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Mavericks guard Delonte West dishes on his desire to return to the Dallas, how he feels about Dirk Nowitzki, his relationship with LeBron James and how he ended up hanging out with Dez Bryant over the weekend.

 

On if he expects to return to the Mavericks:

"Yeah, definitely. It's in the Lord's hands and he'll work it out that way but all signs point to me being back here. First and foremost I definitely understand how Rick Carlisle wants to play. What he feels is the right recipe for success ... and that fits to my game. Then I'm the ultimate team player man, you know I can do so much. That's why I really don't do one thing great, cause I do everything good."

On his offseason plans:

"Well my season just began, ya know. It's tough not to stay in the gym because first of all we went out not the way we wanted to, No. 1, so that's tough to swallow. No. 2, you can't go on vacation, those guys are still playing the playoffs. They're still getting better every day, every game, so every day I try to find myself in the gym once or twice a day and try to keep that same high level and keep my body ready. You stay ready you don't have to get ready."

ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Ben and Skin use their unique delivery to explain why the Mavs need to bring Deron Williams back to Big D.

ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Ben Rogers and Skin Wade wrap up the 2011-12 season, break down the Mavericks pursuit of Deron Williams and discuss whether Dirk Nowitzki is too old to carry the team in the season finale of Mavs Pick & Roll.

The Mavs' lack of performance from their centers while being swept away by the Thunder ranks among the biggest disappointments in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Brendan Haywood knew he’d be an amnesty clause candidate as soon as he saw the new collective bargaining agreement. He certainly won’t be surprised if the Mavericks cut him loose this summer.

PODCAST
Mavericks center Brendan Haywood shares his thoughts on the playoffs, being an amnesty candidate, how the CBA affected this year's team and more. Listen

It’s virtually guaranteed to happen if the Mavs can convince Deron Williams to join Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas.

“I have no control over that,” Haywood said during a Tuesday appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3’s Ben and Skin Show. “I have enjoyed my time in Dallas. I was part of a championship team. If it happens, it happens, and I’ll have to move on and continue to try to advance my career somewhere else. If it doesn’t, I’ll be happy to be back. I don’t really have an opinion on that because it’s out of my control.

“I won’t be offended if they do, because I know what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to revamp the team on the fly, keep Dirk around, bring in another superstar, maybe two. And if that’s the case, they’ve got to free up everybody.”

Haywood is due to make $8.35 million next season and $27.2 million during the three remaining guaranteed years in the deal he signed in the summer of 2010. He’ll get that money no matter what, but like most of the Mavs, he isn’t sure where he’ll play next season.

“Basically, we might not be back next year and nobody knows just yet,” Haywood said. “That’s the business side of it. You’ve got to just go into the summer time, enjoy your time off, prepare for next season and if you’re there, put your all into it. If you’re not, put your all into another team.”

DALLAS – Ian Mahinmi hopes he hasn’t played his last minutes as a Maverick.

The Mavs took a minimum-salary flyer on Mahinmi a couple of summers ago after the Spurs willingly let their former first-round pick go. He developed into a solid backup big man, averaging 5.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game this season, which puts him in position to get a significant raise as a free agent.

Mahinmi’s preference is to keep cashing paychecks signed by Mark Cuban.

“Obviously it’s been two great years for me,” Mahinmi said. “The Mavs organization really gave me a chance to play and show the world what I can do, so I really want to stay here. But on the other part, you know that the NBA’s a business. We all know that they’re going to try to make the NBA better. Right now, I don’t know if I’m in their plans, but me, I really want to stay here.”

Brandan Wright is the only one of the Mavs’ “three-headed monster” at center who should be considered likely to be on the roster next season. While Wright was a nonfactor in the playoffs, his team option for the minimum salary next season is still a bargain.

Starter Brendan Haywood, who played less than 10 minutes in two of the Mavs’ four playoffs games, is a prime candidate for the amnesty clause. The Mavs will need to shed a significant salary to be major players in the free agency market, and Haywood is due $8.3 million next season (and $27.2 million over the three remaining guaranteed years of his contract).

“In this business, you don’t control anything,” Haywood said, acknowledging being amnestied as a possibility but declining to discuss it in much detail. “You just go out there and play. All that other stuff is handled by front office people and your agent.”

If the Mavs cut ties with Haywood, it wouldn’t necessarily increase the odds of Mahinmi returning. The Mavs might see Wright as a suitable backup center and attempt to use their resources to find a proven starter at a reasonable cost.

DALLAS – Just to be clear, Jason Kidd doesn’t consider himself to be a backup-caliber point guard at this point of his Hall of Fame career.

PODCAST
Mavs GM Donnie Nelson gives us an inside look at the team's summer plans as the franchise has financial flexibility for the first time in over a decade. Listen

Kidd would just be willing to back up Deron Williams and a “very short” list of other elite point guards.

The lockout-compressed season was rough on the 39-year-old Kidd’s body. He dealt with a variety of nagging injuries while averaging career lows in points (6.2), assists (5.5) and rebounds (4.1).

But Kidd, whose numbers ticked upward to 11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists during the Mavs’ brief playoff sprint, is confident he can help a team next season. He’s entering free agency looking for a good fit and a decent deal with a contender, not a bench to ride.

“I’m going campaigning for Most Improved Player next year,” Kidd deadpanned. “You guys are laughing. I’m serious.”

Kidd is completely serious in his belief that he can still contribute to a contender. If that means serving as a backup to an All-Star, Kidd said his ego can handle it.

However, Kidd admits that it would be a major adjustment considering his competitive fire.

“I would probably have to talk to Don Kalkstein a lot,” Kidd said, referring to the Mavs’ sports psychologist. “He helped me get the sportsmanship award, so he can definitely handle that job.”

On a serious note, Kidd said: “If I was young, it would probably be hard. But understanding and making adjustments, as a professional, you have to accept your role, and that's what I've done as I've gotten older, and so if that means coming off the bench, then I can handle that. That's just another challenge, and that's the way I would look at it.”

The challenge for the Mavs’ front office is recruiting a point guard good enough for Kidd to back up.

The Mavs have voted not to include Lamar Odom in their share of playoff money. A team source confirmed to ESPN Dallas' Jeff Caplan that Odom will miss out on about a $14,000 playoff share. In the above video, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith supports the Mavericks' stance.

DALLAS – When the Mavs opted not to offer Tyson Chandler and Co. long-term deals, this summer’s free-agency crop was expected to be headlined by a few superstars.

The landscape quickly changed when Chris Paul exercised his player option for next season after being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. It changed for the worse again when Dwight Howard surprisingly committed not to opt out of the final season of his contract with the Orlando Magic just before the trade deadline.

That leaves Deron Williams as the lone big fish. What happens if the Mavs don’t convince The Colony native to come home?

“You’ve got to have your A, B, C, D and E and so on, but you also understand that this is a global plate tectonic,” president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. “Things are moving and situations are fluid. You go into it with eyes wide open and hopefully you can come out of it with what you want.”

The Mavs want a player who can create offense on his own, a necessity to take pressure off of Dirk Nowitzki.

PODCAST
Mavs GM Donnie Nelson gives us an inside look at the team's summer plans as the franchise has financial flexibility for the first time in over a decade. Listen

A reunion with Steve Nash is a possibility. The Mavs declined to pay what it took to keep him in Dallas eight seasons ago because of concerns about durability, but he’s coming off a season in which he led the Western Conference in assists (10.7 per game) and shot a career-best 53.2 percent from the floor.

Everyone knows the chemistry with old pal Nowitzki would click. However, the Mavs would probably take a major step back defensively by adding a 38-year-old point guard who has always been considered a liability on that end of the floor.

Houston’s Goran Dragic, who made himself a ton of money as the fill-in starter for Kyle Lowry in the second half of the season, is a much younger option. Dragic, 26, Nash’s former backup, averaged 18.0 points and 8.4 assists while shooting 49.0 percent from the floor in 28 games as a starter this season.

Some other proven shot creators in the market: New Orleans’ Eric Gordon (restricted), Memphis’ O.J. Mayo (restricted), Minnesota’s Michael Beasley (restricted and off-court issues) and Boston’s Ray Allen (turns 37 in July).

The market for big men, which will be a big need if the Mavs use the amnesty clause on Brendan Haywood, is headlined by Indiana’s Roy Hibbert (restricted), Denver’s JaVale McGee (restricted), Brooklyn’s Brook Lopez (restricted), New Orleans’ Chris Kaman, Houston’s Marcus Camby, Philadelphia’s Spencer Hawes and Chicago’s Omer Asik. The Mavs might also explore taking a minimum-salary flyer on Greg Oden in hopes of resuscitating the former No. 1 overall pick’s career after it has been derailed by knee injuries.

“There’s a lot of good players out there,” Nelson said. “Whether it’s A, B, C, D, E, F, or keep the powder dry, which is always an option. Just because we have it doesn’t mean we have to spend it.”

Is putting a subpar supporting cast around Nowitzki for another year of the twilight of his prime really an option? Isn’t there a sense of urgency to maximize the chances of winning another championship while the best player in franchise history is still a superstar?

“Listen, how many years have we made it in the playoffs in a row?” Nelson said. “We don’t plan on putting out anything less than a championship-caliber team. That’s me and Mark’s history and that’s our commitment to our fans and this city.”

They’ve got their work cut out for them this summer, especially if they swing and miss on Williams.

DALLAS – Jason Terry is welcome to return to the Mavericks.

It’s just a matter of negotiating a deal that’s agreeable to both parties. And that’s a heck of a lot harder than it sounds, considering that the Mavs hope to make major roster upgrades with their salary-cap space and the 34-year-old Terry would surely like at least one more lucrative contract.

“We’d love to have Jet back,” president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said Sunday. “You talk about a guy that’s given his heart and soul to this franchise, and made big plays and big shots. You would love to have him back. It’s just, at what cost?”

Terry was excused from Sunday’s exit interviews so he could coach the Lady Jets, his daughter’s AAU team. However, he acknowledged after Saturday’s sweep finale that he might have played his last game in a Mavericks uniform, calling it a “hard pill to swallow.”

Terry has made it clear over the years that he has hoped to retire as a Maverick. He spent the last eight seasons in Dallas, making him the longest tenured teammate of Dirk Nowitzki's career.

In a classic Jet moment during the celebration at the end of last year's championship parade, days after Terry was the star of the title-clinching Game 6, he pointed to the spot in the American Airlines Center rafters where he thinks his No. 31 should hang one day. It’s tough for Nowitzki to envision Terry wearing that number for another team next season.

“He’s my man,” Nowitzki said. “Hopefully it’s going to work out, it’s going to work out for him the way he wants it to. Maybe he’s going to be back here. I think it’s definitely going to be weird seeing him in a different jersey, so hopefully we figure it out and he’ll be here.”

DALLAS – Don’t count on Jason Kidd to help recruit Deron Williams to Dallas.

Kidd wouldn’t mind backing up Williams next season, but he doesn’t plan on trying to steer the All-Star point guard to any particular team.

“I won’t have any influence on D-Will’s decision,” Kidd said during Sunday’s exit interviews at the American Airlines Center. “I only joke because we have the same agent and we’ll probably play a lot of golf this summer together, and so [there is] a lot of speculation. But he’s his own man and he’s going to make the right decision for what fits best for him to try to win a championship.”

Kidd will also have a decision to make as a free agent, so as he pointed out, he’s in no position to be a recruiter.

“I’m a free agent, so who am I recruiting?” Kidd said. “No, I will help whatever it takes to recruit, but I’ve got to find a home first.”

Dirk Nowitzki didn’t plan on being eliminated from the playoffs so quickly, so the Mavs' superstar doesn’t have a recruiting pitch for Williams prepared. Nowitzki joked that signing with the Mavs would allow Williams, a Rangers fan, to see his favorite baseball team much more often.

How about what the Mavs have to offer?

“It’s obviously way too early,” Nowitzki said. “It’s May and he knows he’s got a big decision to make. It’s obvious that we’d love to have him, but so would a lot of other teams, so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens there this summer.

“I was fortunate enough to spend some time around him during All-Star games. He’s a great dude and he’s from here, so I think it would be a great fit, but hey, that’s not my decision.”

Shawn Marion kept his recruiting pitch for Williams, a native of nearby The Colony, short and sweet: “Get yo’ ass home. Home is where the heart is.”

Colin Cowherd compares Dirk Nowitzki to other NBA players and says his game just doesn't stack up.




His thoughts on Dirk Nowitzki's NBA career:

"Last year when Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks were having this great run it was ridiculous, 'Oh, he's better than LeBron, oh he's better than Larry Bird.' LeBron, who until he got to Miami played with garbage, has never been beaten in the first round of the playoffs. Dirk Nowitzki is about to get swept. It'll be the fifth time he's been bounced in the first round, to go along with four times he's been bounced in the second round. Nine times in 12 years. Folks he's not Larry Bird, he ain't close to LeBron James as a complete player.

"Dirk Nowitzki is a classy guy and a very very very good player, but last year, because of one run, suddenly now like everybody forgot his resume. Dirk Nowitzki today, last year and eight years ago is virtually the same guy. Best pure shooter in the league with lots of holes. The worst offensive rebounding big in the game, a weak perimeter defender, not great in transition but man can he shoot."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Dallas Mavericks guard Delonte West is ill and might miss Saturday night's Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After Saturday's morning shootaround, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said West is dealing with a stomach illness and was vomiting Friday night after the team arrived at its hotel.

Losing West would serve as a major blow to Dallas, particularly on the defensive end.

West, the starting shooting guard, would have first crack covering explosive Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook, and also would see significant time defending the league's leading Sixth Man of the Year candidate, James Harden.

"We've got a Plan B," Carlisle said. "I'm not going to get into the details of it. We'll see where he's at game time. Other than that, we're ready to go."

You can read the rest of the story here.

Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle talks about how his team matches up with the Thunder and why he likes his team's chances to win the series.

 


On how the Mavs matchup with the Thunder:

Look, we’re old and slow and Oklahoma City is young and fast. So, you know, we’re going to have to play a smart series, we’re going to have to play a hard and intelligent series, and we’re going to have to play to our strengths. The whole notion that we wanted Oklahoma City, it’s never been about that.

On how the Mavs plan to deal with Russell Westbrook:

We want to keep Westbrook out of the paint, for sure, but you know, Harden is another guy that gets into the paint and Harden may draw more fouls per minute than anybody in basketball, including Durant and Westbrook. All three of those guys present major challenges and look we’d love Westbrook to take contested 18-foot shots, but we don’t want to just give him 18-foot shots because, I mean he’s making those.

Follow along with our experts as they tweet and chat throughout tonight's Mavs-Hawks game at Philips Arena.