Which big addition is the Dallas Mavericks close to obtaining?
The Mavericks are on the verge of their first big free-agent strike of the summer – emphasis on “big.” Marcin Gortat, the 6-11 center who helped Orlando reach the NBA Finals last season, has been offered a contract by the Mavericks, multiple sources said Thursday. Gortat was expected to visit Dallas before the weekend, and the sources said that the only thing that would prevent him from becoming a Maverick is if the Magic match the offer, which is believed to be for the full mid-level exception – about $5.5 million. Free-agent agreements in principle can be reached anytime, but the actual contracts cannot be signed until Wednesday. Because Gortat is a restricted free agent, Orlando would have seven days to match the Mavericks’ offer. If it does, Gortat would be required to stay with the Magic. However, if the contract were for five years, it would cost the Magic more than $30 million. It’s also possible the teams could orchestrate a sign-and-trade. Gortat averaged 3.8 points and 4.5 re
