The Dallas Mavericks are facing a critical offseason after a disastrous season marred by injuries and underwhelming performances. With star player Luka Doncic carrying a heavy load, the franchise is reportedly considering a bold move to reshape its roster. According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the Mavericks could target Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball as a potential replacement for Kyrie Irving, who recently suffered a torn ACL.
“The Mavericks must decide about Irving, who recently tore his ACL. Can the franchise afford to wait for him? Will he be his usual self early in the year, or will he need more than a year to return to form? They ‘probably’ do, but pivoting to a younger scoring point guard like LaMelo Ball could be a radical but viable alternative,” Pincus wrote. Ball, a 23-year-old rising superstar, is seen as a dynamic playmaker who could complement Doncic and inject new energy into the Dallas Mavericks’ lineup.

LaMelo Ball (Image via Getty)

Irving’s injury has left Dallas with tough decisions. If the team opts to trade him, they could package him with other assets to acquire LaMelo Ball. Alternatively, the Mavericks might offer players like Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, and Caleb Martin, along with future first-round draft picks, to entice the Hornets. Gafford, a reliable center, and Washington, a versatile forward, could be valuable pieces for Charlotte, while Dallas would gain a young, high-ceiling guard in Ball.
The Dallas Mavericks are also keen on retaining promising young center Dereck Lively II, who has shown flashes of potential. However, the team’s immediate focus is on addressing their backcourt issues and finding a long-term solution to support Doncic. A trade for Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball would signal a shift toward building a younger, more dynamic core.
Also read: NBA Offseason Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers looking to bag $179,299,750 Denver Nuggets superstar to bolster roster; perfect fit for Luka-LeBron duo?
This offseason is pivotal for the Dallas Mavericks. After a season derailed by injuries and questionable roster moves, the franchise must make strategic decisions to return to championship contention. Whether they pursue Ball or explore other options, the goal remains clear: to bring optimism back to their fan base and position themselves as serious contenders in the Western Conference. The clock is ticking for Dallas to make the right moves and turn the page on a disappointing chapter.

Among the beauty of Texas spring blooms at the Dallas Arboretum is the glory of the simplest moments of everyday life. A series of Seward Johnson’s sculptures complement the 40^th annual Dallas Blooms 2025: Outside the Ordinary and will remain on view through Sept. 1.

Every spring, North Texans go to the Dallas Arboretum for the blooming of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and cherry blossoms and this year, they will stay for Johnson’s hyper-realistic works.

“We put art in gardens because  it is as old as time. Art and gardens have gone together forever. Horticulture is an art in itself, and they just play off each other so beautifully,” said Sabina Carr, Dallas Arboretum’s President and CEO.

Johnson, who died in 2020, was the grandson of the Johnson & Johnson co-founder. After his uncle fired him from the family business at age 38, Johnson forged his own career as an artist. He created life-size bronze sculptures depicting ordinary people doing ordinary things.

“It’s all about the small slices of life,” said Dustin Miller, Dallas Arboretum’s Vice President of Programs and Learning.

Johnson also established Grounds For Sculpture, a botanical and sculpture garden outside of Treton, New Jersey. Johnson’s monumental work, Crossing Paths, features two women sitting on a bench, chatting. The sculpture’s home is Grounds For Sculpture, and this is the first time the work has traveled outside of New Jersey.

Kimberly Richard

Kimberly Richard

The Dallas Arboretum displayed Johnson’s sculptures in the summer of 2020 and this monumental version of Crossing Paths sits in the same spot as the life-size version was five years ago. It is so large that it can be seen from Garland Road. But what does it mean?

“It is up to you what it means. It is a capture of just a moment in time, of something ordinary in time. Seward believed the small things in life are the more important things in life, “ Carr said.

The life-size sculptures dotted throughout the garden highlight Johnson’s skill and development of his technique over time. Tending the Garden is a rare commission.

Kimberly Richard

Kimberly Richard

“Seward Johnson had a woman approach him and ask him to create her likeness as a sculpture,” Miller said. “Interestingly and sadly, she passed away before it was finished.”

The sculpture depicts a woman gardening with her dog jumping up for her attention.

“It’s a great example of his late works. You can really see the fine detail, especially with the veins on her hands. This is the fully painted patina. This is all with automobile paint. They actually create this, and they layer it up so the first layer could be green and blue paint and then they work their way up to this realistic life-like look,” Miller said.

Kimberly Richard

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Kimberly Richard

Johnson used the client’s dog for a model and his attention to detail can be seen in the woman’s clothing. Johnson would request clothing from a client, thrift appropriate clothing or buy new clothing from Bergdorf Goodman and replicate the texture precisely.

“All of this fabric is actually either stainless steel or blended metal, depending on what sculpture you’re looking at, but the texture is from an authentic piece of fabric to make it look so realistic,” Miller said.

Overlooking the garden’s concert hill is When Then Becomes Now. A woman is sketching a familiar vista.

“Everywhere this goes, they customize the artwork, so she is actually drawing the concert hill here,” Miller said.

Kimberly Richard

Kimberly Richard

This sculpture is not fully painted, further highlighting Johnson’s precise details.

“For me , this is one of the ones that most realistically shows clothes, especially that tank she’s got under the sweater,” Miller said.

Hot Weather depicts a man licking an ice cream cone. This summer, the flower bed surrounding the sculpture will features plants and flowers with names inspired by ice cream and sundaes. The sculpture includes a prominent watch, a favorite element for Johnson to create, and a bandage.

“He does little nods to the family business,” Miller said.

Kimberly Richard

Kimberly Richard

The style of the man’s blue jeans provide a hint about the sculpture.

“You can also start to approximate the age of the sculpture based on the style of the Levis,” Miller said.

Johnson’s sculptures show cherishing life’s simple moments never goes out of style.

Learn more: Dallas Arboretum

Dallas will soon get a grocery market again in the heart of downtown — and from a local brand.

Ari’s Pantry, which specializes in Italian products, is planning to open a shop in April on Main and Ervay streets, according to a post on the store’s Instagram account and Ari Lowenstein, who is the owner behind the shops. It’s where Berkley’s Market operated until it closed last year amid a consolidation.

Ari’s Pantry already has shops in Oak Cliff and Trinity Groves in Dallas — and the new store will be the biggest of the three, Lowenstein said.

The new shop will include produce, cheese, meats and pasta, along with wine and beer. There also will be a coffee service area with a barista and a gelato bar. Customers will find options for ready-to-go meals, salads, snacks and panini as well.

The store is a welcome addition to residents of downtown and local shoppers who were left without a key place for getting groceries with the Berkley’s closure. While there are grocery stores such as Whole Foods in nearby areas in Uptown and elsewhere, there’s no traditional shop in the core of the city.

The addition comes as downtown retail faces other challenges elsewhere including the planned shuttering of the iconic Neiman Marcus, a landmark destination for over 100 years.

Downtown needs more grocery options, Lowenstein said, as more people move into the area. At the end of last year, there were more than 10,000 existing and under-construction apartments in the city’s urban center — twice as many as a decade ago, according to CoStar.

The store can serve a real need for people who are nearby the site.

“They can just walk downstairs, or walk down the block, and grab their little red bags of Ari’s Pantry goodies,” Lowenstein said. “I’ve seen enough examples of the two stores that we have, (that I) believe that downtown – it’s going to be very successful.”

Lowenstein noted gifts can be a draw for shoppers as well.

Lowenstein, the proprietor at Ari’s Pantry, opened his first store in Oak Cliff in 2023. The new store is a joint venture between Lowenstein and other investors with interests downtown.

He plans to open new stores in other areas of North Texas in the future as well.

“As a beloved local and growing business, Ari’s is perfectly positioned to meet the growing demand for a high-quality grocery and grab-and-go option,” said Shalissa Perry, Downtown Dallas Inc.’s chief experience officer, in a statement. ”Downtown’s residents, workforce, and visitors have long expressed a continued desire for concepts such as this, and Ari’s arrival is a testament to the district’s ongoing evolution.”

Dallas dangles ‘financially beneficial’ opportunity to keep Neiman Marcus downtown

Consortium wants meeting in next 10 days ahead of slated shuttering on March 31.

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It’s set to be at the northwest corner of Interstate 35W and Robson Ranch Road.