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Hiring Nancy Lieberman as the first coach of the Texas Legends was a masterful, groundbreaking stroke by franchise co-owner Donnie Nelson. Lieberman, a Hall of Famer who has remained active in basketball and resides in Dallas, became the first woman to coach an NBA-affiliated team.

She stepped down after the season and will join the front office. Nelson quickly targeted Bruce Pearl, the hyper-energetic and effusively engaging college coach who transformed an irrelevant Tennessee program on a die-hard football campus into a perennial hot ticket and NCAA Tournament team.

However, Pearl's successful six-year run in Knoxville came crashing down when the school decided to fire him after NCAA violations and Pearl's admitted lying to investigators. Pearl is awaiting the NCAA's punishment, which most seem to think will include at least a one-year college coaching ban.

Nelson is not simply offering a guy down on his luck a chance to stay in the game. He is showering Pearl with an unprecedented, one-year package valued at more than $500,000 (D-League coaches typically earn less than $100,000). Nelson on Thursday described the total package as "lucrative and creative" as well as "flexible" when he oddly, and somewhat awkwardly, introduced Pearl as his "A-man" for the job at a pre-scheduled news conference on the Dallas Mavericks practice floor in the basement of the American Airlines Center.

"The Lord works in mysterious ways," Pearl said.

Pearl is back in Knoxville thinking it over. He is also accepting offers for a television analyst gig, and -- while on ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption" on Wednesday -- he playfully prodded Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser to put in a good word to their bosses. Still, Pearl said Thursday that his heart remains in coaching.

Nelson, the Mavs' president of basketball operations, is pulling out all the stops, including Thursday's media stop, to fawn over Pearl. When asked if he'll accept the job in short order, Pearl said, "Well, it sounds like Donnie wants to wrap it up in short order."

Nelson made no bones that this is a full-court press for visibility for his franchise and the D-League.

So, what exactly does Pearl do for the Legends? He's certainly made a name for himself in college circles -- by winning at mid-majors, by taking Tennessee to the tourney every year and by painting his body orange and joining a jumping student body at a Lady Vols game -- but is he a draw in North Texas? It's not like he's Bob Knight, and you never know what he might say or do next.

The Legends averaged 3,328 fans (6,000 capacity) at 24 home games last season, just shy of the club's stated goal of 3,500 in the Texas Legends Partnership Overview. It would figure that attendance might naturally increase in Year 2 and the potential of NBA games being wiped out could also help ticket sales in Frisco.

But does Pearl necessarily attract more fans than Lieberman would have in a second year? Or, a young developing coach -- as is the mission of the D-League in the first place?

The Legends would have to sell plenty more tickets to justify Nelson's half-million-dollar offer (which includes a base salary and money earned through other avenues such as radio spots, something akin to a college football coach). If the NBA contends its franchises are cash-strapped while locking out players, the D-League certainly is no cash cow.

Pearl would almost certainly be the coach for next season only. He could then join the Mavs in some capacity, perhaps on Carlisle's bench -- there is a current opening with Dwane Casey now the head coach of the Toronto Raptors -- or with another team (not unlike former Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson). Or Pearl can return to college if a potential suspension is lifted and a school is willing to hire him. Or perhaps a more lucrative TV deal could beckon.

Yes, it's easy to see why Pearl would see this as a plum deal. Why Nelson desperately wants him -- and feels compelled to knock his socks off to get him -- is a bit more curious.

MIAMI -- Rookie Miami Heat center Dexter Pittman has returned from a three-week stint with the D-League Sioux Falls Skyforce. The former Texas Longhorn won't be active for tonight's game against the Dallas Mavericks. That slot is reserved for Mike Miller's season debut.

Pittman played in eight games with the Skyforce and started all of them, averaging 16.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.63 blocks. In his last two D-League games, Pittman combined for 49 points, 19 rebounds and seven blocks. Twice in the eight games he logged more than 40 minutes.

"It was invaluable," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Pittman's time away. "He was able to play minutes he had never played before. Even in high school he had never reached anywhere near 40 minutes in a game; understanding how to play through mistakes that a lot of times he wouldn't have had that opportunity here with us."

After appearing in just three games with the NBA D-League's Texas Legends, Rashad McCants is off to China.

One of McCants' representatives, Washington-based Lindsey Maxwell, told ESPNDallas.com in an email Thursday that McCants has elected to accept a lucrative offer from an unspecified Chinese team after the Mavericks declined to provide the former lottery pick any assurances about eventually securing a roster spot with them.

McCants hasn't played in the NBA since the 2008-09 season and ultimately decided to report to the Mavericks' D-League affiliate in Frisco three games into the Legends’ season in hopes of playing his way back onto the NBA's radar.

The Legends acquired McCants' D-League rights through a new allocation rule in the NBA this season that allows D-League teams to claim the rights to three players released by parent clubs in training camp. The shooting guard signed with the Mavs late in training camp and was released within 48 hours in a move essentially aimed at ensuring that the Nancy Lieberman-coached Legends would have McCants’ rights as opposed to merely hoping they could land him in the D-League draft.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed during the broadcast of the Legends' home opener on 103.3 FM last week that the team was indeed evaluating McCants as a potential in-season signee as a free agent. But Cuban made it clear that he wanted to see how willing McCants -- who was selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft -- was to fit into a team structure after his time away from the NBA mainstream.

"We wanted to see Rashad,” Cuban said. “[We know] he can shoot. Now we've just got to see how focused he is. Is it important enough for him to come out here and work on both sides of the court? As opposed to, 'I'm just going to shoot, it's going to go in and then I'm going to wave to the crowd.' "

McCants, though, wasn't even starting for the Legends after the Mavericks assigned rookie Dominique Jones to the D-League at virtually the same time the former North Carolina star joined the team. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged just 18 minutes in his three outings, averaging 12.3 points as a reserve.

"This offer [from China] was promptly communicated to my client and he immediately asked me to contact the Mavericks' organization to explain the situation and to give them the opportunity to match it, offer him a roster spot or some assurances of a roster spot in Dallas," Maxwell wrote. "After some discussions between myself, [Mavericks president of basketball operations and Legends co-owner] Donnie Nelson and [Legends GM] Spud Webb, my client decided that he should explore his options in China. That process is ongoing, and we hope to have that deal finalized later today."

The Chinese team will have to pay a buyout of $45,000 to free McCants from his $25,500 contract, which he had pledged to donate to the Urban Born youth and teen charity foundation. The Legends will retain McCants' D-League rights if he wants to try another stint in the NBA's developmental league again, which is generally regarded as the most scouted and athletic league in the world outside of the NBA.

McCants practiced with the Legends on Wednesday, then left town to return to his Southern California home in anticipation of the move to China.

Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson and co-owner Evan Wyly announced Wednesday night that the D-League team that will debut next season in Frisco is down to its final three name nominations.

After Nelson and Wyly solicited fan suggestions for some five months -- drawing responses from as far away as China and Australia -- those three finalists are: Texas Legends, Texas Shooters and Texas Stallions.

Have to admit, though, that none of the above do it for me.

Excited as I'll be to have a D-League franchise in town -- which means new waves of NBA scouts and personnel folks flying into DFW every season -- I think Texas Prospectors would have made tons more sense.

Calling this team the Prospectors would not only be a nod to the state's rich oil-industry tradition but also invoke the very nature of the D-League, where NBA prospects try to make it to the big time.

I'll concede calling them the Frisco Kids was probably a more popular submission, but I know that the team's management wanted to be known as a Texas franchise as opposed to a mere Frisco franchise.

BOISE, Idaho -- Mavericks director of scouting Amadou Fall, who normally would be part of Dallas’ annual contingent here at the D-League Showcase, has officially accepted the league’s offer to help launch new NBA offices in the South African capital of Johannesburg.

The Mavs, though, have not yet decided if they will seek an immediate replacement for Fall, who had a key role in the drafting of prized Mavs rookie Rodrigue Beaubois and spent more than a decade with the franchise.

Their traveling party in Boise is sizable even without the popular Fall, headed by Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson. Also here: Mavs assistant general manager Keith Grant, veteran scout Dick Baker and two representatives from the D-League franchise coming to the Dallas suburb of Frisco next season which Nelson co-owns: Spud Webb from the front office and coach Nancy Lieberman.

League officials pursued the Senegal native for the South African post for some time and were determined to hire Fall, who has already served as a lead ambassador for the league on numerous "Basketball Without Borders" community outreach trips to the region.

The D-League Showcase brings all 16 teams in the league to one venue to play two games each in a four-day span, watched by representatives from virtually ever NBA team.

Del Harris has left the front office of the fledgling D-League franchise in Frisco to serve as a lead assistant and mentor to new Nets coach Kiki Vandeweghe in New Jersey.

But that won’t necessarily create an opening with the yet-to-be named D-League squad co-owned by Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson.

Nelson told ESPNDallas.com on Tuesday that he will hold off on searching for a new general manager – Harris’ new (and now old) gig as of Nov. 5 – until the summertime, just in case Harris decides he wants to return.

Nelson has the time to wait because the Frisco franchise doesn’t begin D-League play until the 2010-11 season. Harris will undoubtedly be hoping to still be working in New Jersey next season, but the whole Nets franchise is in flux with Vandeweghe, president Rod Thorn and the rest of the basketball staff all working on the final year of their contracts before the expected transfer in ownership control from Bruce Ratner to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.

“Del’s chair will remain open until it absolutely has to be filled,” Nelson said. “We would love to have him back any time.”

Even if Harris ends up staying with the Nets beyond this season, Nelson said the 72-year-old will continue to be a sounding board for Nancy Lieberman, who was hired earlier this month as the first female head coach in D-League history. Nelson and president of basketball operations Spud Webb will split front-office duties until it becomes clear after the NBA season whether they’ll definitely need a replacement for Harris.

“If I have any questions, he’s only a phone call away,” Lieberman said of Harris. “And I will be calling.”

As for naming the team, Nelson said that the franchise continues to take suggestions (more info can be found by clicking here) and faces no strict timetable for choosing a name. He did add, though, that the D-League entry will almost certainly be identified as a Texas team as opposed to a Frisco team like the Rangers’ Double A affiliate Frisco RoughRiders.

“It’s 80 percent that we’ll go with Texas,” Nelson said.

The Mavericks' NBA D-League team in Frisco has yet to play a game, but it's already lost a key member of the front office.

Del Harris, who was announced as the general manager of the Frisco team on Nov. 5, accepted an assistant coaching position with the New Jersey Nets on Monday.

“Wow, our first NBA call-up and we don’t even have a name yet.” owner Donnie Nelson said Monday. “It’s only fitting that it’s Del Harris. He’s been a trailblazer and innovator throughout his decorated career."

Everything is in place for the Frisco D-League team except a nickname.

Owner Donnie Nelson, who doubles as the Dallas Mavericks' president of basketball operations, is throwing a party for fans who want to suggest a nickname. The shingig will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday night at the Dave & Buster's in Stonebriar Mall.

The fan who comes up with the winning name will receive two season tickets and a "NBA All-Star Backstage Pass Experience."

"There’s nothing more important to us than our fans, and THEY will be the ones to name to this franchise," Nelson said in an enthusiastic press release. "Somewhere out there there’s someone with the Willy Wonka golden ticket and we’re going to find them. The next best thing to winning the chocolate factory is courtside seats… plus mom doesn’t have to deal with belly aches or pricey dentists!!"

Frisco head coach Nancy Lieberman, president of basketball operations Spud Webb and general manager Del Harris will join Nelson at the party. There will be silent auctions to benefit the Frisco Miracle League and the Boys and Girls Club.