Since DeAndre Jordan slipped through their fingers this summer, the Mavericks have been in search of a center. They’ve picked up a couple of serviceable backups, the likes of Samuel Dalembert and Zaza Pachulia, but neither of those are long-term solutions. They’ve been linked to JaVale McGee, last seen with the Sixers when not promoting his #JugLife movement on Instagram. Now, they apparently have competition for his services, reports Basketball Insiders’ Alex Kennedy:
Sources close to JaVale McGee say he's focused on getting healthy. Several teams have shown interest. Mavs, Lakers seem like frontrunners.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) August 8, 2015
McGee has dealt with leg problems for much of the last two seasons, so in order to get consistent minutes on either of these teams, he would have to prove he can stay healthy. He probably has a better chance at cracking the rotation for the Mavs than the Lakers, who traded for Roy Hibbert and have a handful of talented young bigs including Julius Randle, Tarik Black and (potentially) Robert Upshaw. Dallas is much thinner up front with proven talent. If McGee can stay healthy and stay engaged (two very big if’s), he’s the better fit there.