DALLAS — Deron Williams is re-upping with his hometown Dallas Mavericks, who are also bringing back promising young forward Dwight Powell.
DALLAS — Deron Williams is re-upping with his hometown Dallas Mavericks, who are also bringing back promising young forward Dwight Powell.
Two people with knowledge of the deals said Sunday night that Williams has agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract, while Powell is set for a four-year deal worth $37 million. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because contracts can’t be signed before July 7.
Powell is a restricted free agent, which means Dallas could have matched any offer from another team.
The Mavericks are also trying to pry a restricted free agent from two-time Western Conference champion Golden State, with plans to sign Harrison Barnes to an offer sheet on a maximum contract at four years and $95 million. The Warriors could match the deal if they miss out in their pursuit of Kevin Durant.
The three agreements in a span of two days come after the Mavericks missed out on their top targets in free agency for the fifth consecutive year. Memphis guard Mike Conley and Miami center Hassan Whiteside decided to stay with their current teams, both on maximum contracts.
Barnes is a potential replacement for Chandler Parsons, who has an agreement on a max deal with Memphis after two seasons in Dallas.
The 32-year-old Williams will make twice what the former Dallas-area high school star made in his first season with the Mavericks. The point guard joined them after taking a buyout in Brooklyn.
While his time with the Nets was marked by moodiness and frequent injury issues, Williams left an impression on coach Rick Carlisle by trying to play through a sports hernia in a first-round playoff loss to Oklahoma City.
Williams, who had surgery after the season, played a big role in helping the Mavericks to their only win in the series in Game 2. He sat out the third game trying to get ready to finish the series, but lasted just 89 seconds in a Game 4 loss at home. The Thunder won the series in five games.
Williams reversed a three-year decline in scoring last season by averaging 14.1 points to go with a team-high 5.8 assists per game.
Powell, who turns 25 this month, is all Dallas has left to show for the ill-fated Rajon Rondo trade with Boston in December 2014. The Mavericks like his athleticism, and he is coming off career-high averages of 5.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in his fourth season.
Rondo heading to Bulls
Rajon Rondo has a new beginning in Chicago, and the Bulls have a new starting point guard.
The four-time All-Star agreed Sunday on a $30 million, two-year deal, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no deal can be signed until the league’s offseason moratorium ends on Thursday.
Rondo becomes the Bulls’ replacement at point guard for Derrick Rose, the former NBA MVP who was traded to the New York Knicks last month.
Chicago becomes Rondo’s fourth team in less than two years. He spent his 8 ½ seasons in Boston, winning a championship with the Celtics in 2008. The Celtics traded him to Dallas in December 2014, and Rondo spent last season in Sacramento.
Rondo averaged 11.9 points and an NBA-best 11.7 assists with the Kings. Last season was the fourth in which Rondo averaged a double-double, and the first time he did so since 2012-13 — the last of his four All-Star seasons with the Celtics.
Rondo had at least 10 assists in 51 of his 72 games with the Kings last season, including two games where he finished with 20 — both of those against the Charlotte Hornets. He’s going to a Bulls club that went 42-40 last season under then-rookie coach Fred Hoiberg as Chicago missed the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.