The Brooklyn Nets confronted excessive expectations coming into the season. As an alternative, they have been swept by Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics within the first spherical of the playoffs.
Issues have been really going fairly nicely for the Nets early on. Earlier than Durant suffered an MCL sprain, the workforce held a 27-15 document regardless of Kyrie Irving and he was really broadly thought of the MVP favourite on the midway mark.
There was a fallout between Durant and James Harden ensuing within the blockbuster NBA commerce deadline deal sending him to the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, the Ben Simmons nightmare is on the forefront of the Nets’ issues.
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Durant needed to shoulder a heavy workload after the Harden commerce whereas ready for Irving’s full-time standing to be restored. The heavy workload continued within the playoffs with a mean of 44.0 minutes per recreation. With the Celtics’ protection loading up on him, he averaged 26.3 factors per recreation however shot simply 38.6 p.c from the ground.
A lot of the eye to the Nets’ shortcomings have been targeted on Irving. Between initially not being part of the workforce then being restricted to part-time standing, it was difficult for Brooklyn to construct workforce chemistry forward of the playoffs. The instability has sparked debates about the kind of roster modifications the Nets ought to think about.
If Irving was to depart, the place would he go? Per BetOnline, the percentages for Irving’s subsequent workforce if not the Nets, the Mavericks (+250) trailed solely the LA Clippers (+200). Different groups who made the checklist embody the Houston Rockets (+300), Chicago Bulls (+400), Los Angeles Lakers (+400), Miami Warmth (+750), and New York Knicks (+1200).
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It is unlikely Irving will determine to go away the Nets given how shut of a relationship he has with Kevin Durant, however there can be no scarcity of suitors if he have been to be open to the likelihood.
“I don’t actually plan on going anyplace. That is added motivation for our franchise to be on the high of the league for the subsequent few years,” Irving stated. “I’m simply wanting ahead to the summer season, and simply constructing with our guys right here.”
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ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was most vocal amongst Irving’s current critics — slamming the celebrity for a continued lack of dedication after Irving commented on how he’ll share accountability within the Nets’ plans alongside Durant.
“REALLY!? Actually? Are you kidding me? … The very first thing you need to do is decide to displaying as much as work!”
The Mavericks can have their concentrate on retaining Jalen Brunson in free company versus taking part in the star chasing recreation. Final offseason, there have been excessive hopes of signing Kyle Lowry all for a deal to be seemingly lined up with the Miami Warmth earlier than the precise begin of free company.
The concept of including Irving from a expertise standpoint can be intriguing for almost any workforce. Nonetheless, the rising notion of him being unreliable possible would hold some groups from giving it severe consideration.
Klay Thompson’s unrestricted free agency will begin at 6 pm ET on Sunday (June 30). The Golden State Warriors veteran has not reached an agreement on a new deal to remain in the Bay Area. As such, he is free to discuss terms with any team in the league. Therefore, the likelihood of Thompson leaving Golden State is growing by the day.
According to a recent report by Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks are the latest team to register an interest in Thompson after clearing some cap space by sending Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Detroit Pistons.
“League sources tell The Stein Line that the Dallas Mavericks, with some newfound financial flexibility after securing the Tim Hardaway Jr.-to-Detroit trade that I wrote about Tuesday, are another team intent on exploring the feasibility of signing Thompson once he makes it to free agency,” Stein reported.
The Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets have also been cited as interested in adding the veteran shooter. Other contending teams will likely value Thompson’s shooting and wing defense.
Golden State could still retain Thompson; however, the longer they wait to open negotiations, the less likely it seems that he will still be with the team at the start of next season.
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The Dallas Mavericks are looking to make a splash to their starting lineup after making a run to the NBA Finals. They may have lost in five games to the Boston Celtics but they’re still one of the NBA’s best teams and need to make some changes around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to get over the hump.
One option the Mavericks are looking into is Klay Thompson, who has spent his entire career with the Golden State Warriors up to this point. Per Marc Stein “League sources tell The Stein Line that the Dallas Mavericks, with some newfound financial flexibility after securing the Tim Hardaway Jr.-to-Detroit trade that I wrote about Tuesday, are another team intent on exploring the feasibility of signing Thompson once he makes it to free agency.”
READ MORE: Mavericks Trade Tim Hardaway Jr. to Pistons in Exchange for Quentin Grimes
Thompson does not have an offer on the table to return to Golden State as of Friday morning and will explore his options in the open market. He’s not the same player he was in the prime of Golden State’s dynasty at the end of the 2010s after an ACL and Achilles tear, but he still averaged 17.9 PPG while shooting 38.7% from 3 this season. For a Mavericks team looking for a third scoring option and an elite shooter, Thompson could fit alongside Doncic and Irving seamlessly. He’s still a positive defensively, even if he’s not as quick laterally as he used to be.
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The Warriors may be more willing to facilitate a sign-and-trade as well, as they’re still looking to get back into contention as long as they have Stephen Curry playing at an elite level. Dallas sits just under $15 million below the first tax apron, but they’re likely to use the majority of that to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr. Thompson is likely looking for a 2 or 3-year contract as he enters the latter stages of his career.
Dallas could dangle Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, and trade exceptions to equal around $32.6 million in salary if the option opens up for a quality trade. The remaining trade exception from the Richaun Holmes trade at last year’s draft expires July 8th and it’d be best for a contending team to not let any asset expire.
Other reports have shown that the Mavericks are interested in Denver’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope but that Denver would be unlikely to help facilitate a sign-and-trade with another contending Western Conference team. Thompson, at 34 years old, is a better player than Caldwell-Pope but his value may be similar given his age.
Teams can start openly negotiating with free agents on June 30th, which is just two days away. There is a good chance the Mavericks reach an extension with Derrick Jones Jr. before then so they know exactly how much they can operate with in this year’s free agency.
READ MORE: NBA Free Agency Rumors: Dallas Mavericks Interested In Two-Time Champion Guard
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The Afiya Center, Texas’s only Black-led and Black women-centered reproductive justice organization, is hosting its 11th annual Get Tested, Grab A Bite! HIV testing event in Dallas this weekend.
The Afiya Center works to advocate, educate, and provide resources to empower Black women in Texas living with AIDS.
In 2021, the Dallas County saw a 30% increase in HIV cases among men and a 6.5% increase among women. In its newly released State of Black Womxn in Texas Report, the Afiya Center found that in 2021, young Black women accounted for 51% of new diagnoses among women under the age of 25, but sex education and disease prevention programs in the state rarely address community needs.
“Texas is known to be like a resource rich kind of state, right?” Afiya Center founder Marsha Jones said. “But those resources don’t meet the people who need them the most.”
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Jones started the free testing event to bring attention to the lack of resources, as well as normalize HIV testing for women.
“We wanted to make this a day that wouldn’t just be focused on HIV testing, but it would really have a sense of community,” Jones said.
Attendees who want to get tested will be able to get a full STI screening free of charge. Dallas County Health and Human Services will provide[NF1] mobile testing sites to help the organization collect data and build more resources in areas that need them.
“It helps us to build out our program,” Jones said. “It helps us to shape narratives around the importance of getting tested.”
People who choose not to get tested can still enjoy the free event filled with free food and live DJs. Jones has urged vendors not to sell anything to avoid discouraging people from attending an event that is based around finding a safe space.
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“This is literally a day to enjoy life and have a good time and get some updated information about your sexual health,” Jones said.
The Get Tested, Grab a Bite! event is on Saturday, June 29, from 3-7 p.m. in Glendale Park.
Zara Amaechi is KERA’s Marjorie Welch Fitts Louis fellow covering race and social justice. Got a tip? Email Zara at zamaechi@kera.org. You can follow her on X @amaechizara.
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