Probably not the best move for Dallas, but apparantly there is some mutual interest....
Mavs considering 'edgy' point guard
By JEFF CAPLAN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Steve Francis, a scoring point guard, is looking for yet another place to call home in the NBA.
LAS VEGAS -- Something of a mutual attraction has cropped up between the Mavericks and freshly minted unrestricted free agent Steve Francis.
The Mavs were one of "numerous" teams to speak with Francis' agent, Jeff Fried, soon after Portland officially bought out the remainder of Francis' contract after the league's "moratorium period" ended Tuesday night.
Fried said Francis, who played the first five years of his career with the Houston Rockets, considers the Mavs a strong fit. Indications are that team fit will outweigh salary considerations since the edgy eight-year veteran and former All-Star reportedly collected $30 million in the buyout, which also made him an unrestricted free agent.
Francis (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) had $34 million remaining on the last two years of his deal when New York traded him to the Trail Blazers on draft night.
Fried said conversations with the Mavs have not reached the level of salary negotiation. The Mavs have a mid-level exception, valued at $5.356 million, to spend. They can use the full amount on one player, split it up, or not use it all.
"Obviously, we're always looking to add good players," said Donnie Nelson, the Mavs' president of basketball operations. "Right now we're in discussions with a lot of different guys."
The Mavs had interest in sought-after swingman Gerald Wallace, but he reached an agreement Wednesday to remain with Charlotte.
Another player of some interest could be veteran forward Chris Webber, 34, a low-post presence whom the Mavs were interested in last season before he chose to sign with his hometown Detroit Pistons, his fifth team in 14 seasons.
"Those guys have a lot of options," said Mavs coach Avery Johnson, who is in Las Vegas watching Dallas' summer league team. "We'll see which team they choose."
With the dysfunctional Knicks, the pairing of Francis and Stephon Marbury -- two similar players -- never clicked. Adding to Francis' frustration were injuries that limited him to 44 games last season.
He averaged a career-low 11.3 points, 3.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds -- well below his career numbers of 18.4 points, 6.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds.
"He's pretty edgy," Johnson said. "He's been pretty good when he's been healthy and, obviously, he hasn't had the best situations over the last couple of years. Who knows what's going to happen there."
Johnson reiterated Wednesday his desire to give Devin Harris a more prominent role at point guard. Jason Terry has started there the past three seasons, with Harris coming off the bench or playing the two-guard.
The combo helped the Mavs reach the NBA Finals in 2006, but after last season's first-round playoff bust, Johnson made improving ball movement a priority.
Francis, known more as a scoring point guard, might be underrated as a passer, having averaged between 6.2 and 7.0 assists in his first six seasons. He's also been excellent at drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line.
At ude issues finally wore thin in Houston, which traded "Stevie Franchise" to Orlando in a seven-player deal that sent Tracy McGrady to the Rockets, a sign of how highly valued Francis was only three years ago.
"He rebounds and he can score," Nelson said. "There are a lot of positives."
The Mavs have the maximum 15 players on the roster, but four are not guaranteed spots -- second-round draft picks Nick Fazekas and Reyshawn Terry, plus second-year players J.J. Barea and Pops Mensah-Bonsu.
Nelson said he won't give up "valuable, young assets" to create roster space unless it's an upgrade.
The Clippers and Miami Heat, who have shown interest in point guards Mo Williams and Steve Blake, reportedly are front-runners with the Mavs for Francis.
Details, details
Don't worry that Jerry Stackhouse and Devean George didn't sign contracts on Wednesday, Donnie Nelson said. "Paperwork and rhetoric," he said kept the deals from becoming official, but both likely will be finalized today
Clippers look interested.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1762141.php
Clippers' top choice: Francis
The team wants an upgrade at point guard, and the veteran's contract was bought out by the Trail Blazers.
By ART THOMPSON III
The Orange County Register
The Clippers' first step in pursuing Steve Francis was taken Wednesday when the Portland Trail Blazers requested waivers on the veteran point guard and reached an agreement on a buyout of his contract.
Terms of the buyout were not disclosed, but Francis had a guaranteed $34,250,000 owed to him for the remaining two years.
Teams can negotiate with Francis but, as per the NBA's offseason rules, he will not clear waivers until July 19, at which point he can be signed by another team.
The Clippers have a payroll of $61.5 million, which puts them over the salary cap of $55.630 million for the 2007-2008 season. However, the Clippers have their mid-level exception of $5.25 million to offer, and it is thought that it would take that entire amount to sign Francis.
Francis, 30, is a three-time All-Star, but he averaged career lows in points (11.3) and assists (3.9), while playing in a career-low 44 games last season.
When Portland acquired him last month in a draft-night trade with the New York Knicks, it was made clear that Francis did not fit into the plans of the Trail Blazers, who are attempting to make over their team with youth and good character players.
Portland took center Greg Oden with the first overall pick in this year's draft to add to a young nucleus that includes third-year players Jarrett Jack and Martell Webster, and second-year player Brandon Roy, who was last season's rookie of the year.
Francis was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1999, with the second-overall pick in the draft. But he balked at being drafted by the Grizzlies and was traded three months later to the Houston Rockets. He was co-rookie of the year that season with Chicago's Elton Brand.
Francis played five seasons with Houston before being traded in 2004 to the Orlando Magic. Orlando traded him to the Knicks in February 2006. Francis' best friend is Clippers shooting guard Cuttino Mobley. The two played together for five years in Houston and were packaged together in the trade to Orlando.
Before leaving last Sunday for the Las Vegas Summer League, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said offers had been made to four free agent point guards that the Clippers had targeted. However, it is acknowledged by several members of the basketball staff that Francis is the top choice.
Until the Clippers secure their point guard situation, the business with finalizing forward Yaroslav Korolev's contract remains on hold. The two sides tentatively have agreed to a one-year guaranteed deal of $800,000, with a club option for the second year.
I'm guessing he ends up in LA. The bond that he and Cuttino share is special.
I'd rather have AIDS
that's the only encouraging thing in that entire article.
I was wondering about that very thing. If the Mavs bring in this cancer, it will further re Devin Harris' development.
He possibly could be useful if his at ude didn't suck and if he was willing to be a bench player.
Yeah, that's kind of how I feel. Swallow your ego like Stack did and come off the bench for the MLE. Otherwise, no thanks.
Ohhh... It will be hard in that locker room where Francis will be in... Sorry for team who sign Steve...
Call me crazy but I think Francis would be a good signing for them.
ya'll need someone to replace devin harris's inept ass.
i cant believe real mavs fans like harris so much. that kid SUCKS
Circa 2000 the Mavs couldn't give Steve Nash away, so it's way too early to close the book on Devin. And Harris doesn't suck, he merely has his flaws, such as no outside jumper and a tendency to telegraph his passes. After he sliced up your interior defense last year in the semifinals, I can't believe you'd dismiss him so easily. If he's as good now as he's ever going to be, then I would agree, the Mavs need to get an upgrade at PG. But you don't know that for sure yet.
I concur this was the same thing i was thinking last night when i read about the Clippers interest in him!
spoken like a true bitter spurs fan who still remembers harris torching parker in 06
That's what I was thinking. Spurs are the best defensive team in the League, have been for quite some time, and he had no trouble getting to the basket. Only time he didn't hurt them was in Game Six, since Terry wasn't available to make them pay for packing the lane.
he had his moments where he was able to take advantage of the attention we were paying to everyone else on the floor, but he is very easy to figure out and cant "slice up interior d's" regularly. Plus he thinks he is so much better than he really is.
hahaha, torching is NOT the word I would use. he got lucky a few times and is NOWHERE NEAR the finisher parker is. Every time harris got to the hole he would get the luckiest in bounces, the and 1, and then walk to the line like he was badass or something. and all the bitterness has been washed away by the sweet sweet taste of championship gold with a first round dallas exit to top it off.
IMO the bitterness died, or at least started to, when Miami beat them from almost 3 down. If not that, the first round exit took care of most of it and #4 waxed and polished it all off.
06-07 Spurs would have beat Dallas anyway.
Mavs should thank Manu Ginobili for at least letting them have one season when they didn't choke in the playoffs. Wait...
As would the 06-07 Suns due to Amare being back.
I didn't realize Mavs were so desperate...
I didn't realize Mavs were so desperate...
doubt it will happen but he would be a good back up PG to harris if terry is traded. but everyday it looks more like that wont happen.
If Mavs get Francis, he might be their best post-up player
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