Wesley Matthews got more money from the Mavericks when DeAndre Jordan spurned Dallas for the Clippers.
Apparently, J.J. Barea – who agreed to a two-year, $5.6 million contract – got the same treatment.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas:
Mavs signed JJ Barea to 4-year, $16M deal. He originally agreed to 2-year, $5.7M deal but renegotiated after DeAndre Jordan backed out.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 16, 2015
DeAndre Jordan's decision led to the Mavs paying Wesley Matthews an extra $13M and J.J. Barea an extra $10.3M.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 16, 2015
On one hand, the Mavericks had extra cap space laying around after Jordan’s surprise turnaround. On the other hand, they could have used that money to improve the team this year and in coming years.
Instead, they lock up the 31-year-old Barea, who fits Rick Carlisle’s system but relies on his quick first step to get to the basket. If he loses athleticism into his 30s, Barea could become unplayable.
As the salary-cap rises, $4 million per season isn’t a huge investment. But it eats into the Mavericks’ flexibility, and they lock in further with a roster that’s mediocre in the Western Conference.
I can see why Mark Cuban wants to let those types of teams into the playoffs.
