DALLAS - Australia's Chris Goulding impressed enough in a recent workout in Dallas that the Mavs have reached an agreement for the star guard to join the Mavs' Summer League team in Las Vegas, sources say. Is this another Jeremy Lin? Another Gal Mekel? Another Chris Anstey?
Sources say that the Dallas Mavericks have reached an agreement to bring the Australian guard to the US to pursue his NBA dream. Goulding, two years ago the Aussie All-Star MVP and last season the regular-season runner-up MVP in the NBL, recently worked out for the Mavs in Dallas under the supervision of Chris Anstey, the Australian native who is a former Mav (1997-99) and Goulding's coach in Australia.
Goulding, 25, worked out for a number of NBA teams this year and last. A year ago, he signed on with the Cavaliers' Summer League squad -- maybe because of his connection with Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers' Melbourne-born star Kyrie Irving. Injuries were a factor as he did virtually nothing with the Cavs in Vegas.
But the 6-4, 198-pounder returned home and experienced the best season of his career, averaging 22.8 points per game to lead the NBL in scoring. Among his highlights: a 50-point game. And the Anstey connection, like the Irving connection before it, probably helped him link up with his latest NBA team.
A Mavs source characterizes Goulding as a "smart and deadly shooter'' from the 2-guard position -- or at least that's the case for him in the NBL. In reality, it's a level-down guard the Mavs might be able to hit on as they nearly did with Summer-League Mav Jeremy Lin and and they are still hoping to do with Gal Mekel.
