Mavericks close to signing Tim Thomas

According to Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com, the Dallas Mavericks are close to signing Tim Thomas to a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum:

Power forward Tim Thomas will visit the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday and the sides are expected to reach an agreement on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum his agent, Bob Myers, said Monday.

Thomas, 33, played just 18 games with the Mavs last season before leaving the team to be with his ailing wife. He never disclosed his wife’s illness, but she is apparently doing well enough for Thomas to return to the league. Both sides handled last season’s situation in good faith and want to continue the relationship. ESPN.com’s Marc Stein first reported in late July that Thomas and the Mavs were working on a deal.

“If all goes well, we’ll reach an agreement,” Myers said Monday.

When he did play, Thomas wasn’t bad at all for the Mavericks: he averaged 7.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 16 minutes per game, and shot 37.2% from beyond the arc. At 33 years old, Thomas isn’t ancient, and he relies more on his length and shooting ability more than his athleticism anyways. Motivation is always a question for Thomas, but a player with his talent is a risk worth taking for the veteran’s minimum, especially with Dallas being so thin at the power forward spot.