Free agent Matt Duchene found peace in Dallas, wants to re-sign with Stars for 2024-25
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When the season came to a close and Pete DeBoer spoke in his exit interview Tuesday, he gave Chris Tanev what he called the highest possible compliment.
“He changed our team when he came in — in a lot of different ways,” he said. “We were a different team from that point on. That’s because of all the things he brought to the table.”
Before adding Tanev ahead of the March trade deadline, Dallas was a middle-of-the-pack defensive team, ranking 14th in goals against per game (3.03). After Tanev joined the roster, the Stars climbed to second in the league for the last month of the season in that category (2.11). In the playoffs, they finished fifth (2.53).
Tanev proved to be the perfect fit for the Stars, justifying why he was so highly sought after by GM Jim Nill during the trade season. While he nearly helped Dallas reach the Stanley Cup Final, he and the team came up short of their goals, and now, they’ll have to pull some strings to keep him.
Tanev said in his own exit interview that he’d be happy to stay in Dallas for another year.
“I had a great time here. The organization treated me awesome. Coaches were great. I learned a lot. It was a great journey,” he said. “Hopefully, I’m able to stay here. I had a great time. My family had a great time here. We’ll see how that goes. It’s still obviously really early.”
DeBoer expressed the same sentiment.
“We’d love to have him back,” he said.
But Tanev’s future in Dallas will come down to salary cap and whether the team has room for his contract.
Nill put on a masterclass in negotiations when he landed Tanev in late February. He didn’t give up any first-round draft picks, rostered players or top prospects in the three-team trade with Calgary and New Jersey. He also managed to have those two teams retain 75% of Tanev’s $4.5 million cap hit. Dallas was only responsible for $1.125 million this year.
That won’t be the case next year if the Stars choose to re-sign Tanev. After the year he had, the Stars will likely have to pay at least four times what they did for him this year.
But Tanev could be worth it. With Joe Pavelski likely stepping away from the game, that’ll keep some cap space available. The future of other unrestricted free agents like Jani Hakanpää will play a role as well.
While the Stars are still recovering from Sunday’s crushing loss, the conversations around Tanev are set to begin soon. His time in Dallas may amount to just three months, or he could become a key piece in another deep playoff run next year.
“I had my role, which was awesome. Really good team obviously,” he said. “It’s a team set up for success for quite some time with how good the players are, the different age groups of players and how the young guys have progressed and are going to be elite players in the league. As far as that, I’m super fortunate I was able to be here.”
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U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett will introduce Dallas hip-hop collective Cure for Paranoia at its upcoming album release show in Deep Ellum, according to frontman Cameron McCloud. The Dallas Observer reported the news first.
“I just said I’d love for her to be at the show if she was in town,” McCloud said in a text message. “She didn’t even have to come up if she didn’t want to and she said ‘Oh no, I’m definitely getting on stage.’”
Crockett, a Dallas Democrat, catapulted into the national spotlight in 2024 after a tense exchange with fellow U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene at a House committee meeting. She has since been regarded as a progressive firebrand, frequently in the headlines for heated back-and-forths with politicians across the aisle.
Crockett also recently launched a bid for the U.S. Senate, promoting her campaign in an Instagram video with McCloud, who wrote a verse about her. He has posted new raps every day this year.
“Who else willing to go toe to toe against the president?” he recited in Day No. 343’s verse, adding a later nod to Crockett’s viral remarks about Greene: “Texas tough don’t need no more bad built bleach blonde butch bodies moving forward.”
Crockett discovered McCloud through social media.
“I started listening and thought ‘Man, he’s a genius.’ I was impressed by his ability to sum up what’s going on in under a minute and with accuracy,” she said in a statement. “Especially at a time when people are not listening to traditional news and the easiest thing to do is keep scrolling, Cure captures people’s attention. I was floored to know that not only was he a Texan but a Dallasite.”
Crockett, who has a penchant for alliteration in her speeches, teased a potential performance during her introduction. “I’m known to drop some bars from time to time so you’ll just have to be there and see.”
Cure for Paranoia’s show will be on Dec. 26 at Trees. It will be pegged to the group’s new album, Work of A.R.T., which is slated for release on Dec. 22.
Tickets cost $30.35. 7 to 11 p.m. on Dec. 26. 2709 Elm St., Dallas. For more information, visit treesdallas.com/shows/cure-for-paranoia.
Los Angeles Lakers (18-7, third in the Western Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (10-15, 10th in the Western Conference)
Salt Lake City; Thursday, 9 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Lakers -6.5; over/under is 241.5
BOTTOM LINE: Utah hosts the Los Angeles Lakers after the Jazz took down the Dallas Mavericks 140-133 in overtime.
The Jazz are 6-11 in conference matchups. Utah allows the most points in the Western Conference, giving up 126.1 points and is allowing opponents to shoot 48.8%.
The Lakers have gone 13-5 against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles has a 5-0 record in one-possession games.
The Jazz are shooting 45.8% from the field this season, 2.3 percentage points lower than the 48.1% the Lakers allow to opponents. The Lakers are shooting 50.4% from the field, 1.6% higher than the 48.8% the Jazz’s opponents have shot this season.
The teams meet for the third time this season. The Lakers won 108-106 in the last matchup on Nov. 24. Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 33 points, and Keyonte George led the Jazz with 27 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Lauri Markkanen is scoring 27.8 points per game with 7.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Jazz. George is averaging 37.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 55.0% over the past 10 games.
Doncic is averaging 34.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.5 steals for the Lakers. LeBron James is averaging 26 points, four assists, two steals and two blocks over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 5-5, averaging 119.1 points, 44.2 rebounds, 30.1 assists, 7.2 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 126.1 points per game.
Lakers: 7-3, averaging 118.8 points, 42.4 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 6.0 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 49.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.9 points.
INJURIES: Jazz: Georges Niang: out (foot), Jusuf Nurkic: day to day (rest), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder).
Lakers: Maxi Kleber: day to day (back), Austin Reaves: out (calf).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur updates on injuries ahead of Bears rematch
The Green Bay Packers had a number on injuries in the Broncos game, including Micah Parsons’ season-ending ACL injury. Matt LaFleur has latest on them.
GREEN BAY – Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons won’t be with the team as he awaits surgery on his torn left ACL.
But it’s for a good reason.
“He’s about to have another child here pretty quick,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Dec. 16 in his press conference.
Parsons has a home in the Dallas area and has returned there for the birth of his third child. He has not had surgery on his knee and LaFleur said he did not have a timeline on when that might occur.
Typically, doctors allow swelling to go down before they operate to repair the ligament, and so it’s possible surgery hasn’t been scheduled.
Parsons tore his ACL late in the third quarter of the Packers’ 34-26 loss to the Broncos on Dec. 14. Tests confirmed the injury Dec. 15.
LaFleur said he didn’t know if Parsons would have the surgery in Dallas.
As for the rest of the season, LaFleur said he thought Parsons would be around to support his teammates once his child is born and his medical situation is settled.
“He’ll be around, for sure,” LaFleur said.
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