Source: Barea Looking to Stay With Mavericks

(Dallas Mavericks) J.J. Barea knows all too well that strong mutual interest in his return doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be back with the Dallas Mavericks next season.

“This time, I think it’ll be a lot easier to keep me around,” Barea said last week.

In other words, the Mavs won’t have to come close to matching a four-year, $18 million deal, like the one Barea signed the last time he tested free agency. But that doesn’t mean Barea, a productive backup guard and part-time starter at 30, would be willing to settle for the veteran’s minimum.

A source said Barea is hoping to sign a two- or three-year deal that would pay an annual salary in the $3 million range.

via Tim McMahon of ESPN