What I hear is that the Mavericks are most likely to try to add a promising young piece to their bench before the trade deadline, using the $2.4 million trade exception they received in the recent deal with the New Jersey Nets as bait.

What I see is that the Mavs must seriously consider shopping Josh Howard.

This is a team that went 8-7 during the most difficult stretch of the schedule so far, including a couple of losses to the Los Angeles Lakers. Does that inspire confidence that this core can contend for a championship? Of course not.

If the Mavs make a blockbuster deal before the Feb. 18 deadline, it will almost certainly involve Howard. Dirk Nowitzki is untouchable. The Mavs need Erick Dampier manning the middle, and his contract has the most value in the trade market when it becomes an instant-expiring deal this offseason. That makes Howard their most valuable trade chip, as much for his contract ($10.9 million salary, with a team option for $11.8 million next season) as his talent.

Maybe, just maybe the spectacular second half of last night’s win over the Boston Celtics was a sign of things to come. The fast break on which Jason Kidd threw a halfcourt pass to Howard, who one-touched to Shawn Marion for a slam was exactly what the Mavs had in mind when they paired J-Ho and the Matrix on the wings. Due to Howard’s recovery from ankle surgery, which included a lengthy stint as a reserve after a longer one on the shelf, the Mavs are still very early in that experiment.

But the Mavs can’t just cross their fingers and hope that works out. So far this season, they've been marginally better with Howard than without him. They must determine Howard’s trade value and pull the trigger if there’s a way to upgrade the core.

Mark Cuban likes to say the Mavs will always be opportunistic in the trade market. It's time to be aggressive.