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DALLAS -- On Saturday night, Portland Trail Blazers All-Star reserve LaMarcus Aldridge threw down 33 points and 12 rebounds. Now comes All-Star starter Blake Griffin.

"It's Murderer's Row of the power forward position," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "Our fans are going to see the three best power forwards in the West in these two games -- Dirk [Nowitzki] and Griffin and Aldridge."

And then Carlisle paused as a thought -- or lob pass -- crossed his mind.

"And Chris Paul, he's another story," Carlisle said of the Clippers point guard, also an All-Star starter. "He's a monster, too."

He's also the difference between the Blazers and Clippers. Dallas eked out a double overtime win Saturday despite 23 turnovers that helped in blowing an 18-point lead. It also helped that the Blazers' backcourt of Raymond Felton, Wesley Matthews and sixth man Jamal Crawford combined to go 13-of-51 from the field, including 3-of-15 from 3-point range.

Paul and the Clippers' backcourt, despite having lost big shot Chauncey Billups -- who made the buzzer-beating 3 in L.A. to drop the Mavs -- are dangerous shooters. Paul, who missed that first game with a hamstring issue, ranks third among guards in shooting percentage at 50.5 (and 43.1 percent from 3). Mo Williams, who crushed Dallas in the first meeting with his sharpshooting, is dropping 3s at nearly a 40-percent rate from beyond the arc. And don't sleep on Randy Foye launching from the outside.

As for the 41 turnovers Dallas has committed in the last two games without paying the price in the loss column, it'll be playing with fire if the count grows high again tonight.

Records: Clippers (17-8); Mavs (17-11)

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: American Airlines Center

TV: FSSW

Radio: ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)

What to watch: In the first meeting in L.A. on Jan. 18, the Lob Angeles Clippers -- or Lob City, whichever you prefer -- had five dunks and three alley-oops -- in the first half. And that was with lob maestro Chris Paul sitting on the sideline in a suit. He's back and Dallas' defense, on the perimeter and interior, will be put to the test to cut off the lob.

Key matchup: Caron Butler vs. Shawn Marion
These two created quite a combo for the Mavs last season until an ugly knee injury sidelined Butler for six months, all the way though the championship run. His dedication to get back netted a three-year, $24 million deal with the Clippers and he's been a major asset to their early success, averaging 14.7 points and 3.9 rebounds. He's also still got the 3-point shot working, connecting at 35.8 percent. Marion's defensive exploits are well-chronicled these days. In the last two games alone he's gone against point guard Ricky Rubio and power forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Now he gets someone his own size. When Butler scores 17 or more points, L.A. is 6-2.

Injuries: Mavs - None. Clippers - G Chauncey Billups (torn left Achilles) is out.

Up next: Denver Nuggets at Mavs, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday.

DALLAS – Caron Butler played a role in the Mavs’ championship run despite not playing a second in the playoffs.

Butler served as an inspiration to the Mavs with his relentless effort to rehab from a major knee injury in time to contribute in the postseason. Jason Terry even mentioned on several occasions that the playoff run was a tribute to the man known as “Tuff Juice.”

Butler’s comeback didn’t happen in Dallas. (He would have been cleared for contact a couple of weeks after the NBA Finals ended). Nevertheless, you’ll find nobody within the Mavs organization who doesn’t believe Butler earned the championship ring he’ll be presented in a brief pregame ceremony before tonight’s game against the Clippers.

“At the beginning of the year last year, he got us off to a great start, took a lot of pressure off other guys with his scoring,” owner Mark Cuban said. “Then he was always here working out, always up and in good spirits. He’s just a good guy, and you need guys like that in the locker room.”

The Mavs will have similar ceremonies when DeShawn Stevenson comes to town with the Nets, Tyson Chandler with the Knicks and Corey Brewer with the Nuggets.

Butler didn’t return to Dallas this season because of NBA economics. The Mavs, coveting cap space this summer, weren’t willing to offer a multi-year deal. The Clippers, one of several teams that pursued Butler, gave him a three-year, $24 million contract.

Now, Butler is playing a key role for a contender again, averaging 14.7 points for the 17-8 Clippers.

For a moment tonight at the American Airlines Center, Butler will be treated like a Maverick again. And he’ll always be a champion.

LOS ANGELES -- The Dallas Mavericks are 2-4 on the road, but two losses have come on last-possession 3-pointers via Kevin Durant and most recently Derek Fisher.

PODCAST
Coop and Nate discuss the play of Dirk this season and if they have noticed whether's he has hit a wall. Listen

A stiff challenge comes tonight back at the Staples Center against the re-made Lob -- er -- Los Angeles Clippers, with the job becoming especially difficult if point guard Chris Paul (hamstring) returns to the lineup (that seems to be highly questionable) after missing the last two games.

The Mavs have been a team the last two seasons that has thrived on the road. And despite the sub-.500 record, the Mavs have still been pretty good, at least from a defensive standpoint. Dallas is 2-2 in its last four roadies, but have held those four opponents to an average of 84.3 points with only San Antonio cracking 90. Three of the four shot below 40 percent -- only hapless Detroit in a blowout shot slightly higher.

The Mavs will get a Clippers team with a long list of injuries that's finishing a back-to-back-to-back and was a virtual no-show at Utah on Tuesday night, shooting 36.5 percent.

"We’re building momentum with our defense," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "Right now we’re No. 3 in the league (and No. 1 in West in scoring defense, 88.5 points per game), which is significant, and we’re No. 2 in the last 21 days. Those are positive things. I feel like we’re building some team toughness and we have to continue with it and understand that that’s going to be the key to our improvement and our success."

The Clippers, 6-1 at home, rank sixth in the league in scoring (99.3) with familiar face Caron Butler being one of five players scoring in double figures at 16.2 points.

Records: Mavs (8-6); Clippers (7-4)

When: 9:30 p.m.

Where: Staples Center

TV: ESPN, FSSW

Radio: 103.3 FM ESPN; 1270 AM (Spanish)

What to watch: Rick Carlisle said Tuesday that the nature of the schedule, injuries and the feeling-out process with this roster has made it impossible to establish any semblance of a consistent rotation. Tonight, Carlisle will be without key reserve Vince Carter, removing the one guy off the bench that can create for himself as well as being the team's best 3-point shooter. With Carter out, Carlisle suggested that Lamar Odom could pick up minutes at small forward, Brian Cardinal could get more involved and Rodrigue Beaubois becomes an obvious choice to take up minutes at shooting guard. It will be interesting to see, especially in a tight game, how Carlisle handles his bench.

Key matchup: Blake Griffin vs. Dirk Nowitzki
This is an example of where the Mavs miss Tyson Chandler. The athletic, 7-foot-1 center could defend players like Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge. But with Brendan Haywood as the starter now, the Mavs seem to have no choice but to guard the Clippers' rugged, 6-10 power forward with Dirk. It'll certainly make Dirk work hard on the defensive end as he's still trying to get his conditioning up to par and work through shooting struggles. Adding to the intrigue, Griffin is coming off a poor 10-point game Tuesday in a blowout loss to the Jazz. He only played 27 minutes, so the 22-year-old should feel OK physically considering this is a third game in as many nights.

Injuries: Mavs - G Vince Carter (sprained left foot) is out. Clippers - G Chris Paul (left hamstring) is questionable; G Eric Bledsoe (torn right lateral miniscus) is out; G Mo Williams (right foot) is questionable. C-F Brian Cook (left ankle) is questionable.

Up next: Mavs at Utah Jazz, 9:30 p.m., Thursday

DALLAS -- Jason Terry didn't have much desire to contemplate former teammate Tyson Chandler's comments Tuesday regarding his non-surprise at the Dallas Mavericks' ugly, 0-2 start.

"Don’t care what Tyson’s saying or what he’s doing right now," Terry said following Tuesday's defense-intensive practice. "He’s not a Maverick, so it is what it is."

Here's what Chandler had to say Monday as chronicled by ESPNNY.com:

"Honestly, I'd kind of seen it coming because when you put a team in a situation and you say, ‘You're the defending champions and we're not necessarily trying to repeat.’ "When I say that, I'm not saying that they don't have the pieces there. I obviously think very highly of those guys. But I say that because they offered everybody one-year deals so they knew nobody was going to necessarily accept that. So you’re basically telling all the players in the locker room we're playing for free agency next year after a championship.

"You've got veteran guys in the locker room. The type of guys that they've got at this time in their career, it's tough to face that so I think they're just going through a little lull right now. But I'm hoping for those guys that it turns around because there's truly good guys in the locker room."

Because of the NBA lockout, the free agency period was a whirlwind. In a matter of days, the Mavs' roster changed dramatically. Players began to understand that owner Mark Cuban's business philosophy had changed under the parameters of the new collective bargaining agreement.

Cuban decided to offer one-year contracts to his free agents (with the understanding it would not be good enough to retain those players) with the goal of going into next summer with plenty of cap space to chase free agents for the first time in Cuban's ownership.

Terry said once it became clear that Chandler, J.J. Barea, DeShawn Stevenson and Caron Butler would not be back, it didn't take long to adjust the mindset.

Of course, after two blowout losses to start the season, if the psychological adjustment wasn't difficult, than it appears that the physical adjustment on the floor will be a process, and perhaps even a bumpy one.

"After you knew he wasn’t coming back, it was over," Terry said. "Again, we have a totally different team this year. We’re searching right now for an identity for this particular ballclub and we know that’s going to take some time. But, again, winning cures all, and watching on film definitely helps, because each person can be accountable and see where they can make an impact on the game."

Prediction time. And, wow, how do you predict how this revamped Dallas Mavericks team will finish a 66-game regular-season schedule over 123 days when the full squad didn't even play one preseason game together?

In fact, the Mavs didn't even finish off the roster until Sean Williams signed Wednesday. Training camp opened Dec. 9, yet Lamar Odom and Vince Carter didn't arrive until a few days later, and Delonte West after that, so coach Rick Carlisle has had his full unit for all of about a week. Add to it that illness kept Brian Cardinal from practicing one day, Brandan Wright from playing in the first exhibition game and Jason Terry and West from playing in the second.

Then there's still the shock factor involved in the deflating losses of Tyson Chandler, J.J. Barea, DeShawn Stevenson and also Caron Butler. Odom has his own shock factor to overcome in no longer playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won two titles and played the last seven seasons and probably figured he'd play seven more.

PODCAST
Ben and Skin discuss what can be taken away from the Mavs' two preseason losses including: Lamar Odom's surprising leadership and the depth of the roster. Listen

And what about Vince Carter? Can this guy still get it done?

With that, Dallas Mavericks, get out there and defend your title.

Could things be any zanier with the season opener quickly approaching on Christmas Day against the -- by comparison -- remarkably stable Miami Heat?

The Mavs might be in flux, but as defending champions they know there will be no sympathy. Hey, it's a jungle out there.

"The constant this year is going to be that the teams we play are going to have the increased edge because they're playing the champions," Carlisle said. "I went through this in 1986-87 -- the year after we won the title in Boston. We saw how it was. Every night it's a championship game. I can talk about it all day long and try to get the guys ready for it. But until the games start coming, we won't really know what it's about. And it's going to add to the challenge. But that's part of it."

The Mavs' two preseason losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who like the Heat did not undergo major changes -- in fact no changes at all -- did lend credence to the notion that Dallas won't get off to a roaring start. The first 15 games will be played in 23 days and includes matchups against Miami, Denver, two against Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Boston, the Lakers and the new-and-improved Clippers.

And, oh yeah, 12 of those games are back-to-back sets.

"Of course, we’ve got to get a feel for where the new guys are going to be at and situations and stuff like that, but for the most part we just walk in and play ball," forward Shawn Marion said. "There’s always going to be some waves. At the same time, you’ve got to be able to take the good with the bad and learn from it."

So, let's get on with the predictions.

Jeff Caplan, ESPN Dallas beat writer
Like everyone else, I expect the Mavs to have their issues early on as assimilation proves challenging. After the lockout, the roster reshaping was fast and furious and inconveniently intertwined with training camp. Carlisle has proven to be quite proficient in finding workable combinations and mixing and matching to suit different situations. He has a deep team at his disposal and he will find lineups that work. The big question is whether he can implore this team to discover a defensive backbone with Chandler now supplying one for Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. My guess is probably not as strong as they will need, and that's going to produce a lot of shootouts, but in the end it won't be a team capable of repeating.
Predicted record: 40-26

Tim MacMahon, ESPN Dallas beat writer
A slow start should probably be expected from a team fitting in new pieces, especially after seeing the Mavs struggle in the preseason. There will be bumps down the road, too, as the Mavs make resting old legs a priority. The goal is to peak for the playoffs again.
Predicted record: 40-26

Marc Stein, ESPN.com senior NBA writer
The Mavs won't slip as far without Tyson Chandler as you think. Especially not in the regular season because they've still got a lot of depth and versatility after the arrival of Lamar Odom -- one of the best players in league history with zero All-Star invites on his resume -- as a one-year bridge between Chandler and whoever Mark Cuban lands with all that cap space he's amassing. The streak of 11 consecutive 50-win seasons is going to perish thanks to the 66-game condensed schedule. The dropoff in rim protection minus Tyson, furthermore, will eventually punish Dallas in the playoffs. But this group can still get to the West finals. Bank on 41 wins for Dirk and his Mavs at worst.
Predicted record: 41-25

Chuck Cooperstein, Mavs play-by-play voice
After a bumpy start which will see them naturally struggle to assimilate their new pieces, the Mavericks will finish strong and will be a very entertaining team to watch. They will be like the Nellie teams of '02-'05, with a better defensive presence. But, like the Nellie teams (and every other Mavericks team besides 2011), they don't have the necessary presence in the middle to take them all the way.
Predicted record: 43-23

Jeff "Skin" Wade, co-host of "Ben & Skin Show" 103.3 FM ESPN and Mavs TV sideline reporter
The Mavs will once again have a strong playoff run riding the shoulders of the Big German, but their age and demanding schedule prove too tough to overcome and they eventually run out of gas against a younger, hungrier team. But, it'll be a solid year for a franchise transitioning into their next phase with over $20 million in cap space in the summer of 2012 to build a squad for the few remaining years of Dirk's peak. The real trick is for Dallas to know for certain by the end of the season what they have in Roddy B, DoJo and possibly even Brandan Wright.
Predicted record: 40-26

Ricky Rubio meet J.J. Barea, and take good notes.

Learn about heart, sweat and guts. Learn how to deal with adversity in the no-mercy NBA. Learn how to overcome. Learn how to be a winner.

Why else do you think the Minnesota Timberwolves outbid the New York Knicks and everybody else and signed the 5-foot-10 world champion to a four-year, $19 million contract on Wednesday?

From a young spark plug on the veteran-laden Dallas Mavericks, Barea, 27, is now an elder statesman of sorts and a mentor in every way to the Timberwolves' Spanish-speaking and once-reluctant No. 5 pick.

"I think that was one of things. I also think what helps me is I came from a great team, great system in Dallas, and I was a big part of the championship team," Barea said after a long day of meeting his new teammates and coaches and beginning the process of settling into his new home of Minneapolis. "I’m going to help him as much as I can. He’s a good kid and I know, I went through it, how hard it is the first couple of years, the ups and downs of the NBA. So, I’m going try to keep him positive and help him out as much as I can."

Hard to believe that Barea, a native of Puerto Rico who had a brilliant, if not a mostly anonymous career at Northeastern, is a five-year NBA veteran, his last three seasons spent as a 20-minute-a-night backup to Jason Kidd, while at times also playing alongside the future Hall of Famer, which could become a similar situation with the slick playmaker from Spain.

"He’s a great kid, talented, but he’s a rookie," Barea said. "He’s young. It’s going to be his first year in the NBA; it’s never easy so I’m going to help him as much as I can with whatever I know."

At the same time as Barea begins a brave new world in the snowy midwest, it remains difficult for him to let go of his ties to Dallas and what might have been if owner Mark Cuban hadn't of slammed on the brakes on the old way of doing business and made a B-line toward salary cap space in this new collective bargaining agreement era.

Cuban bid farewell to free agents Tyson Chandler, DeShawn Stevenson, Caron Butler and Peja Stojakovic. Barea, who desperately wanted to return and chase back-to-back titles, said discussions with Cuban never reached a dollar figure because the owner wasn't budging from a one-year deal that Barea would never accept.

"It’s never going to be personal against Mark or [president of basketball operations Donnie [Nelson] or whoever," Barea said. "But, it’s still disappointing after you win a title and that’s all you fight for and then to break up a team like that it’s always going to be disappointing. But, that’s the direction they wanted to go and that’s what they’re doing."

Barea will participate in his first full practice today with the Timberwolves, a team so often a doormat, but this season is at least intriguing. Rick Adelman takes over as head coach. Rubio, 21, is the point guard. Derrick Williams is the 20-year-old rookie. Kevin Love, 23, is the double-double machine. There's erratic and talented and still immature 22-year-old Michael Beasley, 22-year-old Anthony Randolph, 24-year-old Wesley Johnson, 26-year-old Anthony Tolliver and just 26-year-old Darko Milicic.

In other words, the T'pups are the anti-Mavs.

"It’s weird. It’s weird, but it’s something new for me and another experience I’m going to have," Barea said. "It was great five years in Dallas. Everything about my first five years in Dallas was awesome. This is a nice, little roster. It’s young, really young, but it’s going to be fun."

Especially if Barea can help the hopeful face of the franchise find his way in his own brave new world.

DALLAS -- The defense of the 2011 championship officially hit the hardwood Friday afternoon as the Dallas Mavericks returned to the practice floor for the first time since winning the title, and with a noticeably thinner cast.

Ten players worked out with newly signed forward Brandan Wright the only newcomer to this point. Shooting guard Rudy Fernandez is still stuck in Spain waiting out visa issues. Jason Kidd looked to be in fit condition after a long offseason of playing some of this country's top golf courses and Rodrigue Beaubois took part in the full practice as he looks to make his way all the back this time from a second surgery on his troublesome left foot.

But, the bigger story Friday was who wasn't at camp. Tyson Chandler is gone, a free-agent signee with the New York Knicks. Caron Butler is with Los Angeles Clippers. J.J. Barea, DeShawn Stevenson, Brian Cardinal and Peja Stojakovic were all no-shows as they explore their free-agent options. At least Barea and Stevenson are not expected to re-sign.

It made for an interesting feel at the undermanned practice as the team leaves behind some big contributors and bigger personalities, and moves forward in this accelerated training camp period with the season opening in two weeks.

"We've got to worry about what’s in this locker room right now and wish them guys the best of luck wherever free agency is leading them," forward Shawn Marion said. "But, we’ve got to get ready for Dallas Mavericks basketball."

Coach Rick Carlisle said the roster is not complete. Currently 11 players are under contract. The Mavs will need to fill two more spots to reach the league minimum of 13 on the 15-man roster. A veteran point guard could be at the top of the list.

Carlisle, who kept the tone of the day forward-thinking, announced several obvious adjustments, starting with Brendan Haywood taking over as the starting center with Ian Mahinmi sliding in as a true No. 2 for the first time in his brief NBA career. Beaubois and Dominique Jones will both get plenty of work at point guard with the loss of Barea. The backup position will be critical this season to allow Kidd the rest he will be need to navigate through a 66-game schedule in 123 days, and with the playoffs starting on the 125th day.

"I’m big on what’s going on today and right now and getting our guys geared up to make our situation right now the best that it can be and we’re going to do that," said Carlisle, who enters his fourth season as Dallas' head coach. "We had some guys that did some great things for us here that are probably not going to be back, but that’s part of the circle of life in the NBA. And, we’re all going to adjust, guys are going to step up into some opportunistic situations and we plan on defending our crown with a lot of pride."

The Dallas Mavericks' plan for the 2010-11 season came into focus last Wednesday when Tyson Chandler told ESPN.com that he didn't think he would be back. Perhaps that plan should have been identified back in July when Chandler expressed disappointment that the Mavs didn't extend him before the lockout.

But, it was easy to explain that away. With a new collective bargaining agreement yet to be hammered out, but promising a harsher set of salary cap rules, how could the Mavs possibly offer a contract without knowing the rules?

It was still assumed in almost every precinct that Chandler remained the Mavs' No. 1 priority. Or maybe he never was. Whatever, the plan looking toward the future is now in full motion. Chandler is close to an agreement with the New York Knicks. Caron Butler has agreed to three-year, $24 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. J.J. Barea will be heading elsewhere soon. As for DeShawn Stevenson, Brian Cardinal and Peja Stojakovic, they might be back if a one-year deal is to their liking.

The clues were there for a week week now, but today it became official: The title team will not return.

"As a player, you've won it once and you'd obviously love to have the same crew back and defend our title that way," Dirk Nowitzki said. "But, we understand that it's a business. So, we're just going to have to wait and see what happens."

Don't be surprised if Barea's departure is next.

As for key arrivals? Mark Cuban is banking that happens starting July 2012.

The Dallas Mavericks delivered an NBA championship with a team-first ethos and tremendous bench contributions all the way from fearless sixth man Jason Terry to fearsome 12th man Brian Cardinal.

"That was the biggest reason for our success," forward Shawn Marion said. "You only go as far as your bench goes."

That was true during an 82-game season spanning 5 1/2 months, and it will be especially so during a 66-game schedule spanning 123 days that will include 20 back-to-backs and one back-to-back-to-back set that closes a seven-games-in-nine-nights stretch. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle knows he's going to need a deep bench and a creative rotation through stretches of the season.

"Everybody’s going to be dealing with it and we’ll have to manage it," Carlisle said Wednesday during his first basketball-related session with the media since the lockout to effect July 1. "As always, depth and bench are going to be really critical this season. They’re important every year, but in a season where you have less spacing between games, your depth is going to be at an all-time premium."

Especially for a team whose point guard, Jason Kidd, turns 39 in March and overall is one of the oldest teams in the league.

Yet, just as Carlisle is preaching bench depth, he is preparing for life possibly without several players he leaned on heavily last season. Center Tyson Chandler could be gone and that would flip reserve Brendan Haywood into a starter. J.J. Barea could be gone and that would leave backup point guard to inexperienced youngsters Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones, both being combo guards at best.

Caron Butler is all but gone, which could hand Corey Brewer a key role behind Marion. DeShawn Stevenson? Possibly gone, leaving the Mavs placing faith in newcomer Rudy Fernandez to play tough minutes at both ends.

"The hope is that we can manage our rotation so that we can keep everybody at reasonable minutes throughout the year and avoid those situations," Carlisle said. "But, you never know. Anything’s possible."

Carlisle often went 10-deep last season. Three reserves averaged between 18.5 minutes and 31.3 minutes, and that doesn't include Marion, who came off the bench in 53 games and averaged 26.9 minutes. In the postseason, when coaches typically shorten their bench, Carlisle expanded his.

With changes afoot, will Carlisle be able to count on his bench for key minutes that will allow Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry to be at least semi-fresh at the end of April when the quest for the repeat truly begins?

"That’s why you’ve got to be a resilient, resourceful franchise and that’s why you’ve got to have some youth that’s ready to take a step up if and when you lose guys," Carlisle said. "We’ve got some guys on our roster that bided their time last year and put in a lot of work and there may be more opportunity for them this year. We’ll see."

Soon. Players and sign contracts beginning Friday.

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is waiting patiently to find out who he'll have on his roster. It's becoming increasingly apparent that Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and J.J. Barea will be finding new homes.

When training camp opens Friday -- the same day that free agents can sign contracts -- Carlisle expects to have nine of his 10 players under contract on the practice floor. Rudy Fernandez is being delayed because of visa issues, but the club hopes he will be in town and ready to join the team Saturday.

"NBA rosters may not be settled for a while, so in a way we’re fortunate, we have 10 guys under contract," Carlisle said. "I would think that that’s in the upper tier of the league in guys that are signed. Hopefully we’ll have a couple other guys in here right away, I don’t know, we’ll see. But, we’re going to have to make the best of it and work with the situation that’s presented to us."

If Chandler, Barea and Butler leave, and DeShawn Stevenson could also be among the group, it would seem that Brendan Haywood would slide into the starting center spot he assumed when he first arrived with Butler and Stevenson in the 2010 deadline trade. Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones could be asked to step up to fill the backup point guard slot and Corey Brewer could become a key reserve behind Shawn Marion at small forward.

Those scenarios depend on who else Dallas nabs in free agency to round out the roster. They must fill at least 13 spots on the 15-man roster. Brian Cardinal and Peja Stojakovic are candidates in the Mavs' plan to acquire players on one-year deals.

"Look, this is a creative group of people here. We're going to find a way to compete at the highest level," Carlisle said. "That's just how we do business. That's one of the fun things about being involved in this organization. I'm anxious and excited about how things are going to unfold and there's a lot of things we don't know.

"The approach is going to be the same. We're not going to have the identical team back. We know that. And in time, we'll find out exactly what the roster is going to look like. In the meantime, there's a lot of anticipation. It'll be upon us very quickly."

DALLAS -- Shawn Marion made his return to the American Airlines Center on Monday and made his first appearance for the media on Tuesday showing off puffy blond hair rising from his head.

"When you got a lot of time on your hands," Marion explained, "you do different things."

You also follow the free agency ebb and flow and Marion is no different than his Dallas Mavericks teammates in being anxious to get the roster settled and finally start training camp. The futures of free agents Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler, J.J. Barea and DeShawn Stevenson are up in the air, with the prevailing thought now that all could spurn apparent one-year offers from the Mavs and sign elsewhere.

"This is definitely an interesting time right now because in this time frame how everybody is trying to cluster everything in and make things happen, it’s going to be very interesting to see how things unfold," Marion said. "But, we’ve got to stay optimistic and stay positive and hopefully we’ll be able to keep most of our team intact. That’s the positive side of it, hopefully we’ll be able to, but you never know. At the same time we just have to see what happens."

While Mavs players are hopeful of defending their title with the team intact, the front office appears to working on one game plan designed to keep payroll down and limit contract offers to one year in a gear-up for a run at one of three potential big free agents next summer -- Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard.

Last season's team, filled with veterans on a quest for their first championship, came together at the right time and made an amazing run. That chemistry is why the Mavs players under contract hope to get another shot together.

"It was a great team championship," Marion said. "I can’t say enough about how everybody contributed. Everybody did something special for this team. That’s why it was so special for us. We was hot. We were feeling each other. We just had the ultimate swag. Regardless of what the naysayers were saying, anybody who knew basketball, we went out there and played the hell out of some basketball, and it was fun being a part of it."

The stated goal was to re-sign them all and defend the title.

Less than a week into teams being able to talk to player-agents, yet just four days from when players can sign contracts (as long as the CBA is ratified by the league's owners and players Thursday as planned), there is considerable doubt as Dallas Mavericks free agent center Tyson Chandler is seriously shopping his talents, as is rugged small forward Caron Butler.

As Brendan Haywood told the Washington Post's Michael Lee after a workout in D.C. with some former Wizards teammates, "I would love for everybody to come back, but it’s a business and you know that can’t always happen."

Chandler stunned Mavs fans last week when he told ESPN.com that he thinks he won't be back. And, it certainly isn't looking as though Butler will be wearing a Mavs uniform when training camp opens Friday. Butler is looking for a multiyear deal while the Mavs want to go with a one-year contract.

"I’m very concerned," Haywood told Lee. “Free agency is such a short period of time now, things are going to happen quick. Before, it might have taken a guy two weeks to get signed, now it’ll probably be two days, so I’m very concerned. We have a lot of guys that we need back. Tyson played well for us last year, J.J. Barea, so we have a lot of different guys we need to come back. Caron Butler as well. He was playing great for our team before his injury and I’m sure they want him back."

Starting at 9 a.m. (CT), team executives can begin meeting face-to-face with players. Chandler will begin a wooing process that includes visiting three teams. Butler will visit at least four this week, including a Tuesday date in San Antonio.

The Mavs are mulling their future under the new CBA. Owner Mark Cuban and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson are wrestling with the idea of re-signing Chandler, knowing that it will prevent Dallas from getting under the salary cap next summer for the first time in the Cuban era and all but remove it from contention for 2012 free agents. If they allow Chandler to walk, it will initially deflate the club and fan base, and leave a significant void for the title defense.

If Chandler departs, do the Mavs decide to then keep this season's roster (currently at $64.8 million to 10 players) to as many one-year deals as possible knowing the payroll drops to about $44 million (to six players) for the 2012-13 season? Such a plan might mean that Butler, Barea and DeShawn Stevenson also leave town.

Of course, the Mavs can ramp up their pursuit of Chandler this week, get him re-signed and look to bring the band, or most of it, back. But even Barea, on record as wanting to be back while being courted by the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, couldn't be certain as of three days ago that he will be, saying, "I want to know where I'm going to be at."

By Friday, the Mavs' 2011-12 roster will come into much clearer focus.

Free agency begins to get serious this week as teams can talk directly with players starting at 9 a.m. (CT) Monday.

As ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Sunday, center Tyson Chandler plans Tyson Chandler plans to meet face-to-face this week with officials from the New Jersey Nets, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks Southwest Division rival Houston Rockets.

The Mavs have five other free agents that can also begin to meet with other suitors. One of those is DeShawn Stevenson, who has upward of a dozen teams express interest in signing the veteran, hard-nosed shooting guard. To begin the paring-down process, Stevenson will engage in a series of conference calls with interested teams throughout Monday, agent Mark Bartelstein said on Sunday. The Mavs have made their interest in re-signing Stevenson known through Bartelstein.

It's uncertain if J.J. Barea or Caron Butler will have face-to-face meetings with any of their suitors. Barea has drawn interest from the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings, according to a source close to that situation. Butler has interest from at least a half-dozen teams, including the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and New Jersey Nets.

The Mavs' other two free agents, Brian Cardinal and Peja Stojakovic, will both likely be veteran minimum deals. Cardinal has a strong chance of landing back in Dallas.

On the second day that NBA players were allowed back into practice facilities, a second Dallas Mavericks player made it back to the American Airlines Center.

Corey Brewer, the lanky, 6-foot-9 small forward with high hopes for the season, greeted the media and went through a workout on the Mavs' practice floor for the first time since the Finals.

"It feels good just to walk back in the gym," Brewer said.

Brewer could find himself with a bigger role on the team this season, especially if Caron Butler does not re-sign. Such a scenario would seemingly keep Shawn Marion in the starting role (which he took over in the latter portions of last season) and move Brewer into the backup spot. Brewer came to Dallas mid-season with an open attitude to learn and improve, while taking a backseat on a roster loaded with former All-Stars.

It's easy to forget that Brewer, a two-time NCAA champion at Florida, is just 25 years old. He played his first NBA three seasons with the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves, which certainly could have been a disheartening experience that included an awful lot of losing and provided little leadership from a roster lacking much veteran know-how.

"I went through three years of every night, night in, night out of losing," Brewer said. "So to come here and win it’s a blessingto me. The Mavs, we get it done. I feel like Mark Cuban, all the guys, coach [Rick] Carlisle, everybody’s great. They do whatever it takes to win. Minnesota was a little different because we were a very young team. So, I went from being one of the oldest guys to one of the youngest guys, so that’s a big difference, too."

Brewer, signed through the 2012-13 season, is looked at as potentially giving the Mavs a needed jolt of athleticism and youth, particularly during what will be a compressed 66-game regular season.