March 2005 Dallas Mavericks Wiretap

Hunter Close To Making Decision

Jul 31, 2005 7:08 AM

Steven Hunter, who showed much promise in his one year in Phoenix, is a free agent who is expected to make a decision this weekend about where he will play next year. He has narrowed his choices down to four teams - Dallas, New Jersey, Atlanta and Phoenix.

Hunter hopes to stay in Phoenix but could not get more than a one-year commitment for the minimum exception ($1.7 million) plus an option year from the team.

The 7-foot center is looking for a four or five-year deal and could end up with the Mavericks.

Arizona Republic

Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets, NBA

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NBA Sets Amnesty Deadline At August 15

Jul 30, 2005 9:28 PM

In a concession to the NBA Players' Association, the deadline for the "amnesty" clause, which will allow teams a one-time exception to waive a player without paying further luxury tax on the player's contract, has been moved up to Aug. 15.

Teams such as the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks, who are expected to use the clause -- also known as the Allan Houston Rule -- to waive Michael Finley and Houston to avoid paying future luxury tax on their contracts, will have less than two weeks to make final decisions once the labor deal is implemented Tuesday.

The original deadline was Oct. 1. All 30 NBA teams will now have the right to make one amnesty waiver starting Tuesday at noon ET through Aug. 15. Teams are not required to use this clause and early estimates suggest that less than half of the league's clubs will exercise the option largely because the rule only provides luxury-tax relief, not salary-cap relief.

The Mavericks are trying to trade Finley to keep him out of the Western Conference and to avoid losing him without compensation. If they end up waiving him, a string of playoff contenders, including the Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat, are expected to pursue Finley.

The union argued that an Oct. 1 deadline gave the teams releasing players too much control over their players' futures. The Aug. 15 deadline is early enough to give Finley, Houston and anyone else released via the clause a chance to compete for free-agent dollars long before training camps open Oct. 3.

ESPN

Tags: Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, NBA

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Mavericks Would Prefer To Trade Finley; Orlando A Possibility?

Jul 27, 2005 11:36 AM

The Dallas Mavericks plan to wait it on whether to use the "amnesty" clause on swingman Michael Finley.

However, the Mavericks would prefer to trade Finley to an Eastern Conference team and might have one offer already.

The Mavs have at least one deal on the table for Finley, possibly with Orlando, that satisfies Mark Cuban's requirement of receiving expiring contracts in return. The Mavs will continue to pursue a trade and could easily wait until the eve of training camp before deciding Finley's fate.

Players rumored to be involved in the possible deal include Doug Christie, Tony Battie, Stacey Augmon and Mario Kasun.

The Mavericks though are expected to wait it out to see if they can get a better offer.

Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Tags: Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, NBA

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Bonzi's Future To be Known By Weekend

Jul 20, 2005 7:14 AM

Speculation that the NBA will extend a moratorium on signing free agents from Friday to next month will not affect Bonzi Wells's contract status, according to the Grizzly guard's agent.

League sources indicated Tuesday that the collective bargaining agreement won't be finalized this week and the delay could prevent teams from signing free-agent contracts until Aug. 1.

The Grizzlies and Wells agreed to extend the deadline for deciding on an $8 million team option to coincide with ratification of the CBA. That was supposed to happen by Friday.

But Wells will either have the option picked up with a trade on the table or become an unrestricted free agent by the weekend.

Wells is not interested in prolonging the process beyond Friday.

"We expect a resolution," said William Phillips, who Wells retained as his agent following the season. "At the end of the day, Bonzi will be fine. The closer we get to the 22nd, the more serious the discussions get."

At least seven teams have expressed interest in Wells. The Grizzles have had more than cursory conversations with Boston, Dallas, Washington, Sacramento, Detroit, Utah and the Los Angeles Clippers regarding Wells.

Memphis Commercial Appeal

Tags: Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, NBA

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Nash On Finley: A 'Great Fit' For Phoenix

Jul 18, 2005 11:32 PM

According to Eddie Sefko from the Dallas Morning News almost everybody talked about Michael Finley in the past tense Monday. But a certain former teammate was more than willing to present a here-and-now offer that may be tempting when Finley officially becomes an ex-Maverick, likely later this week.

Steve Nash said Finley would be a "great fit" for the Phoenix Suns, creating the possibility that two-third of the Mavericks' former Big Three could end up together again.

"It is strange to think of Mike not playing for Dallas," Nash said. "I think it would be a great fit for us. It would make us such a deep team."

A good portion of the NBA family was on hand at Finley's charity tournament at the Trophy Club benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Finley's agent, Henry Thomas, said more than 10 teams have shown an interest in acquiring Finley, were he to be waived by the Mavericks under terms of the amnesty clause in the new collective-bargaining agreement. Doing so would save owner Mark Cuban perhaps $51 million in luxury taxes over the next three seasons.

"If it happens, it happens," Finley said. "If it doesn't, it doesn't. I'm fine. I don't lose sleep over it. My life goes on. It's a business."

Dallas Morning News

Tags: Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, NBA

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Cuban Interested In Pittsburgh Pirates

Jul 16, 2005 8:17 AM

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban still loves his home state of Pennsylvania and would not mind owning the Pirates or joining the ownership group if there was a chance the team would leave Pittsburgh.

Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy didn't return a phone call last night, but he did say in a statement, "There's no chance of the Pirates moving away, so it's really a nonissue."

"I look at the Pirates kind of like the Mavericks," he said. "People didn't have a lot of expectations when I bought them. All of a sudden, the switch flipped and things have been going great ever since. That's because we had a great young nucleus, and I think the Pirates have that opportunity as well."

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Tags: Dallas Mavericks, NBA

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Amnesty Clause For Finley Looking Increasingly Certain

Jul 15, 2005 11:12 PM

The Mavs would save at least $51 million and perhaps much more by waiving Michael Finley under a provision in the NBA's new labor deal known as the amnesty clause. This one-time escape hatch lets teams avoid the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax obligation on one contract.

The money owed will still count against the salary cap. And the player will still get his guaranteed money -- plus more from whatever team signs him next. Players can't rejoin the team that cuts them until after the existing contract expires. In Finley's case, that would mean no sooner than the 2008-09 season.

"We haven't given up on trying to figure out a way to get the savings and keep Mike in a Mavericks uniform," team president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said Friday. "We've come up with creative solutions to problems before, and we're trying to pull a rabbit out of our hat again. But of the multiple scenarios, we're down to the last few. It's looking less and less likely."

Nothing can happen until the collective bargaining agreement is signed, which is expected by the end of next week. The amnesty opportunity expires once the upcoming season begins.

ESPN

Tags: Dallas Mavericks, NBA

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Mavs' Harris Injures Shoulder, Out Of Summer League Play

Jul 9, 2005 11:41 PM

The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Mavericks point guard Devin Harris suffered a sprained right shoulder in Friday's game against the Celtics.

He will not play the rest of the Reebok Vegas Summer League.

Dallas Morning News

Tags: Dallas Mavericks, NBA

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Dallas Offered Horry $9 Million Over Three Seasons

Jul 8, 2005 2:57 PM

The Mavs reportedly offered Robert Horry a three-year contract for at least $9 million but Horry decided to return to San Antonio.

"We wanted Rob," Mark Cuban said. "We probably wouldn't have played him much during the season, but we could have used that swagger in the playoffs."

The Heat were also interested in signing the clutch forward.

Star-Telegram

Tags: Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, NBA

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Mavs Look Into Trading Finley To East

Jul 3, 2005 2:35 AM

Since the news was broken that the Dallas Mavericks may waive Michael Finley to relieve some financial pressure the team has been flooded with inquries, the Dallas Morning News is reporting.  While Finley still may have played his last game as a Maverick, the mechanism for his departure may have changed.

Eddie Sefko is reporting that the Mavs are now looking at other options.  President of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said they have been approached with trade possibilities that could accomplish the same thing: provide financial relief for the team, as well as the bonus of acquiring an asset in return.

"Our first choice would be to keep Fin in a Mavericks uniform until he retires," Nelson said. "But as we run through the creative options, there seems to be less and less prospect of that happening. We have heard from a lot of people."

Possibilities, Sefko writes, could include the contract of retired Pacer Reggie Miller or a combination of Scot Pollard and Austin Croshere from the Pacers, Eddie Jones from the Miami Heat, or Finley could head back home to Chicago for the expiring contracts of Antonio Davis and Eric Piakowski.

Dallas Morning News

Tags: Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, NBA

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