NBA Rumors: Former Miami Heat player rejected Dallas Mavericks' advances
It would take guts to turn down the Dallas Mavericks. Especially after their Western Conference finals run last season. With Luka Doncic headlining the roster, the Mavs are primed to be title contenders for the next few seasons. But if rumors are to be believed, a former Miami Heat player turned down the opportunity to play alongside Doncic.
The player in question is veteran guard Goran Dragic. The former one-time All-Star and 14-year league veteran played for the Brooklyn Nets in the second half of last season. Dragic then signed with the Chicago Bulls in the offseason.
Dragic's decision to decline the Mavericks opportunity was discussed in a recent episode of "Hoop Collective." The podcast features NBA writers and analysts Tim MacMahon, Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst. Bontemps brought up the incident in the episode. The discussion begins at the 8:31 mark.
Addressing his remarks to MacMahon, Bontemps said:
"You were on the Lowe Post and you were talking about them [Mavs] looking at Dennis Schroder. If these bozos signed Dennis Schroder and didn't sign Goran Dragic. Luka's idol, to be the backup point guard off the bench, that would be completely insane."
To this, MacMahon replied:
"My understanding is J Kidd doesn't think Dragic has any juice left. And they basically said, 'Hey, do you want to be a foot shorter version of Boban [Marjanovic] and sit on the end of the bench all season?' He said, 'Hell no.'"
Dallas Mavericks have title aspirations
The Dallas Mavericks tasted playoff success last postseason after crashing out in the first round of the playoffs the previous two seasons. They lost guard Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks. However, the additions of Christian Wood and JaVale McGee gives them some much-needed size in the center position.
With Luka Doncic still only 23 years old, the Mavericks have enough time on their hands to build a winning roster. Doncic has also signed up with the franchise until 2026-27. But knowing owner Mark Cuban and his ambition to win, he will want to maximize Doncic's time with the franchise.
The Dallas Mavericks could still look to add pieces before training camp starts. After losing to the Golden State Warriors in the conference finals, the goal for next season will be to do better. With Doncic staying in shape by representing Slovenia over the summer, the Mavericks can expect to kickstart the new season in commanding fashion.