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Potential won’t help the Mavericks accomplish their mission of pulling off an instant rebuilding job.

They need their lottery pick to be prepared to be a significant contributor immediately. That makes age a virtue for Mavs draft prospects.

PODCAST
ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to touch on the storylines in the NBA playoffs and offer a Mavs perspective. Listen

In the warped modern-day NBA culture, a player who spends three or four years in college is often looked at cross ways. Why wasn’t this guy good enough to be one-and-done or at least two-and-through?

That isn’t how the Mavs’ front office is approaching this draft, though. They don’t want to use the 13th overall pick, assuming they don’t luck out in the lottery, on a project to develop during Dirk Nowitzki’s golden years. They need a player who can be plugged into the rotation right away.

“There’s more known to taking a guy that’s a little bit older,” president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said on a recent appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM’s “Galloway and Company,” pointing to second-round pick Jae Crowder’s success as a rookie after spending four years in college. “If you had your druthers, rather than take a younger guy that’s going to take more time to develop, taking seniors or taking guys that are a little bit older certainly has its place.”

That could make a pair of prospects particularly intriguing for the Mavs: Lehigh guard C.J. McCollum and Louisville center Gorgui Dieng.

McCollum, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior, is a scorer with the ability to penetrate who developed into a good long-distance shooter during his college career. The question is whether he can make the transition from college shooting guard to NBA point guard that Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook pulled off so successfully, not to say he’s that caliber of player.

If he’s solely a shooting guard, McCollum could still fit well with the Mavs, particularly if O.J. Mayo doesn’t return to Dallas. The Mavs had a lot of success over the years with Jason Terry playing the 2 and running the pick-and-pop with Nowitzki. McCollum’s skill set is certainly suited to take advantage of the attention paid to Nowitzki on those plays.

Another thing to like about the 21-year-old McCollum: He’s shown that he’s not intimidated by big stages. He lit up Duke for 30 points, six rebounds and six assists in an NCAA tourney upset last year.

Dieng is also a proven big-game performer, as evidenced by his eight-point, eight-rebound, six-assist, three-block outing in Louisville’s win over Michigan in the national championship game.

The biggest knocks on Dieng: He’s already 23 years old and isn’t much of a threat to score.

However, the 6-foot-11, 235-pound Dieng does have attributes that have proven to work next to Dirk. He’s a long, athletic, intelligent defensive-minded big man with excellent intangibles, much like Tyson Chandler. His Joakim Noah-esque passing skills are a bonus.

McCollum and Dieng don’t project to be NBA stars. But they do appear ready to be quality role players right away, and they just happen to play positions that are major needs for the Mavs.

The Mavericks aren’t in the playoffs for the first time since 2000, so we have to find something to fill the time this spring. Might as well keep up with the players from the Mavs’ title team who are scattered throughout the postseason. We’ll have daily updates as long as Mavs championship alums are still alive in the playoffs.

PODCAST
ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to touch on the storylines in the NBA playoffs and offer a Mavs perspective. Listen

Jason Terry: JET’s best work since signing with Boston has come since the Celtics’ backs were pinned against the wall.

Terry followed up his Game 4 overtime heroics with a 17-point, four-rebound, three-assist, no-turnover, multi-wing performance in the Celtics’ win over the Knicks that forced the series back to Boston. Terry’s 5-of-9 shooting from 3-point range was critical to the Celtics building a double-digit lead that was too large for the Knicks to overcome.

"I'm a 14-year veteran," Terry said on TNT moments after the win. "If you don't know who I am by now, you will after this series."

That was apparently in response to Knicks sixth man J.R. Smith, who was suspended for Game 4 because of an elbow that connected with Terry’s head and stunk it up in Game 5, claiming that he didn’t know who Terry was.

Of course, JET has always been one of the league’s best at jawing. Case in point: He repeatedly referenced the Red Sox’s comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the New York Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series, quoting “the great Kevin Millar” about the pressure shifting with a Game 5 win.

Jason Kidd: Mouthy sixth man Smith’s miserable performance got a lot of attention, but Kidd didn’t exactly bring much off the bench, either.

In fact, this ranked among the worst playoff performances of Kidd’s Hall of Fame career.

The 40-year-old went scoreless in 21 minutes, missing all four shot attempts. His only other stats: two rebounds, one block, one turnover and one foul. No assists. His plus-minus was a team-worst minus-14.

Tyson Chandler: Having chipped off rust and worked his way back into shape after a neck injury caused him to miss 16 of 20 games entering the playoffs, Chandler came up with a typical Chandler outing.

The big man had eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, 11 rebounds and three steals in 34 minutes. The Knicks were plus-8 with the 7-footer on the floor.

"I felt great," he said. "This game is probably the best I've felt. I felt lively, my legs felt good."

DeShawn Stevenson: Stevenson played a grand total of 16 seconds in the Hawks’ tie-breaking Game 5 loss to the Pacers. He did manage to get up a shot that he missed.

Ian Mahinmi: Mahinmi played only 9:27 in the Pacers’ win. He probably would have seen more minutes if he didn’t pick up five fouls. He finished with two points, two rebounds and a block.

The Mavericks aren’t in the playoffs for the first time since 2000, so we have to find something to fill the time this spring. Might as well keep up with the players from the Mavs’ title team who are scattered throughout the postseason. We’ll have daily updates as long as Mavs championship alums are still alive in the playoffs.

Caron Butler: On a night that Chris Paul desperately needed a scoring sidekick in the starting lineup, Butler had five points on 2-of-5 shooting in 19 minutes. He had two rebounds, no assists and a turnover. His plus-minus (minus-14) was the Clippers' worst in a home loss to the Grizzlies that gave Memphis a 3-2 series lead.

Corey Brewer: The Nuggets stayed alive with a win over the Warriors despite Brewer's off night. He was 1-of-11 from the floor (0-of-5 from 3-point range) during his four-point performance. He did come up with three steals, helping Denver force 17 turnovers.

ESPNDallas.com will estimate the market value for each of the Mavericks' eight free agents and examine their worth to the Mavs in a once-per-day series.

Brandan Wright

Brandan Wright would like to be back with the Mavericks.

The Mavs would like to keep Wright, a young, athletic center/forward who took advantage of his return to the rotation in the final month and a half, averaging 11.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks as a 24-minute-per-night part-time starter in the final 23 games. Wright was a major reason why the Mavs went 15-8 during that stretch and probably earned millions in the process.

“The truth is Brandan is a very unique player. He fits in with us. He fits in with our personnel,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “There’s some teams that he really plays great against. That’s been consistent for both years. There’s other teams where it’s tougher for him because of the physical strength, some of the bruising type teams. But we like him. He has continued to get better.

“We met with him (the day after the season ended) and told him that we definitely wanted him back here. These decisions are going to come down to the money and the market and so on and so forth, but he’s a guy that we like.”

It could be more complicated than just the money. Timing of negotiations with Wright could be tricky, too.

Wright feels a sense of loyalty to the franchise that picked him up off the scrap heap after the lockout, but he’s facing the first major business decision of his career. He understands, however, that he won’t be the Mavs’ top priority this summer.

What if Wright gets an offer he likes while the Mavs are pursuing Dwight Howard or Chris Paul or whoever their Plan C, D, E, etc. might be? Wright might not have the luxury of waiting to see whether the Mavs would be able or willing to match.

There is strong mutual interest in Wright returning to the Mavs. Now, it’s a matter of whether the business of basketball gets in the way.

2012-13 stats: Averaged 8.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 59.7 percent from the floor in 18.0 minutes per game. His player efficiency rating (PER) of 21.03 ranked 20th in the league.

Age: 25

Comps:

Brandon Bass – Averaged 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor in 27.6 minutes per game. Signed three-year, $19.4 million deal in 2012.

JaVale McGee – Averaged 9.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while shooting 57.5 percent in 18.1 minutes per game. Signed four-year, $44 million deal in 2012.

Ed Davis – Averaged 7.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while shooting 53.9 percent in 20.1 minutes per game. Has one season remaining on rookie contract.

Amir Johnson – Averaged 10.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while shooting 55.4 percent from the floor in 28.7 minutes per game. Signed five-year, $30 million deal in 2010.

Estimated contract: Bass got $18 million over four years after his two-season stint with the Mavs. Ian Mahinmi, another two-year Mavs project, got $16 million over four years. The bidding for Wright figures to start in that range.

The Mavericks aren’t in the playoffs for the first time since 2000, so we have to find something to fill the time this spring. Might as well keep up with the players from the Mavs’ title team who are scattered throughout the postseason. We’ll have daily updates as long as Mavs championship alums are still alive in the playoffs.

DeShawn Stevenson: He dropped out of the rotation when the series went to Atlanta. After a DNP-CD in Game 3, Stevenson played 45 seconds in Game 4. He did at least manage to avoid a trillionire stat line, grabbing one rebound in the Hawks’ series-tying win.

Ian Mahinmi: Mahinmi got his most playing time of the series, logging 12 minutes in the Pacers’ loss. He had three points, four rebounds, a block, a turnover and four fouls.

ESPNDallas.com will estimate the market value for each of the Mavericks' eight free agents and examine their worth to the Mavs in a once-per-day series.

Anthony Morrow

Anthony Morrow’s remarkable shooting range never made a difference for the Mavericks.

Morrow, who was billed by Donnie Nelson as one of the best “stretch shooters” in NBA history after Dallas acquired him in a deadline deal, made a grand total of one 3-pointer during his brief tenure with the Mavs, attempting only five shots from long range.

Morrow played only 82 minutes for the Mavs, getting much of his time in mop-up situations. In fairness, it’d be tough for any role player to crack Rick Carlisle’s rotation after joining the Mavs in the middle of a desperate fight to make the playoffs.

While you’ll often hear around the American Airlines Center that you can never have enough shooters, re-signing Morrow certainly won’t be a summer priority. He’s a one-trick player (42.4 percent from 3-point range for his career) the Mavs might consider for one of their final roster spots after addressing other areas.

2012-13 stats: Averaged 4.0 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 9.3 minutes per game for the Atlanta Hawks and Mavs. Shot 44.1 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from 3-point range.

Age: 27

Comps:

Roger Mason Jr. – Averaged 5.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 17.7 minutes per game. Shot 43.3 percent from the floor and 41.5 percent from 3-point range. Played for veteran’s minimum this season.

Jodie Meeks – Averaged 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 21.3 minutes per game. Shot 38.7 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from 3-point range. Signed a two-year, $3.05 million deal in 2012, with the second season a team option.

Dorell Wright – Averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 22.6 minutes per game. Shot 39.6 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from 3-point range. Completed rookie contract this season.

Mike Miller – Averaged 4.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 15.3 minutes per game. Shot 43.3 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from 3-point range. Amnesty clause candidate signed five-year, $29 million deal in 2010.

Estimated contract: Morrow is likely to end up getting the veteran’s minimum.

Here’s how Mark Cuban views the first NBA postseason that doesn’t include Dallas in a dozen years: "Mavs fans just want teams with free agents to get eliminated early."

Well, then Lakers-Spurs couldn’t have gone better, huh?

After all, Dwight Howard’s team got swept. Heck, Howard didn’t even stick around the whole four games, getting ejected early in the second half of the embarrassing finale. And then he called his season in Los Angeles "a nightmare."

Howard, as expected, is sending all sorts of mixed messages about whether he’ll stay or leave L.A. It’s at least enough of a possibility that the Mavs must be fully prepared to make their best recruiting pitch.

And, no, there isn’t any question about whether the Mavs would want to take on all that Dwight drama. Here’s a pretty good rule of thumb for NBA GMs: If you can get the game’s best big man in his prime, do it.

Howard has plenty of baggage, but he’s a perennial All-Star who averaged 17.1 points, a league-high 12.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in a down year while coming off back surgery and dealing with a bum shoulder. He represents the Mavs’ best chance of pulling off the "quick rebuild" that Cuban is determined to make happen.

(That’s assuming Chris Paul stays with the Clippers, which we’ll probably address after the other L.A. team’s playoff run is over.)

Let’s make another thing clear: A lack of cap space won’t be the reason if the Mavs miss out on Howard. They’d have to move Shawn Marion or Vince Carter to be able to give him a max deal, but it wouldn’t be difficult to dump the salary of a quality veteran entering the last year of his contract. (CBA expert Larry Coon details the Mavs’ cap situation to the dollar here.)

First and foremost, it’s a matter of whether Howard is miserable enough as a SoCal scapegoat to leave the Lakers’ five-year, $118 million offer on the table to take $87.6 million over four years from another team.

If that’s the case, then Cuban, Donnie Nelson, Rick Carlisle and that goofy German guy must make a strong enough pitch to persuade Howard to pick Dallas instead of other potential destinations, such as Houston or Atlanta.

All due respect to Dirk Nowitzki, who is more than willing to become the second fiddle to accommodate a twenty-something superstar, but the presence of one of the all-time best power forwards can’t be the Mavs’ primary selling point. Not with Nowitzki turning 35 this summer and James Harden just approaching his prime in Houston.

The Mavs must sell Howard on their ability to build and sustain a contender around him. They did it for a dozen years around Dirk, and they need to make Howard believe they can do it for a decade around him.

Cuban, who is making the great sacrifice of not scheduling any "Shark Tank" tapings during the July free agency period, has to paint a championship picture for Howard. The big man has to believe, with the Mavs scheduled to have a ton of cap space again next summer, that the front office can put the pieces around him required to get another ring.

Two major pieces are in place: Nowitzki and coach Rick Carlisle, who can help the Mavs’ cause by showing clips of some of the plays the Pacers used to run to get Jermaine O'Neal the rock during his All-Star days.

And the Mavs must play to Howard’s flaws, convincing him that he’ll be comfortable in Dallas for the rest of his career. It helps that the front office has a strong relationship with agent Dan Fegan, who also represents Marion.

Is it likely that Howard will leave L.A. for Dallas? Nope.

But, hey, what were the odds in October that the Lakers wouldn’t win a single playoff game? That stunning development – and all the drama that unfolded this season in L.A. – certainly improved the Mavs’ odds of landing the NBA’s best big man as their next centerpiece.

Mark Cuban, who has often been a vocal supporter of gay rights issues, considers NBA center Jason Collins' coming out of the closet a breakthrough moment in sports.

“Good for Jason. I hope this opens the door for other players to be honest about who they are,” Cuban wrote in an email reply to ESPNDallas.com.

Cuban told TMZ earlier this month that he would be “honored” to have on his team the first NBA player who came out publicly.

“I think things have changed, significantly, in that the players would accept him,” Cuban told TMZ. “All professional sports have had their homophobic missteps along the way; it's a new era, a new generation and the player would be accepted. I think we are starting, at least on the edges, to break down those barriers. This shouldn't be a big deal.”

The 34-year-old Collins is entering free agency. Known for being a great locker room presence and physical defender, Collins averaged 1.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.2 fouls in 38 games for the Celtics and Wizards this season.

UPDATE: Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said Monday night that he has known Jason and twin brother Jaron Collins since he worked with them at a camp more than a decade ago, calling them "pure class on and off the court."

"I applaud Jason's announcement and view it as a further demonstration of his strength and character," Carlisle said via text message.

The Mavericks aren’t in the playoffs for the first time since 2000, so we have to find something to fill the time this spring. Might as well keep up with the players from the Mavs’ title team who are scattered throughout the postseason. We’ll have daily updates as long as Mavs championship alums are still alive in the playoffs.

Jason Terry: We’ll just use an excerpt from ESPNBoston.com colleague Chris Forsberg’s column to sum up the vintage JET performance in his first playoff win since the title-clincher in Miami.

With the Celtics on the brink of being unceremoniously swept from the playoffs, Terry delivered a rarity this season: One of his familiar big-game efforts, scoring nine points in overtime as Boston held off New York 97-90 in Game 4 of the teams' first-round playoff series on Sunday at TD Garden.

The Knicks own a 3-1 series lead as the only things they put away Sunday were their brooms. Game 5 is Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

"I had every intention of trying to make an impact on the game, some way or another," said the 35-year-old Terry, who scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting with four assists over 41 minutes. One game after shuffling to a starting role to help with ballhandling, Terry returned to a bench spot and provided a much-needed spark, accounting for all but four points of Boston's reserve production.

"If I wasn't making shots, I wanted to get a steal, get a rebound, any little thing to keep it going," Terry said. "Again, I'm going to coach AAU, but I don't want to do that right now."

The quintessential Terry postseason performance was highlighted by the quintessential Terry shot. Sneaking out in transition in a tied game late in overtime, Terry found space as three Knicks defenders shaded toward Paul Pierce on the opposite wing. Jeff Green fed Terry, who pulled up in transition on the left side and splashed a 3-pointer -- his lone triple of the game -- before Jason Kidd could get out to contest.

The trifecta broke the game's final tie and Terry added a 13-foot fadeaway, two free throws (after craftily drawing a loose-ball foul call boxing out for a defensive rebound) and a layup before the final horn.

Terry's struggles this season have been well-documented. Celtics coach Doc Rivers had made Terry his first phone call when free agency opened in July and there was hope that the former Sixth Man of the Year would provide a long-missing bench spark for Boston, particularly after Ray Allen defected to the rival Heat.

But Terry, playing the first season of a three-year, $15.7 million contract, slumped throughout the regular season and straight into the playoffs. At times his defense eroded to the point that, unable to convert on the offensive end, he was a liability on the floor. He admits his trademark soaring jet celebration has been stuck in the hangar for much of the season.

Despite taxiing for much of the season, Terry picked a heck of a time to get off the tarmac.

"I've just been patient," he said. "As long as there's time on the clock, as long as there is another game, it's an opportunity for me to do something special. That's just the type of player I am. Whether I've made every shot or missed every shot, I have the same focus, the same confidence."

Tyson Chandler: Chandler scored five points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked one shot in 31 minutes. The Knicks were outscored by six with him on the floor.

Jason Kidd: Kidd was scoreless in 37 minutes during the Knicks’ overtime loss, going 0-for-3 from the floor. He grabbed nine rebounds, dished out two assists and committed two turnovers.

Corey Brewer: Brewer had 14 points on 3-of-9 shooting with one rebound and one steal in 29 minutes as his Nuggets were pushed to the brink of elimination by the Warriors.

ESPNDallas.com will estimate the market value for each of the Mavericks' eight free agents and examine their worth to the Mavs in a once-per-day series.

O.J. Mayo

After opting out of the second year of his contract, O.J. Mayo declared that he hoped to sign a long-term deal to stay in Dallas.

Coach Rick Carlisle, who had vented his frustration with Mayo just a few days earlier, made it clear that he’d welcome the shooting guard back.

“I like O.J. a lot,” Carlisle said. “I think he fits into what we’re doing. Like everything else in this world, this is probably going to come down to money.”

In relative terms, there wasn’t much of a market for Mayo last summer, when the former third overall pick hit free agency after struggling as a sixth man during his final two seasons in Memphis. He took a little less money to come to the Mavs, hoping that a year of work with Carlisle would boost his value.

We’ll see this summer whether that happened after a hot-and-cold season for Mayo that ended with an icy stretch.

The Mavs won’t break the bank to keep Mayo. They consider him capable of starting for a contender, but they don’t view him as a cornerstone player.

If Dallas doesn’t keep Mayo, the Mavs will have to address a major hole in the lineup. He led the Mavs in points, was second in scoring and second in assists.

But the free agent market will be flooded with starting-caliber shooting guards. Reasonably priced alternatives could include Monta Ellis, J.J. Redick, Kevin Martin, Tyreke Evans, Randy Foye, Tony Allen and Nick Young. (Not listed due to price/probability of staying with their current contenders: J.R. Smith, Manu Ginobili and Andre Iguodala.)

2012-13 stats: Averaged 15.3 points, 4.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 2.6 turnovers in 35.5 minutes per game. Shot 44.9 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from 3-point range.

Age: 25

Comps:

DeMar DeRozan – Averaged 18.1 points, 2.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 1.8 turnovers in 36.7 minutes per game. Shot 44.5 percent from the floor and 28.3 percent from 3-point range. Signed four-year, $38 million deal in 2012.

Jamal Crawford – Averaged 16.5 points, 2.5 assists, 1.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.9 turnovers in 29.3 minutes per game. Shot 43.8 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from 3-point range. Signed four-year, $21.4 million deal in 2012.

Eric Gordon – Averaged 17.0 points, 3.3 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 2.8 turnovers in 30.1 minutes per game. Shot 40.2 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from 3-point range. Signed four-year, $58 million deal in 2012.

Joe Johnson – Averaged 16.3 points, 3.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 1.7 turnovers in 36.7 minutes per game. Shot 42.3 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from 3-point range. Signed six-year, $123.7 million deal in 2010.

Arron Afflalo – Averaged 16.5 points, 3.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 2.2 turnovers in 36.0 minutes per game. Shot 43.9 percent from the floor and 30.0 percent from 3-point range. Signed five-year, $38 million deal in 2011.

Wesley Matthews – Averaged 14.8 points, 2.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.6 turnovers in 34.8 minutes per game. Shot 43.6 percent from the floor and 39.8 percent from 3-point range. Signed five-year, $26.8 million deal in 2010.

Estimated contract: How many millions did Mayo cost himself by struggling down the stretch? At the All-Star break, it appeared that Mayo might get a four-year deal in the $40 million range. Now, $25 million over four years sounds more likely. The Mavs might not want to go above the midlevel exception (four years, $21.4 million).

ESPNDallas.com will estimate the market value for each of the Mavericks' eight free agents and examine their worth to the Mavs in a once-per-day series.

Chris Kaman

Let’s put it this way: Chris Kaman isn’t going to invite coach Rick Carlisle to join him on one of his beloved hunting trips any time soon.

Unless, well ... never mind.

It’s an understatement to say that Kaman’s season in Dallas didn’t work out as well as anticipated. His frequent defensive lapses didn’t endear Kaman to Carlisle, resulting in Kaman spending much of the second half of the season on the fringe of the rotation, failing to get off the bench in several games.

“Frustrating,” was the politically correct way that Kaman often put it. Needless to say, that feeling was mutual.

While Kaman has repeatedly said he’d like to return to Dallas, it smacks of a veteran with precious little leverage who isn’t going to publicly close any doors. The Mavs’ quest to replace Tyson Chandler needs to move on to another big man.

The simple fact of the matter is that Kaman and German Olympic teammate Dirk Nowitzki don’t fit well together in an NBA frontcourt. With that duo playing, the Mavs were outscored by 59 points in 492 minutes this season.

As the Mavs rebuild around Nowitzki, they must find a starting center who is a better complement to him.

2012-13 stats: Averaged 10.5 points on 50.7 percent shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.8 blocks in 20.7 minutes.

Age: 30

Comps:

Nene Hilario – Averaged 12.6 points on 48.0 percent shooting, 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.6 blocks in 27.2 minutes per game. Signed five-year, $65 million deal in 2011.

Robin Lopez – Averaged 11.3 points on 53.4 percent shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.6 blocks in 26.0 minutes per game. Signed three-year, $15.4 million deal (last two seasons not guaranteed) in 2012.

Spencer Hawes – Averaged 11.0 points on 46.4 percent shooting, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 blocks in 27.2 minutes per game. Signed two-year, $13.1 million deal in 2012.

Byron Mullens – Averaged 10.6 points on 38.5 percent shooting, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.6 blocks in 26.9 minutes per game. Rookie contract that paid him $2.25 million last season expires this offseason.

Andray Blatche – Averaged 10.3 points on 51.2 percent shooting, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.7 blocks in 19.0 minutes per game. Played this season for veteran’s minimum salary.

Estimated contract: It’s hard to imagine Kaman getting anything more than one-year offers. He might get half of the $8 million he made this season.

The Mavericks aren’t in the playoffs for the first time since 2000, so we have to find something to fill the time this spring. Might as well keep up with the players from the Mavs’ title team who are scattered throughout the postseason. We’ll have daily updates as long as Mavs championship alums are still alive in the playoffs.

DeShawn Stevenson: Stevenson hit one of his two 3-point attempts and grabbed five rebounds during 19 minutes off the bench in the Hawks’ lopsided loss to the Pacers. The problem was the defensive stopper couldn’t stop Indiana star Paul George, who torched the Hawks for 27 points.

That’s a two-game trend. According to NBA.com, George has 31 points on 12-of-21 shooting in 53 minutes against Stevenson this series. George has scored 42 points on 14-of-37 shooting in 106 minutes when Stevenson was on the bench.

Ian Mahinmi: Mahinmi made his Pacers playoff debut, checking in with 3:10 remaining and Indiana up by 33. He had a dunk and three rebounds during his garbage-time stint.

ESPNDallas.com will estimate the market value for each of the Mavericks' eight free agents and examine their worth to the Mavs in a once-per-day series.

Mike James

Mike James was a heck of a pickup off the scrap heap for the Mavericks. But he certainly isn’t a long-term solution for their glaring hole at point guard.

Give the journeyman credit. He worked his way back into the NBA via the D-League for the second consecutive season and contributed much more to the Mavs -- the 11th team of his NBA odyssey -- than anyone other than himself anticipated.

James actually started the last 23 games of the season and was relatively productive during that span, averaging 8.2 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 41.9 percent from 3-point range. The Mavs went 15-8 in that stretch, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive until the final week.

James has said he hopes to play two more years for the Mavs. However, the odds of him being given a two-year deal are significantly less than the Mavs’ puny chances of winning the lottery.

Maybe James can be an insurance policy again for the Mavs, but there’s no good reason to guarantee a roster spot to a player who has been available in the middle of the season each of the last four years.

2012-13 stats: Averaged 6.1 points, 3.1 assists, 1.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 1.2 turnovers while shooting 37.3 percent from the floor and 38.4 percent from 3-point range in 19.2 minutes per game.

Age: 37

Comps:

Derek Fisher – Averaged 5.3 points, 1.4 assists, 1.1 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 0.9 turnovers while shooting 34.2 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from 3-point range in 17.4 minutes per game. Played this season for prorated veteran’s minimum salary.

Pablo Prigioni – Averaged 3.5 points, 3.0 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 1.1 turnovers while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 39.6 percent from 3-point range in 16.2 minutes per game. Played this season for the league minimum.

PODCAST
Rick Carlisle joins Chuck Cooperstein and Tim MacMahon to discuss the Mavericks' disappointing season and what needs to happen for them to get back to the playoffs. Listen

Chris Duhon – Averaged 2.9 points, 2.9 assists, 1.5 rebounds, 0.4 steals and 0.9 turnovers while shooting 38.2 percent from the floor and 36.3 percent from 3-point range in 17.8 minutes per game. Signed a four-year, $13.25 million salary during the 2010 offseason.

Jeremy Pargo – Averaged 6.8 points, 2.4 assists, 1.3 rebounds, 0.3 steals and 1.3 turnovers while shooting 39.6 percent from the floor and 33.8 percent from 3-point range in 16.8 minutes per game. Played this season for prorated veteran’s minimum salary.

Estimated contract: If James gets invited to a training camp, it’s likely to be for a nonguaranteed veteran’s minimum deal.

The Mavericks aren’t in the playoffs for the first time since 2000, so we have to find something to fill the time this spring. Might as well keep up with the players from the Mavs’ title team who are scattered throughout the postseason. We’ll have daily updates as long as Mavs championship alums are still alive in the playoffs.

Jason Terry: At least JET got on the board after a scoreless Game 1 performance. It looked like he might give the Celtics a big boost off the bench after he knocked down three 3-pointers in the first half.

That, however, accounted for all of Terry’s scoring in the Celtics’ loss. He finished with nine points on 3-of-8 shooting (3-of-7 from 3-point range) and dished out three assists in 34 minutes.

Terry certainly wasn’t the only Celtic who struggled offensively in the second half. Boston scored a grand total of 23 points after halftime.

“In the second half we didn’t show up, so we look forward to going home and getting this first one,” Terry told reporters after the Knicks took a 2-0 series lead. “I never get too high or too low. So, I’m always even keeled. It’s a long series. I always say that. We’ll see what adjustments we make going forward.”

Tyson Chandler: The Knicks were plus-21 in Chandler’s 22 minutes, which is by far the most impressive number from his statistical line.

Chandler did get his first bucket of the series, scoring three points on 1-of-4 shooting. He grabbed five rebounds and blocked one shot.

Jason Kidd: The Knicks didn’t need Kidd to play heavy minutes in this win, so he should be fresh as the series goes to Boston. He had three points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in 23 minutes.

Corey Brewer: Brewer scored 19 points on 6-of-16 shooting off the Nuggets’ bench. He had nine points in the fourth quarter, but Golden State had essentially put the game away by then. Brewer also had three assists and two rebounds in 30 minutes.

ESPNDallas.com will estimate the market value for each of the Mavericks' eight free agents and examine their worth to the Mavs in a once-per-day series.

Darren Collison

Darren Collison has made it clear he considers himself a starting point guard. The Mavericks have made it clear they see him as an off-the-bench sparkplug.

That difference of opinion doesn’t necessarily ruin any chances of Collison returning to Dallas, particularly if the rest of the NBA agrees with the Mavs’ evaluation of him.

“We’ll see,” Collison said. “I’m not going to say no because I definitely experienced it and I’m capable of playing off the bench. At the same time, I just know who I am as a person and as a player. I know I’m capable of playing for any team as a starter.”

If Collison gets paid starter money, it won’t be from the Mavs, whose top offseason priority is upgrading at point guard.

Nevertheless, coach Rick Carlisle called Collison “definitely a guy going forward who is one of the pieces of the puzzle here, potentially.” The Mavs appreciated Collison’s positive attitude while he dealt with being demoted behind geezer point guards Derek Fisher and Mike James. They’re also enamored with the speed and quickness that can make Collison a threat, especially against second units.

There could be a place for Collison in Dallas. It’d be coming off the bench, preferably behind a starting point guard who has proven capable of closing games.

Ranking among the league’s best backup point guards isn’t Collison’s goal. It’s just his reality as he enters free agency after finishing up his rookie contract.

2012-13 stats: Averaged 12.0 points, 5.1 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.1 turnovers while shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent from 3-point range in 29.3 minutes per game.

Age: 25

Comps:

J.J. Barea – Averaged 11.3 points, 4.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 0.4 steals and 2.0 turnovers while shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and 34.6 percent from 3-point range in 23.1 minutes per game. Signed a four-year, $18 million deal in 2011.

Luke Ridnour – Averaged 11.5 points, 3.8 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.6 turnovers while shooting 45.3 percent from the floor and 31.1 percent from 3-point range in 30.2 minutes per game. Signed a four-year, $16 million deal in 2010.

Nate Robinson – Averaged 13.1 points, 4.4 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.8 turnovers while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor and 40.5 percent from 3-point range in 25.4 minutes per game. Played this season on a one-year, $1.15 million deal (veteran minimum).

PODCAST
Rick Carlisle joins Chuck Cooperstein and Tim MacMahon to discuss the Mavericks' disappointing season and what needs to happen for them to get back to the playoffs. Listen

Jerryd Bayless – Averaged 8.7 points, 3.3 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 1.5 turnovers while shooting 41.9 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent from 3-point range in 22.1 minutes per game. Signed two-year, $6.14 million deal (taxpayer exception) last offseason.

Isaiah Thomas – Averaged 13.9 points, 4.0 assists, 2.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.8 turnovers while shooting 44.0 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from 3-point range in 26.9 minutes per game. Entering final year of rookie contract that pays him the league minimum salary ($884,293 next season).

Estimated contract: Collison should be one of the NBA’s best-paid backup point guards. Figure he gets a four-year deal in the $15 million range.