NBA notebook: Mavs, Real Madrid reach buyout deal on Doncic
The Dallas Mavericks and Real Madrid have reached a buyout agreement, meaning the Mavericks now are free to negotiate with guard Luka Doncic, according to multiple reports Saturday. Doncic also must have a letter of clearance from FIBA, must pass a physical and then sign a contract, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters earlier this week. Doncic was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft in June by Atlanta, then traded to the Mavericks for guard Trae Young and a future first-round pick. Mavs owner Mark Cuban told reporters Friday that the team hopes Doncic will play in the team's summer league game on Sunday, although the Slovenian star is not expected to see much time in Las Vegas. The Mavericks are reportedly concerned about overworking the 19-year-old, who led Real Madrid to the Liga ACB championship and EuroLeague title in the last few months. Counting all of his commitments to teams in Europe, Doncic has appeared in more than 150 games over the past two seasons. --Charlotte Hornets guard Malik Monk is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks because of a fractured right thumb, the team announced. He will miss the rest of Las Vegas Summer League action and be re-evaluated in late August or early September. The 20-year-old Monk, entering his second season after being picked in the first round (No. 11 overall) of the 2017 NBA Draft, was injured during the team's summer league win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday in Las Vegas. Monk scored a team-high 23 points in the Hornets' 88-87 loss, sinking four 3-pointers and 9 of 16 shots overall. The Hornets had reportedly been hoping to boost Monk's confidence and improve his ball-handling over the summer league, as Monk recorded just one turnover in 27 minutes against the Thunder. --The Utah Jazz announced they have waived forward Jonas Jerebko, and he plans to join the Golden State Warriors if he clears waivers, according to an ESPN report. Jerebko's $4.2 million salary for 2018-19 was not guaranteed, but any team can claim him on waivers, which would guarantee his salary. If he goes unclaimed, he will become a free agent on Monday, allowing him to sign a one-year deal for the veteran minimum with Golden State. Jerebko, 31, a 6-foot-10 forward, averaged 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game last season, appearing in 74 contests (19 starts) in his first season with the Jazz. He shot 41.4 percent from 3-point range, the second-best mark in a season during his nine-year career. --The Minnesota Timberwolves announced that they have signed rookie forward Keita Bates-Diop, who was the 48th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The team did not announce the terms of the contract, but The Athletic reported it was a three-year deal, with the first two years being fully guaranteed. Bates-Diop, from Ohio State, was named the 2017-18 Big Ten Player of the Year following his redshirt junior season with the Buckeyes. The Wooden Award finalist and Naismith Player of the Year award semifinalist averaged 19.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks on his way to being named a consensus Second Team All-American. He led the Big Ten in scoring, shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from three-point range. --Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard Landry Shamet will miss the remainder of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas after he sprained his right ankle Friday night against Boston, the 76ers medical staff announced. Shamet sprained the ankle in the second quarter of the game at the Thomas & Mack Center. X-rays were negative and Shamet will be re-evaluated in about three weeks, the team said. The 76ers selected Shamet with the 26th pick of the 2018 NBA Draft in June after his two seasons at Wichita State. In 2017-18, he averaged 14.9 points and 5.2 assists per game and was named to the All-AAC First Team. --Field Level Media
