Jodie Valade of the Dallas Morning News reports: After a summer of waiting, the Mavericks are taking their first cautious steps forward in negotiations with restricted free agent Eduardo Najera and expect to re-sign him soon.
The Mavericks still have not secured a deal with the energetic forward, but after spending much of the summer at a standstill they are talking with Najera's agent, Dan Fegan, and "moving in a positive direction," Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. Najera is seeking a long-term deal that would provide security in Dallas and is expected to secure $2-3 million per year.
"Things look good," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban added. "It's not done, but it looks good."
It has been reported that the deal will for 6 years for $22 million.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks continue to wait patiently for Rashard Lewis to decide whether he will spurn Seattle's $60 million offer and sign with the Mavericks for the maximum they can offer Lewis, a three-year, $15 million deal. Nelson and Cuban reiterated that they will issue no deadline for Lewis to reach a decision and are open to sign-and-trade discussions that do not touch the core players on the Mavericks.
Dallas also continues to explore options with restricted free agent Wang Zhizhi. Although the Mavericks have distanced themselves from the 7-1 sharpshooting center since he defied Chinese Basketball Association orders to return to China for national team training in May, they are not opposed to re-signing him or including him in sign-and-trade possibilities, Nelson said.