The Mavericks failed to woo Dwight Howard this offseason, and it appears that acquiring Rajon Rondo is a pipe dream as well, but Mark Cuban was able to bring in at least one big name to join Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas.
That name is former Milwaukee Bucks point guard Monta Ellis, who agreed to terms Friday on a three-year deal with the Mavs worth between $25 and 30 million, according to ESPN.
Ellis, whom Sports Illustrated described as “a lead scoring option on a team with no real playoff hopes,” has averaged 19.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game over his nine seasons with Milwaukee and Golden State.
The 27-year-old can put up points, but he often needs to take an exorbitant number of shots to do so. During this past season, Ellis ranked 28th among NBA point guards in field goal percentage and 26th in free throw percentage while ranking dead last (45th) among qualifying point guards in 3-point percentage.
He’ll join fellow newcomer Jose Calderon in the Mavericks backcourt. First-round pick Shane Larkin also figures to be in the rotation if he recovers from his broken ankle suffered Friday in time for the season.
