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Report: Dallas Mavericks expected to sign Jermaine O’Neal

By Dave Fuqua

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The Dallas Mavericks appear to be getting closer to signing veteran center Jermaine O’Neal.

According to reports from team sources, the Dallas Mavericks appear to be getting closer to signing veteran center Jermaine O’Neal. The Mavericks have been trying to add some depth to their center position for the better part of the season. They may be in a greater need now after giving up Brandan Wright in the huge trade that brought Rajon Rondo to Dallas from the Boston Celtics.

"Sources say O’Neal has made it clear to interested teams that he doesn’t intend to sign anywhere until he is closer to NBA game shape. After taking the first few months of the season to focus on family time and business trips, O’Neal has been working out intensely since the start of 2015 out of his home gym in Southlake, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.O’Neal also traveled to Germany earlier this month for the same treatment on his knees that he credits for contributing to his success last season in Golden State. He posted pictures of the treatments on Instagram and wrote: “If you know me then you know what this means! But this is the 2nd step in a 3 step process!”"

O’Neal, the 36-year-old center who has played 18 seasons in the NBA for 7 different teams, would be a nice depth piece for the Mavericks. In 20 minutes per game last season for the Golden State Warriors, O’Neal was able to contribute 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds. Those kinds of numbers are very valuable for a team looking to make a deep run in the playoffs this season.

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Backup centers are at a premium in the NBA and finding quality minutes at the position is truly like finding a gem. The already thin-at-center Mavericks have been giving rookie Dwight Powell around 20 minutes per game for the last six games behind starter Tyson Chandler.

This could become a much bigger priority if anything were to come of the injury Chandler appeared to suffer in last night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. He left the game for an x-ray, but was able to return and finish the contest.

The Mavericks at 30-15 are in a very tight race in the Western Conference. They are currently sitting in the sixth seed but are only two games out of second. Owner Mark Cuban has shown time and time again that he will be willing to do whatever is necessary to give his team an advantage, whether it be by trade or signing a player like O’Neal.

According to this report, the Mavericks could have some competition to signing O’Neal as the Portland Trail Blazers have also shown interest in acquiring the services of the veteran big man. With Dallas making their interest known, I would imagine that the amount of suitors for O’Neal will grow as well.

h/t ESPN

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