dallas team that drafted him in 2017 and help complement the team’s budding defensive identity. Smith recently participated in a similar camp for the Sixers.
The Pelicans conducted pre-draft workouts for UNC’s RJ Davis, Arkansas’ Johnell Davis, Wisconsin’s Steven Crowl, and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson, reports The Athletic’s Will Guillory (via Twitter). Of the four players, RJ Davis ranks the highest on ESPN’s Top 100 board, coming in at 93rd.
Pelicans‘ new President of Basketball OperationsJoe Dumars wants fans to look at the teams in the Finals and take hope that New Orleans can follow a similar small-market path, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. The first step in that is building the proper culture with Zion Williamson as the cornerstone, and to make the team feel like a first-class organization. “*Taking care of the players. Taking care of their families. The way you do business. The way you travel. Everything. People have to feel good about coming into the building,*” Dumars says.