The Mavericks are running it back with head coach Jason Kidd despite persistent rumors that the New York Knicks were interested in hiring him. Those whispers have been put to rest after the Knicks brought on veteran coach Mike Brown to lead the franchise.

James, who recently had Rich Paul make some telling comments to ESPN, would ideally be a perfect fit with the Mavericks. However, given his situation with the Los Angeles Lakers, it remains uncertain whether James would ever leave Los Angeles.

Like sharks sensing a presence in the water, Rich Paul's cryptic statement that accompanied LeBron James' decision to opt in to his $52.6 million salary for next season led some teams to call the Los Angeles Lakers about the four-time NBA MVP's availability.