Free agent guard Wesley Matthews has verbally committed to join the Dallas Mavericks, according to multiple published reports.
Matthews, 28, is coming off a season-ending Achilles tear but the Sacramento Kings were more than willing to meet his financial demands this summer.
No dice, however: Matthews has chosen to relocate from Portland to Texas on a four-year deal—the dollar amount reportedly won’t be known until DeAndre Jordan and LaMarcus Aldridge are off the free agency board.
Wes Matthews has agreed in principle with the Mavericks on a four-year deal, per source. Turned down huge offer from Sacramento.
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 3, 2015
Wes Matthews Update: Sacramento offer to free-agent swingman is actually four-year deal at $16 million annually for total of $64 million
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 3, 2015
Per NBA.com:
The move is a major deal for a player coming off a torn Achilles’ injury that ended his season with the Trail Blazers before the start of last season’s playoffs. The agreement gives the Mavericks a boost as they hope to sign free agent center DeAndre Jordan away from the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Kings, who have been pilloried around the league for missteps in management over the past year, traded rising second-year guard Nik Stauskas, their first-round pick a year ago, along with Jason Thompson and Carl Landry, to the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday in order to open up huge cap room to make offers to free agents. But Sacramento lost out on free agent Monta Ellis earlier Thursday when he agreed to a multi-year deal with the Pacers. They reportedly offered Matthews a four-year deal worth $64 million.
Matthews, one of the league’s premier two-way guards, was on line to get a huge payday anyway this summer when he tore his Achilles in early March. At the time of his injury, he was fourth in the league in 3-pointers, and had already become Portland’s all-time leading 3-point scorer, passing Terry Porter. While LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard made All-Star teams, Matthews — nicknamed “Iron Man”– was viewed by many as the heart of the Blazers’ team. The 28-year-old Matthews is a career 39 percent three-point shooter.
