1. CHRIS BOSH HOMECOMING?: Let's start from the top -- an ESPN Insider piece suggested the Mavericks reload with Chris Bosh, and shortly afterwards, ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon reports that neither Dallas or Bosh is interested in that sort of reunion with the Dallas Lincoln High product.
There's not much the Mavericks can do about the latter, and Chris Bosh isn't even a free agent yet -- he would have to opt out of two years and $42.7 million left on his contract, leaving a team that looks to be on a direct line for a fourth-straight NBA Finals appearance.
But CBS Sports' Matt Moore says that it's troubling that the Mavericks aren't interested on their end. He says Bosh is an excellent defender and, at 30, a good replacement for Dirk, who we all know turns 36 this summer.
2. WOULD HE FIT THE MAVS: I don't hate the idea. Bosh is an underrated defender and, at 30, still is in his prime. But admittedly, he's no Tyson Chandler (2011 version), and the Mavericks would probably have to move one of the backcourt players somewhere. Maybe they could unload Jose Calderon entirely, but more likely, they'd have to send him to the bench. It's an unlikely scenario, so we probably shouldn't worry about it too much. But if the goal is to make Dirk Nowitzki the second-best player, Chris Bosh would do that, whatever the price tag. I'm not kidding. He scored 24 a game with a TS% of 59 percent his last year in Toronto before taking a lesser role in Miami. Y'all forget just how good he is....
3. STEIN REPORTS: Marc's the second-most reliable man in the NBA reporting world behind Woj, but when it comes to the Mavericks, there's no one better. He's constantly around the team at games, and even though he'll spend most of his post-game in the visitor's locker room, he'll always circle back and catch Dirk for a conversation after the "regular media" finish up with him.
So when he gives the "Summer Scoop," it's definitely worth listening to. What he says in a nutshell:
- The Mavericks believe in their core they've assembled.
- They will pursue LeBron and Carmelo in free agency, although it's maybe more likely than ever that they strike out like the previous two years.
- Players the Mavericks are interested in: Tyson Chandler, Larry Sanders, Luol Deng. A player they aren't: Lance Stephenson.
- The Mavericks have mutual interest to bring back Vince Carter, Shawn Marion and Devin Harris. Of those three, Marion is the one the Mavs worry might find more money elsewhere and depart.
4. GRANTLAND + ORAL HISTORY ALERT: All the King's Men, by feature writing extraordinaire Jonathan Abrams. It's looooong. It's also fantastic. Give it a read, won't you?
5. WELCOME TO THE FIVE OUT OFFENSE: Consider this a trial run for our new summer daily post. The gist: five things that are Mavericks related every morning around lunchtime (this first one is just special, but in the future they will go up around 11 or 12 central time). It might be free agency rumors, links to a great article about the Mavericks or the NBA, or personal musings about what the Mavericks should do by the author of the post.
Basically, just trust that the Five Out Offense will keep you up to date on the Mavericks each day of the week. We're excited about it and you should be too. If you have feedback or suggestions, go south until you reach the comment section and drop us a line.