The Mavericks have been looking for a reserve big man since sending Brandan Wright to Boston in the Rajon Rondo trade and it appears that they might have found their man. According to ESPN‘s Marc Stein and Tim MacMahon, Dallas is close to signing veteran free agent center Jermaine O’Neal in a move that would reunite him with Rick Carlisle, who coached O’Neal for four seasons in Indiana.
The Dallas Mavericks are confident they are inching closer to the eventual signing of veteran center Jermaine O’Neal, according to team sources.
Sources told ESPN.com that the Mavericks — who continue to closely monitor the 36-year-old center’s progress as O’Neal works out in preparation for a comeback — hope to sign him by the All-Star break.
“We’ll let you know when there’s any breaking news, but right now, there’s none,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said Sunday about Dallas’ pursuit of O’Neal.
Sources say O’Neal has made it clear to interested teams that he doesn’t intend to sign anywhere until he is closer to NBA game shape. After taking the first few months of the season to focus on family time and business trips, O’Neal has been working out intensely since the start of 2015 out of his home gym in Southlake, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.
O’Neal played for the Warriors last year and averaged eight points and six rebounds in 20 minutes per game. He only played 44 games, though, as he was forced to miss a chunk of time in the middle of the season after tearing a ligament in his right wrist.
