Full-Court Press

Del Harris gets lifetime deal

Del Harris once quit on Don Nelson in the middle of a Mavericks game. Or it might have been Nellie firing his top assistant.

Depends on who's telling the story. The details tend to get fuzzy over time and it has been four years since the high drama occurred during a visit to Golden State.

Either way, it's the kind of episode one might expect from a pair of close friends who also have strong opinions about the game of basketball. Both laugh about the incident now, but Harris actually left the locker room at halftime conceivably without a job.

Who played peacemaker? Mark Cuban. Yeah, really.

Cuban had no intention of letting Harris go then and he feels the same way today. Harris has moved on to the next stage of his professional career by accepting the owner's offer of a lifetime contract as a team consultant.

"I'm really thankful to Mark, and it's quite a thing when you say in terms "lifetime," but being the smart businessman he is, he knows there's not many years left," joked Harris, who turns 70 next month. "Not many owners do something like that, and you've got to love him for it."

-- Art

League won't fine Cuban

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban won’t have to dip into his wallet after the NBA decided not to fine him for saying he hopes Michael Finley would consider returning to the Mavs when his contract with the Spurs expires.

The league reviewed Cuban’s comments made last week for possible tampering charges, but an NBA spokesman confirmed Monday that no action would be taken.

Cuban also commented that he was rooting for Finley to win the NBA championship. He said his intent was to compliment Finley and surprise fans that he was cheering for the Spurs.

He said he didn’t believe he was tampering because the Mavs can’t talk to Finley until his contract expires after the 2007-08 season, even though Finley can opt out of his deal after this season.

The Mavs waived Finley in August 2005 as part of the league’s one-time amnesty provision. It allowed the Mavs to avoid paying the luxury tax on the $51.8 million owed to Finley. The Spurs signed him to a three-year, $8.5 million contract. Cuban is also continuing to pay Finley the remainder of his Mavs contract.

-- Jeff

Mavs fans, do you like Kobe?

So Kobe Bryant reportedly has asked to be traded if Jerry West isn't brought in to run the Lakers.
If you are the Mavs, do you make a play for him?

If I haven't overlooked any base compensation-option-clause nonsense, I think Josh Howard, Devin Harris and Jason Terry for Kobe works, cap-wise. Now remember, Kobe does have a no-trade clause in his contract, so if the Lakers decide to trade him, they likely won't get fair value, because Kobe has to approve the destination.

So Mavs fans, do you like that trade?  And if you don't, don't get into a huff. It's all just a speculative scenario.

-- Garza, Mavs Lite

Doug Christie loves the Mavs

Doug Christie, who played seven games with the Mavs at the beginning of the 2005-06 season before being waived, is a big Avery Johnson fan and had nothing but love for the organization Thursday. As a matter of fact, Christie is working out four hours a day and plans to return to the NBA this season. And he would love to be a Mav again.

Straight from Christie:

 

"The Mavs situation was fantastic, and Avery Johnson was a fantastic coach. The thing I enjoyed about Avery was that he had a system. You didn’t have to think as much on the court. He had an offensive and defensive system in place, so it [freed you up] and allowed you to create on the court. I also really enjoyed Mark [Cuban], and the love he had for the team really spilled over and it showed. Unfortunately, I was injured and it just didn’t work out at the time. But I know I can help the Mavs get over the hump and win a championship. The skills I have and the numerous positions I can play ... I’m a veteran who can help through the playoffs. Hopefully, I can return to the Mavs and help them win a championship. It’s something I would love to do."

Well how about that?

-- Garza, Mavs Lite

Doug Christie returning to the Mavs? How does that sound, Mavs fans?

Cuban under review

So the league is reviewing Cuban's comments on Finley. Cuban was only trying to be nice, but under rigid NBA rules, it could be considered tampering...here's what Cuban, who said he was rooting for Finley to win the NBA title said in my column from Tuesday:

"I would hope that after his contract is over in San Antone, he would consider the Mavs as an option. I don't know that he would, but our entire organization has that much respect for him."

Seems pretty harmless, especially since Finley has another year left on his deal and the Mavs can't talk to him until after the 2007-08 season.

Anyway, that's pretty much how Cuban felt. Here's what Cuban says about it:

"It was just meant to be a compliment to Mike and to surprise people that I was rooting for the Spurs. We can't sign him for a while due to the amnesty provision, which to me meant tampering couldn't be an issue."

The league should have a decision in a day or two. They can fine him I suppose, but it's more than likely they'll let it blow over or make it a small fine.

-- Jeff

Draft disorder

With the order of the first 14 picks now decided, let's take a light-hearted look at how things could shake out with the top talent available in the NBA Draft on June 28.

1. Trail Blazers    C Greg Oden, Fr.    Ohio State
Portland passes on chance to pair Longhorns Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge to form softest frontcourt duo in the league.

2. Sonics    SF Kevin Durant, Fr.    Texas
A bittersweet selection: Seattle gets Durant, but in doing so breaks from its tradition of wasting lottery picks on 7-foot projects.

3. Hawks    SF Corey Brewer, Jr.    Florida
Atlanta is more than happy to stick with its game plan: ignore team needs and always — always — take a small forward.

4. Grizzlies    PF Brandan Wright, Fr.    N. Carolina
The Grizz had an enigmatic power forward named (Lorenzen) Wright for five seasons. Now they get his ideal replacement.

5. Celtics    PF Yi Jianlian    China
The Celtics have loads of unproven youth at every position. Now they get unproven international youth, just to cover all the bases.

6. Bucks    PF Al Horford, Jr.    Florida
The Bucks, who are almost NBA-ready, take the most NBA-ready prospect in the draft.

7. T’wolves    F Julian Wright, So.    Kansas
Minnesota needs a point guard and frontcourt power. It takes Wright and gets neither, instead settling for an underachiever with no true position.

8. Bobcats    PF Joakim Noah, Jr.    Florida
Last year, Charlotte took Adam Morrison, a player who could do only one thing: shoot. This time they get a player who can do everything but shoot.

9. Bulls (from the Knicks)    C Spencer Hawes, Fr.    Washington
Chicago needs experience and veteran toughness, and you can’t find that in the draft. So when GMs don’t know what to do, they simply go big — in the worst way.

10. Kings    PG Mike Conley Jr., Fr.    Ohio State
Sacramento, no longer enamored with Mike Bibby, selects an undersized replacement who looked really good while Oden was being triple-teamed.

11. Hawks (from Indiana)    SF Jeff Green, Jr.    Georgetown
Don’t act surprised. Atlanta looks at its cheat sheet and quickly snaps up the top-rated small forward left.

12. 76ers    PG Acie Law, Sr.    Texas A&M
After years of dealing with Allen Iverson’s brushes with the law, Philadelphia sticks to the letter of the Law with Acie.

13. Hornets    SF Thaddeus Young, Fr.    Georgia Tech
New Orleans gets an athletically gifted player who can finish on the break to spare us the sight watching Peja Stojakovic hobble up and down the floor.

14. Clippers    SG Nick Young, Jr.    USC
The Clips save the scouting department lots of money by drafting a player from their own backyard.

-- Garza, Mavs Lite

 

Greg Oden could be the biggest thing in the Pacific Northwest since coffee, grunge and Microsoft.

Sam Vincent going to Charlotte

The Mavs are losing assistant coach Sam Vincent. He's getting his first head coaching job with the Charlotte Bobcats, according to an NBA source. The Bobcats are expected to have a press conference on Friday once minor details of the contract are worked out.

Vincent is one of a possible two openings on the Mavs' staff. Del Harris, the lead assistant, might not be back on the bench. His contract expires this summer and he could either be headed to another position with the Mavs or a candidate at other openings around the league.

-- Jeff

Lottery and innuendo

The NBA Draft Lottery was Tuesday night in Secaucus, N.J., and here is how it played out:

1. Portland
2. Seattle
3. Atlanta
4. Memphis
5. Boston
6. Milwaukee
7. Minnesota
8. Charlotte
9. Chicago
10. Sacramento
11. Atlanta
12. Philadelphia
13. New Orleans
14. LA Clippers

Portland all but screamed out that they are set to take Ohio State's Greg Oden with the top pick, which sparked some interesting rumors/theories in cyberland. With Oden coming aboard, the Blazers would love to move high-scoring low-post player Zach Randolph to create some space in the frontcourt.
Hmm, know any teams literally dying for a dynamic low-post scorer?
Yeah, the Mavs and Randolph would be an awful fit. Actually, Randolph and anybody is probably a poor fit, but, hey, it's fun to speculate.

-- Garza, Mavs Lite

Sam Vincent to Charlotte?

Mavericks assistant coach Sam Vincent turned 44 on Friday. His biggest birthday present, an NBA head-coaching job, might be coming soon.

Vincent interviewed for a second time with Charlotte Bobcats personnel director Bernie Bickerstaff in Dallas on Saturday. Vincent is a finalist for the job vacated by Bickerstaff, who will remain in the front office.

Michael Jordan joined the Bobcats last summer as part-owner. The team has a young core, and Jordan has said he’s looking for the next Avery Johnson to coach them. Vincent, who played two seasons with Jordan on the Bulls, said he anticipates the Bobcats making a final decision in the next couple of weeks. The Bobcats have interviewed at least eight candidates.

“The most important thing is, I like the message from the organization and Michael,” Vincent said, “which is a real strong youth movement with a focus on working hard and developing.”

Vincent said he has not interviewed for any other head coaching position.

Finley a Mav again?

Don't count on it. Although Mark Cuban Monday said he'd like for Michael Finley to consider coming back after his contract expires after next season. No kidding.

After all that went down in last season's conference semifinals, Cuban is holding out an olive branch.

Cuban: "I would hope that after his contract is over in San Antone, he would consider the Mavs as an option. I don't know that he would, but our entire organization has that much respect for him."

Cuban's offer came too late to get Finley's reaction, but it's doubtful to hell no that he'd make a return here. He hated the way the seven-game series unfolded with him being made into a villian after Jason Terry's punch to the groin.

Finley: "It was difficult. The fans in Dallas tried to make it personal. A couple of the guys on the team and the organization wanted to make it personal. But, I knew it was business."

-- Jeff in San Antone