Restricted free agent Marcin Gortat may soon be a Dallas Maverick. Very soon, in fact.
The 6-foot-11-inch center made something of a name for himself in 2009, particularly in the playoffs and particularly in the first round, when Gortat scored 11 points and brought down 15 rebounds for the Magic in the absence of a suspended Dwight Howard.
In three regular season starts, Gortat averaged 10 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.
Considering this, and that Gortat has only played two NBA seasons, it’s no wonder that his stock seems to have risen considerably since the Lakers finished off the Magic last month.
With notoriety comes money in the NBA, and that’s why it appears that Dallas could be on the verge of signing the Poland native.
As a restricted free agent, Orlando would have seven days to match Dallas’s offer. However, the Mavs can effectively limit the Magic’s options by giving Gortat the mid-level exception of $5.6 million.
As has been reported by myriad sources, this has already happened.
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The deal will likely be for three or more years (up to five), which will bring Orlando, should they choose to match the offer, dangerously close to (or over) the luxury tax line.
Whether or not they would go to such a length for a backup -- Dwight Howard’s backup with a sizable upside, but a backup none the less -- well, we’ll soon find out.
Gortat will be allowed to accept an offer officially on July 8, after which, Orlando has a week to decide whether or not to match the deal.
