Mavs sign G-F Gerald Green

Jul 3, 2008 - 4:42 PM DALLAS (Ticker) -- The Dallas Mavericks added some youth and athleticism Thursday, signing swingman Gerald Green.

Terms were not disclosed, but the Dallas Morning News reported that Green, who has been in the NBA for three seasons, agreed to a one-year deal worth a veteran minimum of $826,629.

Green, the 18th overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2005 draft, was one of a package of players that was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves before last season in return for Kevin Garnett.

The 2006-07 All-Star Game Slam Dunk competition winner, the 22-year-old Green averaged 5.1 points and 2.1 rebounds in 29 games for the Timberwolves and one contest for the Houston Rockets in 2007-08.

"We're really excited about the addition of Gerald Green to the Mavericks family," Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. "He possesses youth, athleticism and is a young player we think has real upside."

The Mavericks also reportedly have agreed to terms with center DeSagana Diop on a multi-year deal that starts at the full mid-level exception, according to the Dallas Morning News.

The newspaper stated that most NBA executives expect the exception to be around $5.5 million, with the maximum term being five seasons.

By NBA rules, the deal cannot be officially announced until July 9, when the league's free agent moratorium ends.

Diop, a seven-year veteran who was traded from the Mavericks to the New Jersey Nets in the deal that brought Jason Kidd to Dallas last season, averaged just 2.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game during the 2007-08 campaign.

The signing would reunite Diop, 26, with Erick Dampier - the same low-post combination that helped the Mavericks reach the 2006 NBA Finals.