Jose Juan Barea wants to stay with Dallas Mavericks – NBA News
Puerto Rico point guard Jose Barea has revealed that he would love to extend his stay with the Dallas Mavericks. Barea is going to be a free agent when the lockout ends and is sure to have a lot of contract offers coming his way,
but the diminutive guard’s heart is in Dallas.
Barea played out of his skin in the playoffs for the Dallas Mavericks last season and helped them win the NBA World Championship for the first time in franchise history. His displays against the former two-time defending NBA champions,
the Los Angeles Lakers, were particularly impressive in the 2nd round of the playoffs.
Barea was then promoted to a starter in the last three games of the NBA Finals against the mighty Miami Heat and the guard proved a potent weapon, helping the Mavs win all three games. His displays endeared him to the loyal Mavericks
support, but also put in firmly in the eyes of NBA General Managers looking to improve their teams in the free agency.
Barea though has said he prefers not to leave the Mavs.
"If you want to go by percentages, I think 75 percent I'll be back in Dallas and 25 percent something else happens," Barea said in comments published on ESPN. "... My first option is going to be Dallas."
The show of loyalty from Barea comes as no surprise. After all, Dallas did sign his as an undrafted, unknown five years ago and his ascent to the player he is today is largely because of the franchise.
There is also a team spirit and harmony in the Dallas roster that is hard to find around the league at the moment. The Mavs have veterans and people who understand the game, and trust each other. On top they have proved their credentials
with the NBA crown.
It is not hard to see why one would want to stay with the team. Barea remarked that he liked it so much in Dallas that he would be willing to stay even as a bench player. The only way his head could be turned is if some GM throws
an obscene amount of money at him.
"I'd probably have to be blown away by a deal to go somewhere else," Barea said. "The team we have in Dallas, if we keep it together, I don't mind coming off the bench and starting sometimes and doing what we have to do to win.
The team we had last year was incredible. If I go somewhere else, if I'm going to start, that's not really going to be part of the decision-making."
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