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There's a significant gap between what the Dallas Mavericks want and what free-agent shooting guard Wesley Matthews wants.
The 28-year-old is reportedly seeking a multi-year deal worth $15 million annually, but the Mavericks are hoping to sign him to a deal starting at $12 million per season, reports USA Today's Sam Amick.
The two sides met shortly after free agency opened. The Mavericks split their recruiting party to arrange simultaneous meetings with Matthews and center DeAndre Jordan. The team has just $32 million in salary commitments for next season, and could conceivably sign both players at the prices they command.
Some rival execs beginning to operate under assumption LMA to Spurs is happening. Dallas considered frontrunner for Wes Matthews.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 1, 2015
In a red-hot marketplace where players like Al-Farouq Aminu command $30 million over four seasons, a two-way player in his prime like Matthews is easily worth $15 million. He averaged 15.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.9 3-pointers per game last season and ranks as an elite 3-and-D player with the ability to handle and post up.
The worry with Matthews is his Achilles injury, which cut short his season with Portland. Achilles injuries are notoriously difficult to recover from, and a study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine (via Deaspin) found that the average drop in PER for players after suffering an Achilles rupture between 1992 and 2012 was 4.64, which approximately represents the difference between a "star" player and an "average" contributor.
But there's still hope for Matthews, who is said to be ahead of schedule in rehab and on pace to start next season in full health.
Matthews is also reportedly drawing interest from the Toronto Raptors, who may be trying to reunite him with fellow Trail Blazers free agent LaMarcus Aldridge.
