Full-Court Press

Is Bosh dropping hints?

So Chris Bosh is heading to Miami to pair with Dwyane Wade.
That’s going to be a great pairing to watch.
 
But did you catch what Bosh said in his announcement about
the deal about how Boston’s three-star model is the preferred method of
how to go for a championship these days? If that’s what the Heat is
trying to do, does that mean that LeBron James is headed there next?
 
Or does that mean Carlos Boozer is the third star?
 
We’ll find this out Thursday, of course, when LeBron
sits down with ESPN on an hour special that smells like a high-drama
high-school recruiting battle.
 
One thing seems certain: the Mavericks have already won in
this thing. They have seen two of the three gigantic free-agent fish stay in
the Eastern conference. If they don’t come to Dallas, then that’s
the next-best thing.
 
If LeBron stays over there, too, that’s even better.
 

Jermaine not likely a sign-ang-trade

Great, thanks, Eddie
 

Jermaine not likely a sign-ang-trade

The hot rumor today is that Jermaine O’Neal could be
headed to the Mavericks in a sign-and-trade.
 
Don’t believe it.
 
It wouldn’t be a sign-and-trade.
 
However, the Mavericks have some interest in O’Neal as
a stopgap center. But it would be for the mid-level exception or perhaps less
than that. According to insiders around the league they would sign O’Neal
and keep all their other options open, including Erick Dampier’s
non-guarantee contract, for future possibilities on the free-agent
sign-and-trade front.
 
The bottom line is that the Mavericks are working fast and
furious on a number of scenarios that could net them anybody from Jermaine O’Neal
to Shaquille O’Neal (unlikely) or one of the prime free agents. Clearly
the wheels are turning at Mavs Central.
 
It also seems like the Mavericks are patient right now. They’re
willing to wait to see what happens and, like the old saying goes, if you hang
around the basket, you never know when you’re going to pick up a cheap,
easy rebound.

Mavs shy on big men in summer camp, but help on the way

The Mavericks have only two legitimate big men on their
summer-league team and one of them is a long, long way from being able to help
at the NBA level.
 
Omar Samhan is a legitimate 6-11 center out of St. Mary’s,
but the other big man is 7-4 Moussa Seck, a Senegalese player who is considered
a long-term project, although summer-league coach Monte Mathis said Seck has
made large strides since his first taste of pro ball last summer.
 
The good news for the Mavericks is that help is on the way. DeShawn
Sims, a 6-8 power forward from Michigan and Darryl Watkins, a 6-11 former
Syracuse player, are expected to join the Mavericks in Las Vegas. Watkins
played last night for Indiana’s summer league team in Orlando.
 
The Mavericks had a lively practice with their so-far
smallish team today and will work out again later this afternoon. They also
will have two workouts Wednesday and one on Thursday before heading to the Las
Vegas Summer League, which opens Friday at 3 p.m., Dallas time.
 
Look for a steady dose of Roddy Beaubois and rookie
Dominique Jones in the backcourt when the Mavericks get to the desert.
 

Cuban getting about an $8-million discount this year

Dirk Nowitzki said the contract he will sign –
probably next week because of commitments in Germany that start Wednesday –
has a starting salary below $20 million and that owner Mark Cuban will be
saving around $4 million in the first year of the deal.
 
That means the starting salary is somewhere around $17.5
million, since he was originally set to make $21.5 mil before opting out of the
final year of his deal.
 
The contract goes up about 10 percent each year.
 
Nowitzki will be heading back to Germany on Tuesday and said
Monday he’d like to get down to South Africa to watch Germany in the
World Cup final, if his homeland beats Spain in the semifinal Wednesday.
However, a promotional commitment in Hamburg could keep him from going to South
Africa.
 
Nowitzki said that he has thoroughly enjoyed Germany’s
World Cup run.
 
“We’re rolling, huh?’’ he said. “Actually
we got a lot of respect for Spain. We played them in the final of the Euros and
they beat us. But our guys are fun to watch, a bunch of young guys who like to
play together.
 

Nowitzki, Mavs agree

Mavericks nation can breathe easier. Dirk Nowitzki is
staying put.
 
Nowitzki has agreed to terms in principle with the Mavericks
on a new four-year contract, his adviser Holger Geschwindner said Saturday
night.
 
It is not known if the deal is for the maximum $96 million
over the life of the contract.
 
Nowitzki and Geschwindner said they were in meetings much of
Saturday, some of them with Mavericks’ president Donnie Nelson.
 
The Mavericks had no comment.
 
Details to come.
 

Mavs get ball rolling with Dirk

It’s not yet time for Mavericks’ fans to breathe easy, but the negotiation to lock up Dirk Nowitzki for another four years began this morning.

Mavs’ president Donnie Nelson and Holger Geschwindner, the longtime friend/coach/consultant to Nowitzki, had an hour-long meeting at Southside near downtown. The pair were seen walking into the Southside complex at mid-morning. No deal is done, Nelson stressed when reached after the meeting.

“This is a negotiation,’’ he said. “We’re going to meet again tomorrow (Saturday). This was a productive meeting and we’re looking forward to getting something done. Everything is going according to form.’’

Nowitzki was not at the meeting. Neither was owner Mark Cuban. But both could be involved in Saturday’s meeting. The goal is to get a handshake agreement on a contract, presumably at the maximum $96 million that the Mavericks could offer.

Nowitzki became a free agent for the first time in his 12-year career Thursday and after two days of altered travel plans, he and Geschwindner arrived in Dallas late Thursday.

The thinking is that it won’t take long to hash out a deal. But as in any negotiation, there are details to go over.

Nowitzki could still visit other NBA teams, but that is not expected to happen as long as negotiations continue to go forward.

Geschwindner was at the Mavericks’ offices after the meeting.

If Nowitzki were to agree, he will be under contract until he’s 36 and the new deal, which comes before potential reductions in salaries that could accompany a new collective-bargaining agreement next summer, would include a rare no-trade clause, meaning Nowitzki would have to approve any movement of him during the next four years.

The thinking all along has been that that the Mavericks would retain their nine-time All-Star. But in free agency, until there’s a deal, there’s always potential for disaster.

When and if Nowitzki agrees, the Mavericks will turn their attention to potential sign-and-trade situations in their efforts to get involved in the greatest collection of free-agent talent in NBA history.

Nelson has been working the phone lines with agents and will continue to do so. It behooves them to work with teams since the only way they can acquire a marquee free agent is through a sign-and-trade.

Dallas Digs Dirk is launched by Mavs

They are calling this “Dallas Digs Dirk’’
week and the Mavericks are hoping fans will show their love for the free agent.
 
They don’t want a big crowd at the airport when he
arrives Friday, but the team is offering fans a 41-percent discount on all
Dirk-related items at their various fan stores.
 
Surely they aren’t trying to get rid of all that gear
because it’s fixing to be collectors’ items, are they?
 
Nah, probably not. So if you want to get some less-expensive
Dirk apparel, go for it.
 
There’s also a dfwdigsdirk.com website that fans can
go to and post messages and vote for their favorite Nowitzki highlights.
 
And, of course, there will be a DFW Digs Dirk light display
on a downtown building.

Carlisle visited with Haywood, but not Felton

Rick Carlisle spent time with Brendan Haywood this morning
and said he came away feeling like there could be a long-term union between the
center and the Mavericks.
 
Carlisle said there “was strong interest both ways.’’
Haywood also was reassured that he’s the starter at center for the
Mavericks if there’s a re-signing.
 
Haywood is believed to be the only player on Carlisle’s
contact list right now. He said there was no visit with Charlotte point guard
Raymond Felton, who is the best point guard on the free-agent list this summer.
 
The Mavericks feel they are set at point guard with Jason
Kidd, Roddy Beaubois and J.J. Barea.
 

Casey waiting for word from Clips

Mavericks’ assistant coach Dwane Casey has returned
home to Seattle and is waiting word about the Clippers’ head-coaching
job. He and Vinny Del Negro appear to be the last men standing for the honor to
lead Blake Griffin and Co.
 
If Casey does not get the nod, he likely will join the
Mavericks in Las Vegas for the summer league starting next Friday.
 
Casey has been in the running for at least three jobs since
the Mavericks’ season ended: New Orleans, Atlanta and Philadelphia.
 
It’s widely assumed that it’s only a matter of
time until he gets another shot as a head coach. He did a solid job in Minnesota
until he was fired with the team at 20-20 in the 2006-07 season. The Wolves
bombed badly after Casey’s departure.