Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Yogi Ferrell says no hard feelings with Dallas, he needed change in career

Dallas Mavericks v New York Knicks

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 13: (EDITOR’S NOTE: Alternate crop) Yogi Ferrell #11 of the Dallas Mavericks looks down the court in the second quarter against the New York Knicks during their game at Madison Square Garden on March 13, 2018 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Yogi Ferrell verbally agreed to a contract to stay with the Dallas Mavericks — then realized his agent had gotten him into a terrible contract. Rather than take the one-year qualifying offer for $2.9 million then become an unrestricted free agent next year, but the deal they first agreed to was for less money ($2.5 million) then gave Dallas all the power with a $2.9 million player option the second year. Backing out of an agreed to deal is not a good look, but Ferrell wanted to get a better deal for himself.

He did with a two-year, $6.2 million contract with the Kings.

On The Jim Rome Show a couple days ago, Ferrell said there were no hard feelings.

“I was fortunate (the Mavericks) were able to put me in the position that they were in. There were no hard feelings. I decided I needed the chance in my career. With my style of play, I feel like it fits better with the Kings than the Mavericks.”

He thanked the Mavericks — including Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle specifically — for giving him a chance when other teams did not. However, with ball handlers such as Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic on the roster, his role was not going to expand.

Sacramento has De’Aaron Fox at the point and Ferrell will back him up, getting run in an athletic second unit that includes Buddy Hield, Harry Giles (who showed real promise at Summer League) and more. Ferrell is going to get more of a chance, then can be a free agent in 2020 when there should be a lot more cash available in the market than this past summer.