Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he didn't ask Hassan Whiteside to reconsider their offer before the moratorium was lifted, adding he's pretty happy with the outcome despite missing on their top free-agent target this offseason.
The Mavs entered this offseason hoping they can finally land a top-notch center after the DeAndre Jordan fiasco a season ago. The Mavs were led to believe they had Jordan in the bag, until the big man had a change of heart several days later and re-signed with the Clippers.
This year, the Mavs set their sight on Whiteside, who established himself as one of the premier defensive center in the league during the 2015-16 season. They offered him a max contract, but the opportunity of getting more money with Miami weighed heavier.
"Never crossed our mind," Cuban said in an interview with Dallas radio station 105.3-FM via Hoops Rumors" ... We were happy with the direction we were going in and we had made our pitch to Hassan, but we didn't really think he was going to leave and we didn't go back to him and even bring it up."
Meanwhile, newly-signed Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes found himself in a strange situation on Team USA., playing with former Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and his replacement Kevin Durant.
In an interview with Steve Aschburner of NBA.com, Thompson admitted that it feels quite odd playing with a teammate going out, but they are nevertheless enjoying every moment of what they consider a final of go-around with Barnes.
"It's weird. It's like the last chapter we'll play together in our basketball careers. But we're embracing it," Thompson told Aschburner. "HB's a great guy. ... He's only scratched the surface of what he can do. I'm happy for him, and me and Draymond are happy for one more go-round because he really is a great teammate."