Okay, I know this is long over due, but when you're out of town for a
month and a half (including a month in campgrounds), you tend to fall
behind.  So catching up...

Training camp has started!  It's going on in Denton right now before
moving to the AAC.  For those with a UNT student or faculty ID, they can
attend a team scrimmage on Friday at the UNT Coliseum at 5 pm.  For the
rest of us, the annual Fan Jam is Sunday at the AAC with the doors opening
at noon.  The Blue-White scrimmage is scheduled to start at 1 pm.  The
event is free and parking is $5.  The Mavs are also (bizarrely) hosting a
watch party at the AAC for the first preseason game - Tuesday at 7 pm in
New Orleans.  The watch party is also free.  Note that the New Orleans
game is also listed as being broadcast on HDNET.

For the best insights from training camp, check out Franz Kafka's notes
and pictures on The Lone Mavs' Fan Forum
(http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/lmf).


Coaching moves: 
Sam Vincent (brother of former Mav Jay Vincent) as been added to Avery
Johnson's bench as an assistant coach.  Vincent, also a former NBA player,
was the head coach of the NBDL Fort Worth Flyers last season.  

Dallas signed assistant Del Harris to a 1 year contract extension (Harris
has basically been on a year-to-year contract for his entire time with the
Mavs).

Dallas lost assistant Larry Riley when new Golden State head coach Don
Nelson (a true NBA lifer) added Riley to his staff.  

Dallas promoted Rolando Blackman to Director of Basketball Development,
moving him from an assistant coach to the front office.  

Dallas currently has 3 bench assistants (Vincent, Harris, Joe Prunty).  

Dallas elected not to extend the contract of assistant and scout Paul
Mokeski.  Mokeski was later named as an assistant coach for the Fort Worth
Flyers (under new head coach and former Mav assistant Sidney Moncrief).

Popeye Jones, a former Mavs and good friend of Avery Johnson, has been
added to the developmental coaching staff.


The big player news      
As expected, the Mavs signed Dirk Nowitzki to a 3 year, maximum extension
(estimated to be worth $59.38 million).  Nowitzki is now signed through
2010-11.

But the team has not yet signed Josh Howard to an extension.  They are
talking and have until the end of October to reach an extension agreement.
Howard is in the last year of his rookie contract.  If an extension
agreement is not reach, Howard will be a restricted free agent next summer
and Dallas would have the right (with no restrictions regarding amount as
Dallas has his Bird rights) to match any offer made to Howard.

Dallas re-signed free agent Jason Terry on July 25 to a 6 year, $57
million contract.

8/1 Dallas signed Devean George to a 2 year, $4.2 million contract with
the 2nd year at the player's option.  George had been with the Lakers for
the last 7 seasons (all his years in the NBA).

7/31 Chicago formally signed Dallas free agent Adrian Griffin to a 3 year
contract.  Reports of Chicago getting Griff, who played with the Bulls in
04-05, came out in mid-July.  Which prompted...

7/13 Dallas signed Greg Buckner to a 3 year, $10.5 million contract with 2
more option years worth $9 million (the 1st at the team's option and the
2nd at the player's option).  Buck, a really good guy with a distinctive
laugh, returns to the Mavs - where he spent his first 3 seasons in the
NBA.  He played the last 2 seasons with Denver, where he got some praise
for his improved shooting touch as well as his usual defense.

7/24 TRADE: In a sign-and-trade, Dallas re-signed Darrell Armstrong to a 1
year, minimum contract and traded him along with Rawle Marshall and Josh
Powell to Indiana for Anthony Johnson.  Johnson will share minutes with
Devin Harris and Jason Terry (though Terry will likely spend most of his
time at shooting guard).  None of the 3 traded away were really a part of
Dallas' plans (Marshall and Powell would have likely again spent most of
their time in the NBDL).

7/13 Dallas re-signed DJ Mbenga to a 3 year, $5.6 million contract.


The not as big player news
8/17 Dallas signed Juan Jose Barea, Pat Carroll, Ndudi Ebi, and Darius
Washington to non-guaranteed contracts.  Dallas does currently have 1
roster spot available for the regular season, - the 4 will try to earn
that spot in training camp (barring Dallas making another move).

8/4 Dallas released Pavel Podkolzin.

8/3 Dallas signed Pops Mensah-Bonsu to a 2 year contract with the 2nd year
at the team's option.


patricia