Well, these "reporters" are being paid, and there is a great deal of pressure on them to keep their name in the limelight and to discuss the latest rumors several times a day. So what happens if they don't get any good information? They make it up. They make logical possibilities and push it off as truth. What happens when the truth is no one wants to play for the Lakers or Knicks? They make it up. Lets put it this way. Several prominent reports tried to pass off random texts from people they didn't even know as "rumors" and then had to back off on it. Teams are really clamping down on rumors leaking, and the only time they are giving information to a reporter is when it is in their best interest.
I dont get why Melo would go to Dallas or why Dallas would want him aside from the fact that he's a big name. Him and Dirk have overlapping skillsets- they're almost the same player.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Dirk Nowitzki update: Mavs, I'm told, operating under premise that finalizing Dirk's terms on new deal comes after Wednesday meeting w/Melo</p>— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/statuses/484018346233323521">July 1, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I guess Dirk just doesn't like money. I guess you just have to respect that, but its pretty rare to find in human nature. If Melo demands the max (and he'd have to in order to consider Dallas) that leaves them renouncing all free agents, and having roughly 11 million at the most to offer Dirk next year. Keep in mind that a big part of what Dallas did last year had to do with Shawn Marion, Vince Carter, and Devin Harris(later in year), and they all would pretty much be gone. No young talent, and nothing but vet. min & a couple exceptions left to sign any other players of value. Dallas is banking on Melo picking $ + Dirk/Chandler + nothing but min. contracts over- a few million less in Houston(lets say 18 million as opposed to 21 mil) +Dwight/Harden/Parsons/Bev/Jones/ MLE/ etc. To me, taking off the homer goggles, I still think (much like with Dwight last year) the presentation has to be fairly obvious.... if you really want to win, Houston definitely gives Melo the best opportunity at doing that now and long-term. The only other option would be if Chicago is able to get Melo in a S&T without having to give up Gibson & Boozer. If they are able to do a S&T with Boozer & Assets, than who knows... but I doubt Phil is in love with that idea. I guess we just have to wait and see.
Unless Chicago throws in future 1st rounders with Boozer, I don't think Phil Jackson is going to do Chicago/Reinsdorf any favors.
That's what I'm saying with regards to Dallas. You'd have Dirk and Melo who pretty much play the same way, and an aging Chandler- and... that's about it. That team's not looking too good- and Dallas isn't an LA or NY tier city. The only way I could see him buying into it is if the Mavs organization knows something we don't- maybe Dirk's on the verge of retiring and the Mavs will sell Melo on the idea of Cuban building around him. Even still, Melo is 30 and why wait to build a contender when you can sign with us?
ESPNSteinLine Marc Stein I expect Heat to eventually join race for Shawn Marion, who is sure to attract external interest even though Mavs naturally long to keep him
Why does everyone keep leaving off Monta as if he did not have a great year last year. You just watched the Spurs win a championship with an old core and they did it decisively. The Mavs pitch to Dwight is Dirk is a champion, which the Rockets dont have. They also have the 2nd best coach in the game, which the Rockets dont have. Dirk and Melo are very similar, which Dirk has already said he would be the one to adjust and he has shown he can play with anybody. The Rockets would not be a bad choice for Melo, but neither would the Mavs. You think the mind of Carlisle won't figure out how to make it all work. Dirk won with Tyson and a bunch of old vets....you think he can't win with Tyson, Melo and a bunch of old vets. The rockets lost 4-2 against a team that got pounded by the Spurs, while Dirk and the Mavs took the future champs to 7 games. They are not that many pieces away from being a contender and Melo makes them that over night. I understand the Dallas hate from Rockets fans, but lets be realistic here.....Rockets or Dallas is a contender over night if Melo joins, but neither of them is as currently constructed.
Mavs presentation to Melo: DALLAS -- There will surely be some bells and whistles during Carmelo Anthony's visit with the Dallas Mavericks, such as entertainment elements and marketing plans. You can count on money coming up in the conversation, too, with that discussion centering on just how close Mark Cuban can come to a max-contract offer. But the Dallas decision-makers firmly believe Anthony has the purest intentions as he takes a free-agency tour that started Tuesday in Chicago, will make stops in Houston and Dallas on Wednesday, head west to Los Angeles for a Thursday visit with the Lakers and wrap up with the Knicks trying to talk him into returning to New York. "There's no question he's entering the phase of his career where he wants to win," a source said, well aware that Anthony has advanced past the first round only twice in 11 NBA seasons after carrying Syracuse to a national title during his lone NCAA campaign. That's why this will be mostly a meat-and-potatoes presentation. The Mavs' four-man committee of Cuban, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson, coach Rick Carlisle and All-Star power forward Dirk Nowitzki will make a five-pronged pitch appealing to Anthony's burning desire to play for a contender. 1. Play for an elite coach: Carlisle joins Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra and Doc Rivers as the only active NBA championship coaches, and he has outwitted two of those men in recent playoff series. Pop's Spurs won the series against the Mavs, but it was by far San Antonio's toughest step to the title, primarily because of Carlisle's game-planning brilliance. That, as well as the underdog Mavs' championship march in 2011, offers tangible evidence of the impact Carlisle can have on a playoff series. "Everybody thought we were going to get crushed," Cuban said recently. "That allows us not to say, 'Hey, we played them the best,' but allows us to say, 'Look, when it comes to the playoffs in particular, Rick has got the skill set and we've got veteran guys who know how to implement offensive and defensive strategies that really give us a unique opportunity.' That's something that very few teams can say. "If you look at other teams with cap room and then you just look at their coach and if they've made the playoffs, you look at how their playoff runs went, you're not looking at them and saying, 'Wow, that team really ... .' I don't want to throw anybody under the bus, but their coaches are not as good as Rick Carlisle." Carlisle is also considered one of the NBA's most creative offensive minds. His ideas of how to help Anthony be more efficient should be welcomed by a 30-year-old who has had to work hard for most of his nearly 20,000 career points. 2. Play with a selfless star: Nowitzki is not only willing to hand the keys to the franchise over to a capable superstar, he's taking a massive pay cut in an effort to help make it happen. He might even accept a lower salary than anticipated if that's what it takes to make Melo a Mav. Nowitzki would have no issue with sacrificing shots to allow Anthony to be the new go-to guy in Dallas. Is that the case with James Harden in Houston? How about reluctant recruiter Derrick Rose in Chicago? Anthony can also ask Monta Ellis how much easier life is with Dirk drawing the defense's attention when he's within 30 feet of the rim. Granted, the idea of teaming up with the 36-year-old Nowitzki would be much more appealing if he we younger, but the big German proved last season that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank by averaging an efficient 21.7 points per game during the 12th All-Star campaign of his career. There's certainly less reason to doubt Dirk now than there was when the Mavs were wooing Dwight Howard last summer. 3. A quality supporting cast: The Mavs believe the trade for defensive anchor Tyson Chandler gave them a legitimate chance of landing Anthony. They can now make the case that adding Anthony would give Dallas the league's best frontcourt. They can also make the case that a Melo-Dirk-Monta one-two-three punch would be the NBA's most potent offensive trio. The Mavs didn't have Ellis and Chandler on the roster during their previous failed pitches to big fish. Notably, Deron Williams cited the lack of talent around Nowitzki as one of the primary reasons he didn't come to Dallas. The Mavs would be challenged to find quality players to fill out their rotation if Anthony signed for a salary presumably starting in the $16 million to $18 million range. However, the resourceful Dallas front office has a history of finding bargain-priced role players. Which leads us to ... 4. A proven front office and culture of winning: When it comes to stability and sustained success among front offices in today's NBA, only the Spurs trump the Mavs. Nowitzki deserves much of the credit, but Cuban and Nelson put the pieces together for one of four franchises in NBA history to win 50-plus games each season for at least a decade. They've proven they can sustain a contender around a superstar, with 13 playoff appearances, two Finals trips and one title to show for it. Cuban is as competitive and committed to winning as any owner in the league. He won't hesitate to pay luxury-tax bills if he believes he's making moves that improve a contender's odds of putting another Larry O'Brien trophy in his kitchen. Cuban also spares no expense when it comes to technological innovation that can prevent injuries and prolong players' primes and careers. That could appeal to Anthony as he enters his 30s. 5. A plan for the future: Would Anthony be left as Dallas’ lone star when Nowitzki stops shooting one-legged fadeaways and starts spending days in a rocking chair? Not if the front office executes its plan. Another benefit of the six-player trade with the New York Knicks was that it ensured the Mavs would have ample cap space again next summer. Dallas intends to aggressively pursue Kevin Love, Marc Gasol and/or LaMarcus Aldridge if they hit the open market. The Mavs are confident they can put Anthony in position to contend for a championship immediately and throughout his prime. More important, the Mavs believe that's what is most important to Melo as he decides his destination. http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks/post/_/id/4702423/the-mavs-five-pronged-pitch-to-melo?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Ok Dallas, a Monta - Melo - Dirk trio is not close to as potent as Harden - Melo - Howard. Oh, and we also have that Parsons guy who is pretty good too! And our 18-19 million dollar contract offer ain't too shabby either...
Who am I kidding though? Melo will either be a Knick or a Bull. He likes the spotlight better than THE RING. I'd consider Lowry and Love a God send though. It might even help Maury land in the top 5 of the Executive of Year award!
What culture of winning? They won a title 4 years ago. Since then they missed the playoffs once and got booted in the first round twice. They have two division titles in the last 25 years. No Hall of Famers. But they gave a GREAT coach breh!
Since our last title was 19 years ago. Since then we've missed the playoffs on numerous occasions and made it out of the 1st round once in the last 16 years. Truth hurts.
I think the team only makes the jump to championship contender if Melo comes AND Chandler stays, or if Chandler leaves but we get Melo and Lowry or Love. But just bringing in Melo and losing Chandler - I don't think will get us over OKC, SA, or LAC.
