ARLINGTON – There’s a possibility that Dallas Mavericks players who are in the final year of their contract this upcoming season will also be on the team during the 2013-’14 season or beyond.
Chris Kaham and Elton Brand signed one-year contracts with the Mavs earlier this month, while Dahntay Jones and Brandan Wright are operating on one-year contracts. Also, the Mavs hold team options after this season on Vince Carter and Dominique Jones, and can offer Rodrigue Beaubois and Darren Collison qualifying offers following this season.
In essence, general manager Donnie Nelson said not to automatically expect the Mavs’ to undergo a complete overhaul next summer while they pursue a player that’ll make Dirk Nowitzki the team’s second-best player.
“The intent certainly is for all these free agents to stay Mavericks, and we’ve got a lot of room next year,’’ Nelson told Arlington-based fishbowlradionetwork.com said. “And that room can be used for signing our own free agents.
“We’re certainly aware of the free agents that are out there next year on the market place.’’
As of now, Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum, Chris Paul, James Harden and Serge Ibaka will be the top free agents next summer. The Mavs are expected to make a hard run at one, or all, of those players.
“None of us have a crystal ball and we don’t know the future,’’ Nelson said. “But I think the signings this summer were with the idea of staying flexible, let’s see what’s out there, let’s put a playoff-caliber team out there that -- at the right time and if they gel together -- maybe you can have
one of those magical runs.
“And if not, we’ve got flexibility in the future.’’
-- Dwain Price
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