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The Dallas Mavericks addressed a need with their reported acquisition of big man Christian Wood from the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, and now the franchise is hopeful it can lock up another key player this offseason.

The Mavericks are "confident" that they will re-sign Jalen Brunson this summer after reaching the Western Conference Finals, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

The news comes as little surprise after Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported there was belief around the league that Brunson would return to Dallas.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban also addressed his desire to retain the 2018 second-round pick while reflecting on the 2021-22 season in May, saying that the franchise would go all-in to keep him in Dallas.

"We can pay him more than anybody, and I think he wants to stay and that's most important," Cuban said.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Brunson is in line to receive a contract that "meets or exceeds" the four-year, $85 million deal Fred VanVleet signed with the Toronto Raptors in 2020.

MacMahon previously reported that NBA executives believe Brunson will receive a deal worth between $20-25 million per year.

The maximum amount Dallas can offer the veteran is $175.5 million over five years, per Spotrac. It's hard to imagine he would receive that much as it would mean he would be making $35.1 million per year.

While signs are pointing toward Brunson returning to Dallas, there have been rumblings about him playing elsewhere next season as several teams have expressed interest, including the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers.

The New York Knicks have also been considered a landing spot for the Villanova product because his father joined Tom Thibodeau's coaching staff in early June. However, Stein previously reported the Mavericks aren't concerned about Brunson joining the Knicks.

That said, the interest in Brunson comes as no surprise as he had a breakout 2021-22 season. The 25-year-old averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 50.2 percent from the floor and 37.3 percent from deep in 79 regular-season games.

Brunson was even better in the postseason, averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor and 34.7 percent from deep in 18 games.

If he returns to Dallas, the Mavericks will once again be one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

There is reportedly some doubt regarding whether the Houston Rockets will sign guard Kevin Porter Jr. to a contract extension.

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the Rockets are expected to enter Porter's contract negotiations "with caution—if at all."

Per Spotrac, Porter is set to make $3.2 million in the final year of his rookie contract in 2022-23 before becoming a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the campaign.

The 22-year-old Porter has spent the past two seasons with the Rockets after originally getting selected 30th overall in the 2019 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, who flipped him to the Detroit Pistons on draft night. Detroit later dealt him to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After appearing in 50 games for the Cavs as a rookie, Porter inactive for the first 14 games of the 2020-21 season before he was traded to the Rockets for a second-round pick. The trade occurred after Porter reportedly had an outburst in the Cavaliers locker room that stemmed from his locker being moved to make space for the newly acquired Taurean Prince.

KPJ played well during his first season in Houston, averaging 16.6 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 three-pointers made, while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from beyond the arc in 26 games.

Porter was solid again last season as well, appearing in a career-high 61 games and averaging 15.6 points, 6.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals. He also shot 41.5 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from long range.

Last season wasn't without controversy, however, as both Porter and Christian Wood were suspended one game for reportedly getting into a confrontation with assistant coach John Lucas.

Porter reportedly left the arena during a game following the halftime run-in with Lucas.

Any reservations the Rockets have about signing Porter to a long-term extension likely stem from attitude concerns rather than on-court performance.

Given how young he is, Porter has the potential to be an All-Star, but there are some red flags attached to him, which puts Houston in a difficult situation.

The Rockets are committed to 2021 No. 2 pick Jalen Green as their face of the franchise moving forward, but they need more stars around him in order to speed up the rebuilding process.

That star could be on the verge of joining the team since the Rockets own the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, which could yield them Auburn forward Jabari Smith, Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren, Duke forward Paolo Banchero or Purdue guard Jaden Ivey.

The Rockets could do worse than Porter as a No. 3 option behind Green and the incoming first-round pick, but his volatility makes it a huge risk to commit long-term money to him.

The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly expected to consider signing veteran guard Goran Dragic in free agency this offseason.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Dallas will be "prioritizing its need for more wing help," and will also consider the possibility of bringing in Dragic, who plays both guard spots.

The 36-year-old Dragic is a 14-year NBA veteran who split last season between the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets, primarily as a bench player.

Dragic is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, as he was often a healthy scratch during his time with the Raptors and stepped away from the team for personal reasons before getting traded to Brooklyn in February.

All told, Dragic appeared in 21 games and averaged 7.5 points, 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds, while shooting 37.7 percent from the floor and 25.4 percent from beyond the arc, marking his worst output since the 2010-11 season.

By and large, Dragic has a strong resume, however, with career averages of 13.7 points, 4.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.2 three-pointers made and 1.0 steal per game across 888 contests with the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, Raptors and Nets.

Dragic was named an All-Star for the only time in 2017-18 while with the Heat, and he was both a third-team All-NBA selection and the NBA Most Improved Player in 2013-14 with the Suns when he averaged a career-high 20.3 points to go with 5.9 assists per game.

Despite not having a second star to play alongside guard Luka Doncic, the Mavs made it to the Western Conference Finals last season before falling to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

Dallas has already been hard at work trying to gear up for next season, agreeing to a trade for forward Christian Wood from the Rockets on Wednesday.

Dragic wouldn't be as big of an acquisition as Wood, but he would bring some much-needed depth.

Also, while he likely wouldn't produce at the same level, Dragic could replace some of what guard Jalen Brunson contributes if the Mavs are unable or unwilling to re-sign him in free agency.

Dragic is at a point in his career when chasing a championship may be the most attractive option for him, and playing alongside Doncic in Dallas would at least put him in the mix.

The Houston Rockets are reportedly trading Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the No. 26 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft and veterans Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss, per multiple reports.

Dallas is acquiring Christian Wood from Houston and sending the No. 26 overall pick to the Rockets, along with multiple players, sources said. https://t.co/fbxxAL7OGu

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2022

The Rockets are trading Christian Wood to Dallas for the 26th pick in the 2022 draft, Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 16, 2022

The 26-year-old was in the middle of his second season, though it wasn't devoid of drama.

Rockets coach Stephen Silas benched Wood for missing his COVID-19 testing window ahead of the Jan. 1 game against the Denver Nuggets. The player then refused to re-enter the game in the second half after Kevin Porter Jr. had an argument with the staff and left the arena.

He was suspended one game. In 68 games for the Rockets last season he averaged 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds.

While Wood has flashed skills since joining the Rockets, that locker room squabble was far from his first issue. There were some concerns about Wood in the pre-draft process after his one season at UNLV, and he bounced around the NBA before breaking out in 2019-20 with the Detroit Pistons and then inking a three-year deal in Houston.

“Lots of those guys who were drafted ahead of me aren’t in the league [anymore]. I’ve been to China, I’ve been cut, I’ve been told I wasn’t good enough. But I’m still here," he told Yaron Weitzman of The Ringer in 2020.

The Mavericks will hope another change of scenery gets the Long Beach, California native—who has one year and $14.3 million remaining on his contract—back on track.

New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes has been sentenced to 450 hours of community service, 52 weeks of domestic-violence classes and three years of probation stemming from a July 2021 arrest in Los Angeles.

Per the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office (h/t mynewsla.com), Hayes pleaded no contest last February to "one misdemeanor count each of false imprisonment and resisting an officer."

The City Attorney’s Office also stated that Hayes, 22, has received credit for a day served in jail. He must also pay an undetermined amount in restitution and will be subject to a protective order.

Hayes also faced 10 other misdemeanor counts, but they were dismissed. ESPN's Andrew Lopez ran down the charges last January:

Hayes was charged with 12 misdemeanor counts in total, including three counts of inflicting corporal injury to a spouse, two counts of domestic battery, one count of battery against an officer, one count of false imprisonment, three counts of vandalism, one count of aggravated trespassing and one count of resisting arrest.

Lopez also relayed LAPD reports on what led to the arrest:

Hayes was arrested in the early morning hours of July 28, 2021, after Los Angeles police officers were called to the house of his then-girlfriend.

At the time, the LAPD said Hayes met officers in the front yard of the residence. When officers informed Hayes they needed to speak with someone inside the residence, he tried to prevent them from entering, police said.

Video released from the incident shows police officers using a Taser on Hayes to subdue him during the struggle.

Hayes was treated at a hospital for injuries he suffered during the confrontation with police before being booked into jail.

The Atlanta Hawks selected Hayes, who has played three NBA seasons, with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft but traded the ex-Texas star to the Pels 17 days later.

He's been in New Orleans ever since and played 70 games (28 starts) for the Pelicans last year.

The Memphis Grizzlies and head coach Taylor Jenkins reached an agreement Monday on a multiyear contract extension.

"Taylor has done an outstanding job leading our team and this extension is well-deserved," general manager Zachary Kleiman said in a statement. "The year-over-year progress under Taylor speaks for itself, but his growth-oriented, selfless and competitive approach has been a driving force in the establishment of a sustainable culture. We have full confidence that Taylor will steer us to Memphis' first championship."

Further details about Jenkins' new deal weren't immediately released.

The 37-year-old Texas native has compiled a 128-99 record (.564 win percentage) across three seasons since being hired by the Grizzlies in June 2019.

Memphis reached the playoffs each of the last two years. It was eliminated by the Utah Jazz in the first round last season and reached the second round this year before getting knocked out by the Golden State Warriors, who are playing the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

The steady progress combined with a promising core, led by Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., should push the Grizzlies toward title conversation in 2022-23, especially if they can make some offseason upgrades.

Jenkins, who finished second in Coach of the Year voting behind the Phoenix Suns' Monty Williams, expressed optimism after the playoff exit against the Warriors.

"This is going to motivate us moving forward," he told reporters in May. "The growth individually, the growth collectively from this season, it's only going to make us better. This is a step in the direction of this bright future that we talk about all the time."

Jenkins owned 11 years of coaching experience before arriving to Memphis. He started with the then D-League's Austin Toros, the San Antonio Spurs' affiliate, before stints as an NBA assistant under Mike Budenholzer with the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks.

He guided the Grizzlies to their first division title in franchise history this season, and now the focus shifts to winning the organization's first championship.

Zion Williamson insisted Saturday that he wants to remain with the New Orleans Pelicans.

According to ESPN's Andrew Lopez, Williamson said the following while speaking at a YMCA youth and basketball camp registration in New Orleans: "I do want to be here. That's no secret. I feel like I've stood on that when I spoke. Currently, this does not really have anything to do with that. This is just me wanting to be a pillar in my community."

Williamson, who missed the entire 2021-22 season because of a foot injury, could be in line for a huge contract extension this summer, as he can become a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign.

Lopez noted that Williamson may receive a five-year, $186 million max rookie extension offer, although it is possible the Pelicans would stop short of making it fully guaranteed due to Zion's injury history.

In addition to missing all 82 regular-season games and the Pels' first-round playoff series this season, Williamson was limited to 24 games as a rookie. He did play in 61 of the Pelicans' 72 games last season, however.

When healthy, Williamson is a force, as evidenced by the 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game he averaged in 2020-21 en route to an All-Star selection.

Even without the 2019 No. 1 overall pick, the Pelicans reached the playoffs this season, which has Williamson and others around the team excited about the future.

Last month, Williamson was cleared to return to action without limitations after a lengthy rehab process, meaning he should be good to go for the start of the 2022-23 season.

While there has been some speculation about Williamson not being fully committed to the Pelicans over the past year, he erased those doubts in April when he said he would sign an extension with the Pelicans and "couldn't sign it fast enough."

The Pelicans have an exciting core in place aside from Williamson in Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, the latter of whom was acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers before this season's deadline.

Williamson hasn't had a chance to play alongside McCollum, but the outside shooting ability of McCollum and Ingram should pair well with Zion's interior presence.

There are some obvious risks that would come with signing Williamson to an extension, but the potential rewards would likely be worth it given what he has shown he can do.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram will miss between six and eight weeks after undergoing surgery on his right fifth finger, the team announced Friday.

Brandon Ingram Update:

Ingram recently underwent successful surgery on his right fifth finger to address a flexion contracture. The surgery was performed on June 7, by Dr. Steven Shin at the Kerlan-Jobe Surgery Center in Los Angeles. Recovery timetable is approximately 6-8 weeks pic.twitter.com/sHoy4rJTNV

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) June 10, 2022

The timeline suggests Ingram should heal in time for training camp as the Pelicans look to build on a promising 2021-22 campaign.

Appearing in 55 games this season, Ingram proved to be the Pelicans' offensive fulcrum, averaging 22.7 points, 5.6 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 46.1 percent from the floor.

Assuming Ingram is at full strength when the 2022-23 season gets underway, he should anchor one of the Western Conference's most intriguing young cores with CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson beside him.

Following recent comments from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver that the league would consider shortening its regular season, the president of the National Basketball Players Association outlined a scenario in which he would consider voting in favor of reducing the current 82-game schedule.

Appearing on ESPN's First Take (starts at 3:15 mark), CJ McCollum of the New Orleans Pelicans said he wouldn't vote for a 58-game schedule, but he would be open to 72 games "if it made sense" for the majority of players.

Silver has spoken about wanting to implement an in-season tournament for several years. It remains to be seen if it will happen, though ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Christmas Day there was "renewed momentum" for the event.

According to Wojnarowski, the NBA and NBPA discussed elements of the tournament that could become part of the league calendar as soon as the 2022-23 or 2023-24 season.

The format would begin with pool play, followed by the teams with the best records advancing to an eight-team single-elimination tournament that would be finished before Christmas.

The proposal would also reduce the schedule from 82 to 78 games. McCollum did mention a 58-game season, though there's no indication from anyone in the NBA offices that has been considered.

It was floated by Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey during an appearance on Colin Cowherd's radio show in February.

Morey said, explaining how the season would work:

"Every team plays every team two times. The playoffs—I 100 percent agree. Shorter is better. I would have it one-and-done. There’s a reason everyone tunes into every game at huge ratings in the NFL. It is literally one-and-done. And the NCAA tournament, in 63 games [it’s actually 67], gets more money than we do in our entire regular season."

The idea of shortening the regular season is to reduce the risk of injuries and, potentially, limit the number of games that superstar players sit out for load management.

Of course, any change to the schedule would impact league revenues. If the league is making less money with a shorter regular season, the salary cap goes down and player salaries decrease.

Players would have to factor that into their decision-making process if there were any vote from the union on cutting the regular season from 82 games.

McCollum admitting he would be open to a change if it made sense for the NBPA is interesting, but there are a lot of factors that would have to be considered before any vote happens.

Jalen Brunson is going to secure a hefty new contract this summer, though there was little doubt about that following his impressive 2021-22 campaign.

The Dallas Mavericks point guard is in line to receive a contract that "meets or even exceeds" the four-year, $85 million deal Fred VanVleet signed with the Toronto Raptors in 2020, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

While Brunson is expected to draw interest from several teams this summer, Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported there is a belief around the league that he will return to Dallas on an extension.

That said, there have been rumblings about Brunson possibly joining the New York Knicks after they hired his father, Rick Brunson, as an assistant coach under Tom Thibodeau. However, Stein reported that the Mavericks don't have "grave concern" about the younger Brunson possibly heading to New York.

In addition, The Athletic's Tim Cato reported earlier this week that the Mavericks intend to extend Brunson, who is supposedly open to remaining in Dallas.

"I've been told there's mutual interest on both sides to re-sign him," Cato wrote, "and Mark Cuban told Bally Sports the Mavericks can offer him more money than anyone else. It's a statement that indicates intent."

Regardless of where Brunson signs, he won't come cheap. League executives reportedly believe he'll receive a contract worth between $20-25 million per year, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

The maximum amount the Mavericks can offer Brunson is $175.5 million over five years, according to Spotrac. That equates to $35.1 million per year, which would put him in a range that includes Ben Simmons ($35.4 million per year), Luka Doncic ($36.6 million per year) and Trae Young ($36.6 million per year).

It's hard to imagine the Mavericks would pay Brunson that much, so it's no surprise that Stein reported he's expected to receive a deal similar to what VanVleet signed in Toronto.

The Mavericks selected Brunson in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft. He was solid during the first three years of his career but experienced a breakout 2021-22 campaign, averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the floor and 37.3 percent from deep.

Brunson's big year helped the Mavericks finish fourth in the Western Conference with a 52-30 record. They reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2011 but fell to the Golden State Warriors in five games.