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We take a look at the games that impact the West playoff picture each morning for the rest of the regular season.

Mavs' spot in the standings: The Mavs and Nuggets are both 11 ½ games behind the top-seeded Spurs, but Denver is in control of its destiny when it comes to securing the sixth seed. The Nuggets (35-28) have one fewer loss than the Mavs (36-29) and are a couple of percentage points ahead in the standings. The Mavs own the tiebreaker over the Nuggets, whose three remaining games are at home against the Magic and on the road against the Thunder and Timberwolves.

SATURDAY'S GAMES
Nuggets 118, Suns 107: Ty Lawson had 29 points and 10 assists as Denver clinched a playoff spot.

Bulls 93, Mavs 83: The Mavs put up a decent fight against the East’s first-place team despite Jason Kidd and Jason Terry sitting out to rest.

Rockets 99, Warriors 96: Houston snapped a six-game losing streak and kept its slim playoff hopes alive.

Grizzlies 93, Trail Blazers 89: The Grizzlies almost let a 12-point lead slip away in the last four minutes, but Memphis held on for its 14th win in 18 games to pull within a half-game of the Clippers for the fourth seed.

Jazz 117, Magic 107 (OT): Devin Harris scored 21 points, including a dagger 3-pointer in overtime, as the Jazz seized control of the fight for the West’s final playoff seed.

TODAY’S GAMES
Thunder at Lakers
Rockets at Heat
Cavaliers at Spurs
Magic at Nuggets
Hornets at Clippers

If the playoffs started today: Mavs vs. Thunder

We take a look at the games that impact the West playoff picture each morning for the rest of the regular season.

Mavs' spot in the standings: The Mavs are back in the sixth seed, a half game ahead of the Nuggets and in possession of the tiebreaker. Dallas is two games ahead of the Jazz and two and a half games ahead of the Suns and Rockets.

WEDNESDAY'S GAMES
Mavs 117, Rockets 110: Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter of the Mavs’ critical comeback win.

Clippers 104, Nuggets 98: Chris Paul had 21 points and eight assists as the Clippers won their fifth straight to pull within a half game of the Lakers for the third seed.

Grizzlies 103, Hornets 91: Rudy Gay scored 26 points as the Grizzlies clinched their second consecutive playoff berth.

Lakers 99, Warriors 87: Andrew Bynum had 31 points and Pau Gasol had a 22-11-11 triple-double.

Spurs 127, Kings 102: The first-place Spurs rolled to another rout while Tim Duncan rested.

Jazz 112, Trail Blazers 91: Ex-Maverick Devin Harris hit a career-high six 3-pointers during a 27-point performance to help keep Utah’s playoff hopes alive.

Thunder 109, Suns 97: Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner James Harden scored a career-high 40 points for Oklahoma City.

TODAY’S GAMES
Rockets at Hornets
Clippers at Suns

If the playoffs started today: Mavs vs. Lakers

SALT LAKE CITY -- Three games into this one-of-a-kind season, after Kevin Durant threw in a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to drop the Dallas Mavericks to 0-3, coach Rick Carlisle summoned the mercurial basketball gods to cut his squad some slack.

Now with four games to go after Monday's stunning, 123-121 triple-overtime loss in which the Utah Jazz, one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league, buried 12 of them, including the go-ahead dagger and fifth from Devin Harris in the 61st minute, Carlisle was left to shake his head in disbelief.

"It's just beyond me the kind of shots that teams are hitting against us this year," he said. "We're playing our ass off, but I tell you what, night after night we just got to hang in, we just got to hang in and keep guarding.

"But it's something to see. It's something to see."

For more, click here.

DALLAS – Jason Terry doesn’t agree with the theory that he found his jump shot when he arrived home from the road trip.

Never mind the ridiculous disparity in his home and road splits this season. In Terry’s mind, he’s always one shot away from a hot streak.

Jet thought that was the case during Friday night’s loss to the Hornets, when he finished with two points on 1-of-9 shooting. And it actually was the case during Saturday night’s win over the Jazz, when Terry rebounded with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting.

“For me, it’s all about opportunity,” Terry said. “The other night, I go 1-for-9 and everybody looks at me all crazy. But if I take six more shots, I think I’m going to make all six. That’s just the way my mentality is. With the opportunity’s given, I’m here to do my job.”

This was only Terry’s fifth 20-point performance of the season. He had 20 last regular season, with the Mavs winning 17 of those games, plus they went 7-1 when he scored at least 20 in the playoffs.

“It’s no secret,” Terry said. “If I put the ball in the hole, we’re going to be in position to win a lot of games.”

A few more notes from the Mavs’ streak-stopping win:

1. Rodrigue Beaubois back to the bench: A terrific 25-point performance Friday night in New Orleans didn’t earn him another start. Rick Carlisle put Vince Carter back in the starting lineup. The decision was made in part because of a concern about Beaubois wearing down with a heavy workload, but primarily to get the regular starting lineup on the floor together.

“I love the way Beaubois played last night, but I was concerned tonight about the minutes that he ran up last night and the fact that this is the fourth game in five nights and he’s coming off basically a week off where he didn’t do much,” Carlisle said. “I wanted him to give us some energy off the bench and I wanted to facilitate that group being together at least some. If we start him, it makes it more difficult to get to that group.”

The lineup of Jason Kidd, Carter, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki and Brendan Haywood was plus-64 for the season entering Saturday night, 11 points better than the next best Mavs lineup.

2. 41 in the fourth?! Carlisle planned to rest Nowitzki and Kidd for the entire fourth quarter, but a defensive meltdown prevented the Mavs from having that luxury. The Jazz scored 41 points in the fourth quarter, making a game that should have been a blowout tight down the stretch.

“They made a run and it got ugly for us,” Carlisle said. “Fortunately, our closers closed the game out and now we’ve got to move on to the next game. And I’m not going to spend a lot of time regurgitating the things bad that made it tougher. We’ve got to move on.”

3. Party on, Josh Howard: It was like a flashback to the 2008 playoffs. Ex-Maverick Josh Howard hosted a birthday party after a loss at the American Airlines Center. This one was for Devin Harris, his Jazz teammate and good buddy dating to their days together in Dallas, at the nightclub Posh. Jazz coach Ty Corbin reminded his team that the bus would leave without them in the morning if they weren’t on time.

Here it comes: Nine in 12.

"We've got 32 left and this stretch right after the break is critical obviously -- nine games in 12 days," Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Galloway & Co. on Friday. "I don't know if that kind of stretch has ever happened. It's happened some this year with teams and this will be the first for this franchise and it's going to be tough, but it's a challenge I'm looking forward to."

Heading into the break Carlisle said he would tell his troops to enjoy the time off and come back ready to roll.

This week starts the much-talked-about nine-in-12 sequence that ends next week with the lone back-to-back-to-back of the season. As for this week, it includes four games in seven nights packed into two home-road back-to-backs.

Here's a look:

Tuesday: vs. New Jersey Nets (10-25), 7:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: Welcome back Avery Johnson. Welcome home Deron Williams? The Colony native is high on the Mavs' wish list this summer. And wondering whether Williams will address his pending free agency and his desires is about all the intrigue that the Nets' visit should provide. Now, if the Mavs come out of the break sluggish, they could be dealt an ugly setback coming off Wednesday's home loss to the Lakers. Seven of New Jersey's 10 wins have come on the road, including recent victories at Chicago (without Derrick Rose) and at the Knicks. Still, these guys are 2-8 in their last 10.

Wednesday: at Memphis Grizzlies (19-15), 7 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: This is where things should get interesting. Once upon a time, the Grizzlies couldn't beat the Mavs, never, ever. The tables have turned recently and the young Grizz are a bona fide threat in the West. When (if?) Zach Randolph returns they'll be downright dangerous. The Mavs come into town on the second night of a back-to-back while the Grizzlies will be waiting to resume their season following the All-Star break. They're 13-5 at FedEx Forum and have won seven of 10 overall. None were of landmark quality, but confidence is brimming.

Friday: at New Orleans (8-25), 7 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: The Hornets can jump up and sting, just ask Jeremy Lin. New Orleans went into the break having won four of six games with the victory at Madison Square Garden being the feather in their cap. They don't score much, but they don't give up much either, and the Mavs' big men better keep an eye on Chris Kaman (17.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg last seven games). The Hornets are actually better on the road than at home (3-14), so the Mavs, after a day of rest, need to bear down and make sure they pad their record against a team they should beat.

Saturday: vs. Utah Jazz (15-17), 7:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: The wayward Jazz will make their way to Dallas after two home games against Houston and Miami. They face the Mavs the night after playing the Heat. A Utah team that lost 10 of 13 heading into the All-Star break has plummeted out of the playoff mix. The reunion of Devin Harris and Josh Howard just hasn't clicked. With both teams on the second night of a back-to-back and both traveling, this is one in which the Mavs must defend their turf against a spiraling club that is 3-11 on the road.

DALLAS -- How is it that the shortest guy on the team is the Dallas Mavericks' best shot blocker?

It starts with the 6-foot-2 (and that might be a stretch) Rodrigue Beaubois' insanely long arms. He is making mid-air swats on opponents attempting to drive, as he did Friday night in flicking away Devin Harris' baseline penetration. But he's also getting more than his share of blocks on perimeter jumpers.

That's all about good defensive positioning and timing. Last week at Utah, Beaubois got his right arm fully extended and blocked 6-foot-8 forward Paul Millsap's jumper at the point of release. On Friday against the Jazz, Beaubois did the same to guard Earl Watson. Beaubois then tapped the ball forward to Jason Terry, who flew in for an uncontested layup.

That block was just one of a career-high four on the night for the third-year guard, who has 11 blocks in the last five games and 15 on the season. He ranks second on the team in total blocks, just three fewer than 7-foot starting center Brendan Haywood and two more than Beaubois' buddy, 6-foot-11 backup center Ian Mahinmi. Beaubois, though, has logged 156 fewer minutes than Haywood and 126 fewer than Mahinmi.

"God gave me long arms and I'm just trying to use it," Beaubois said. "Sometimes I am going to block shots, sometimes I don't. But when I can I am going to do my best to block shots."

At this rate, Beaubois' .83 blocks-per-game average will soon exceed Haywood's team-best .90 average. Beaubois also has 20 steals on the season. That ranks fifth on the team in total steals, but first in steals per minute played.

As equally impressive is that Beaubois is creating turnovers without fouling. This has been a major issue for him over his first two seasons and particularly last season after he finally returned from the broken left foot. It wasn't surprising for Beaubois to pick up two quick fouls and find himself back on the bench.

He still has a fairly high number of fouls (29) for his minutes played, but he hasn't had more than three in a game since the second game of the season, and he hasn't been nailed by cheap, quick fouls in succession that force him to sit.

"My first year I was fouling a lot and it's something that the coaches tried to talk to me about, something I needed to get better at," Beaubois said. "I'm just trying to play defense without fouling, using my length without touching the guy too much and just trying to get better with it."

Our weekly look at how coach Rick Carlisle is managing the minutes of Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd during this 66-game schedule:

Obviously, Jason Kidd's lower back injury has taken him out of the lineup all week and perhaps surprisingly, the Dallas Mavericks have put together three consecutive wins without their 38-year-old floor general. Delonte West has filled in nicely -- he might want to find the 7-foot blond guy a bit more often -- switching from starting shooting guard to the point.

Kidd has not had a great start with numbers (including 30.8 percent field-goal shooting) far below his standards across the board. Across with Kidd, it's his intangibles that are so highly counted on by this veteran team than his stat line.

Dirk Nowitzki, meanwhile, added another game-winning bucket to his ledger Wednesday night at Boston with a strong drive and finish for a three-point play with 5.1 seconds to left. He struggled for the better part of the game after going 9-of-10 in Detroit, which followed a 5-of-22 stretch in the previous two games. Such is life in the post-lockout NBA.

It's simply going to take time for players to get in shape and find a consistent rhythm. Dirk included.

Here's a look at how Carlisle is handling his two most important players through the first seven games.

J-Kidd
Season averages: 28.1 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.8 rpg
The breakdown: Since last week's report, Kidd played 11:32 of the first quarter at the San Antonio Spurs and then headed to the locker room holding his lower back. He later described the injury as back spasms, caused when big man DeJuan Blair leaned on Kidd as the two battled for rebound position. Kidd attended Monday's White House ceremony and then returned to Dallas to resume treatments. He will be re-evaluated today. The hope was that he would be ready for Friday's game against Milwaukee, the first of a home back-to-back, but that could be pushing things. His availability will be determined closer to game time.

Dirk
Season averages: 31.6 mpg, 18.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.7 apg
The breakdown: Dirk's scoring (including 19.0 percent from 3-point range) and rebounds continue to be well below his career marks, but coach Rick Carlisle said he's not worried, pointing out that his playing time is also well below normal levels. That's due to several reasons that include Carlisle being mindful of his minutes with so games lumped together, Dirk still working his way into shape and the fact that four of the first 11 games have been blowouts, limiting him to just a few minutes or no minutes in those fourth quarters. Finally on Tuesday he was on the right side of a rout at Detroit and it kept his minutes down to 28, helping him to go 38 in Boston, one minute shy of his season-high in that stunning road loss at Oklahoma City. Even with the 38 minutes, Dirk averaged just 30.0 minutes in the four games played in the past seven days.

What's ahead: We'll just have to wait and see if Kidd's back has bounced back enough for the home back-to-back or if it is a better idea for him to take the weekend off and get ready for two big games in Los Angeles -- Monday against the Lakers and Wednesday against the remodeled Clippers. Dirk, coming off a very manageable week minutes-wise, should be in fine shape for this stretch of five games in seven nights that starts Friday and ends next Thursday at a suddenly resurgent Utah team that features former Mavs Devin Harris and Josh Howard.

Something will be missing among the star power participating in Saturday's 10th edition of the Reebok Heroes Charity Baseball Game at Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco.

Dallas Stars sure-fire Hall of Famer Mike Modano, whose charity is a beneficiary of the event, will be there. Cowboys stars DeMarcus Ware and Bradie James will take the field. So will former Cowboys greats Drew Pearson and Everson Walls, as well as a variety of big- and small-screen actors.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and team president Donnie Nelson will also be there. Cuban, however, will leave his glove at home. He's on the shelf, rehabbing a torn rotator cuff (no surgery as of yet). Cuban will stay busy though, hanging in the stands with his newest best friend, the Larry O'Brien NBA championship trophy, and posing for pictures with fans.

So what's missing?

How about Cuban's world champs?

For the first time in at least the last five years of the Heroes game, no Dallas Mavericks players will participate. It's not official, but it certainly appears that the reason comes down to one nasty word: lockout.

The NBA forbids team executives and coaches from talking to players during the lockout, which took effect last Thursday night. For that reason, it appears, no Mavs players are on the roster with Cuban and Nelson out there (and possibly a David Stern spy drone flying overhead).

Last year, Jason Kidd played. James Singleton represented in 2009 with Jason Terry doing the honors in 2008 and Devin Harris in 2007. In 2006, Terry, Jerry Stackhouse and Marquis Daniels all hit the diamond.

Would the NBA really frown on Mavs players mingling with team brass at such a fan-friendly charity event? Well, it's hard to say. An NBA spokesman said he didn't know enough about the event to make a call. He did, however, mention that there are exceptions. For instance, Cuban and the Mavs will be together for the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles.

Miami Heat coaches were given the green light to attend Chris Bosh's wedding.

It would seem Cuban, Nelson and any Mavs players could play ball for charity without violating any lockout codes of silence.

But then, sillier things have happened.

So if you're headed to the game, congratulate Nelson on all his right roster moves, applaud Cuban for his postseason composure and encourage him to fight through his rotator cuff rehab. Take a picture with the trophy.

But barring a last-minute change, don't expect to get a glimpse of the world champs.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle called Saturday's 94-77 win against a depleted Utah Jazz team that led 70-68 with 6:21 to play a "great game."

In this case, great is relative.

"I felt like we were watching the NCAA tournament. At the end of the third quarter, it was 60-58," forward Shawn Marion said. "I was like, 'Whoa.' But, at least we hit 90."

But even Marion went on to say that it was a great win and a great way to start a six-game road trip that continues Sunday night at the Phoenix Suns.

"I thought we looked good. Besides the turnovers, we did good," Marion said. "It was a halfcourt game. It was a grind. It was a possession game throughout the whole time until we got that last six-minute stretch and we just opened it up. We did what we had to do to get the win."

The Mavs finally looked like a team serious about starting the playoffs in three weeks with a whirlwind final 6:21. It took shape with a lineup that may not have played together all season, and might never hit the floor together in a playoff game. Yet the three-guard lineup of Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, J.J. Barea, plus Marion and Tyson Chandler, finally fuel-injected the Mavs, who weren't thrilled by being pushed at home by the Minnesota Timberwolves just two nights earlier.

Playoff ready? Well, Carlisle and the Mavs, who are 6-5 in their last 11 games with three straight wins over lottery-bound teams, touted Saturday's game as a playoff-type slog -- physical, grinding and tight -- that they can carry forward.

"This is what we need," Carlisle said. "I mean this is a playoff-style game and very emotional. It's all about hanging in there."

If the 26-7 finishing kick is what Carlisle had in mind when he preached the importance of persistence heading into this season-long road trip, then chalk this one up as a momentous step forward. And maybe it will be a springboard to better basketball for a team trying to re-discover its edge and identity as the playoffs creep closer.

But it certainly wasn't pretty. There were 19 more turnovers -- five in the first half on offensive fouls -- that Utah only managed to turn into 12 points. The good news is only seven came in the second half when the Mavs played better defense, held the Jazz to 30 points and 30.8 percent shooting.

The pessimist will point out that the Jazz started a lineup of Earl Watson, Raja Bell, C.J. Miles, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson. Devin Harris and Andrei Kirilenko were out with injuries as Utah fell for a fifth consecutive time and dropped their 17th home game at what was once one of the most intimidating venues in the NBA.

The Mavs again could not seize a lead and continually fell behind against an undermanned opponent, and managed just 15 points in a brutal third quarter in which the Jazz scored only 13. Both teams combined for 10 field goals and nine turnovers.

The optimist will point out that the Mavs (51-21) found a way to win when they didn't have it going offensively much of the night. Dallas won for only the 12th time this season when scoring less than 100 points (12-27). The Mavs hadn't held a single opponent under 80 points all season and now have done it twice in the last three games (holding Golden State to 73 points a week ago). And, it is the first time in franchise history to sweep a four-game season series from the Jazz. Energy Solutions Arena has been a house of horrors in the past.

"Tonight the level of intensity was like the playoffs, but as far us just getting out and getting a good lead on them, it wasn't happening for us, so that was kind of frustrating," said Jason Terry, who had a game-high 22 points on just seven shots. "But, there in the fourth quarter we locked in on both ends of the floor and did what we had to do to get the win."

Against better teams it might have been too late to salvage. For now, the Mavs have a game at Phoenix, an off-day Monday and a practice Tuesday in the desert, then a game at the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday to straighten out issues before another huge test against Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. Again, that game could ultimately give the Lakers the No. 2 seed, or put Dallas on the brink of taking it back.

But before then, the fact of the matter is Dallas is finally fully healthy and just now working in another new lineup with Marion starting and Peja Stojakovic coming off the bench. Rodrigue Beaubois continues to try to find a comfort level and Carlisle is searching for stability with the rotation and roles.

That was blown out of the water early because of foul trouble to multiple players.

"We've got 10 games left and we've got to work through that," Kidd said. "But, we're a veteran ballclub and we understand that, again, we put ourselves in that position [against the Jazz] by turning the ball over. But, once we took care of the ball and got shots, we started to push forward and got a little breathing room."

The only problem is it took 41 1/2 minutes to do it.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Well, the Dallas Mavericks should be able to start off this six-game road trip with a pretty easy go of things in Utah.

OK, nothing for the Mavs seems to come easily, but not only will they be facing a Utah Jazz team in total disarray, but point guard Devin Harris (right hamstring strain) and forward Andrei Kirilenko (bruised left knee) will not play tonight, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. They join center Mehmet Okur, who is out for the season, in street clothes.

The Jazz will start Earl Watson, Raja Bell, C.J. Miles, Paul Millsap, and Al Jefferson.

So a team with no Jerry Sloan on the bench and no Deron Williams providing the point-guard punch, shouldn't provide much resistance even on their once-formidable home court. The Jazz (36-37) are incredibly just 20-16 at home this season.

So, Mark Cuban has a crush on Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio, who was drafted the by Minnesota Timberwolves in 2009, but still hasn't played for them as he prefers to play in sunny Barcelona instead of chilly Minny.

Rubio doesn't want to live in the frozen Midwest and if he continues to spurn the Wolves, Cuban, who said the Mavericks tried to trade up to nab Rubio -- "But we weren't close. We would have loved to draft him," Cuban told the St. Paul Pioneer Press Monday night -- is ready to pounce.

Of course, Rubio hasn't said he wants to play in the great Southwest either. He and his family prefer the East Coast. Still, Cuban is all ears if the Wolves get to a point to deal. He called Rubio a "star in the making" -- which sounds a lot like the descriptions used for some kid named Rodrigue Beaubois.

"We're very high on him," Cuban said told the newspaper. "If they want to give him up, we're very interested. We would do that in a heartbeat."

The Mavs are going to need a starting point in two seasons. Jason Kidd's contract expires after the 2011-12 season (assuming there is a season). Beaubois has been tapped the point guard of the future, but there's plenty of uncertainty if he the lightning-quick slasher will ever be able to assume that mantle.

Dallas was interested at the trade deadline of re-acquiring Devin Harris with designs of flipping him at some point for Deron Williams, but the New Jersey Nets took care of that.

The Wolves want Rubio to play for them, but if not...

"I don't think if he came in [to the NBA] now he would dominate the league or anything like that," Cuban said. "But, I think he would have a big impact here."

For those of you wondering how Cuban say such things without it being considered tampering by the league, there is no harm, no foul because Rubio is not under contract with the Wolves.

Much-needed speed in the backcourt. Character they can already vouch for. And zero fear that he could function well next to Jason Kidd.

PODCAST
ESPN.com's Marc Stein joins GAC to discuss how the Mavs' interest in Devin Harris hoped to help them land Deron Williams. Listen

Those were some of the reasons that the Mavericks, as we’ve been saying here since January, registered interest with New Jersey in reacquiring Devin Harris via trade.

But not the biggest reason.

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that the standout justification for chasing a reunion with Harris played out Wednesday morning, when the Utah Jazz stunned the entire NBA by dealing Deron Williams to New Jersey for a package of assets co-headlined by the former Mav.

The Mavericks, though, were among the league’s least surprised by this blockbuster development. Why? Mavs officials have known, going back to when Harris was Dallas property, that the Jazz were fans of his.

See where this is going?

Like most rival teams, Dallas believed that Utah wouldn’t even consider D-Will trades until closer to the draft, given that Jerry Sloan resigned only 13 days ago and figuring that the Jazz didn’t want to go through two major shakeups so quickly after two decades of stability. So the plan, sources said, was making a hard run at acquiring Harris now not only to make the Mavs deeper for the stretch run and playoffs … but also to have a prime piece to offer Utah in June in a potential D-Will deal.

That’s why the Mavericks – who have taken a general posture of swearing off the trade pursuit of players such as Stephen Jackson, Rip Hamilton and Gerald Wallace because of the long-term contracts they possess – weren’t afraid to take on the two years and nearly $18 million left on Harris’ contract after this season. They were convinced that Harris would not only help in the short term in three-guard lineups with the likes of Kidd, J.J. Barea and Jason Terry but also appeal to the Jazz as a trade chip at season’s end.

Sources say Dallas was likewise convinced that the market for Harris would always be good – even if Utah didn’t want him in June and even in the more restrictive new landscape forthcoming in the next labor agreement – because he’s a 27-year-old lead guard with a good resume and a salary under $10 million. Unlike the swingmen we just listed.

Utah, though, clearly didn’t want to wait to start over. And New Jersey, frankly, has a lot more to offer in terms of immediate assets to send to the Jazz, as evidenced by the multiple lottery picks and inclusion of Derrick Favors with Harris that torched Dallas’ dream scenario.

PODCAST
Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson joins Ben and Skin to discuss the looming trade deadline and to weigh in on the Carmelo deal. Listen

The Mavs’ fantasy only could have developed into something tangible if: (A) Utah wanted to take its time before deciding to end the D-Will Era; and (B) Dallas managed to take Harris back from New Jersey now so it had a prime chip to plug into multi-team scenarios down the road. Sources confirmed Wednesday that the Nets were demanding a future first-round pick and rookie guard Dominique Jones, along with the expiring contract belonging to the out-for-the-season Caron Butler, in exchange for Harris … but it suddenly sounds like a small price to pay now knowing how high Utah is on Harris.

None of the above, mind you, means that the Mavs have to completely abandon their dreams of luring Williams – who starred in high school at The Colony – back to the Metroplex. The Nets only have him under contract for one more season, so expect Dallas to remain on the short list of teams with New York that get brought up whenever D-Will’s future comes up … until the Nets get the 2012 free agent signed to a contract extension or he’s traded again.

Yet it’s safe to say that the Mavs would have liked their chances better if they had reacquired Harris this week, three trade deadlines removed from dealing him to New Jersey originally.

In a mind-blowing, out-of-the-blue trade Wednesday morning, the Dallas Mavericks lost out on two hoped-for point guards. The Mavs had interest in bringing back Devin Harris in a steal in the short-term (before Thursday's trade deadline) and, like every other team in the league, had long-range hopes to land Deron Williams (a free agent in the summer of 2012), The Colony product considered one of the league's top players at the position.

Neither looks like it will come to pass now as the New Jersey Nets and Utah Jazz have apparently pulled off a stealth deal that sends Williams to the Nets and Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, last summer's No. 3 overall draft pick, and draft picks to Utah. Even more stunning is that the Jazz shipped Williams just two weeks after Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan stepped down. Williams can still become a free agent after next season and bolt (the Mavs would have to clear plenty of cap room to sign him or somehow swing an improbable sign-and-trade), but the Nets will have money and Williams should be able to recruit players to Brooklyn (assuming the move really happens). Players want to play with D-Will.

The move impacts the Mavs in other ways beginning with tonight's game against the Jazz at the American Airlines Center. After Tuesday's practice, Dallas coach Rick Carlisle cautioned that reeling Utah would be seething to get the post-All-Star break portion of the schedule up and running. The Jazz have an 11 a.m. shootaround scheduled at the AAC.

"They're a very motivated team," Carlisle said. "They're going to come in here razor sharp."

That still could be the case considering the beat down the depleted Denver Nuggets put on the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday, one night after Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups were dealt to the New York Knicks. The obvious difference is the Melo drama lingered all season with players knowing he would be gone. The Jazz, which will be vastly undermanned tonight, must be in a state of shock.

The trade continues to beef up the East while the bottom half of the Western Conference playoff picture takes another hit. The Mavs, the No. 2 seed in the West, would play the No. 7 seed if they remain in that slot. Denver is currently No. 7 and Utah is No. 8. The Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns will be targeting those spots.

In a conference where 50 wins has been the standard bearer for playoff inclusion, it might not take 45 this season, and it would appear -- although the Mavs will tell you from experience that anybody can beat anybody regardless of seeding -- that the top four teams in the West should advance to the second round with little problem.

Mavericks guard Jason Terry joins GAC to say that he is happy to see Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups out of the Western Conference.

 

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Marc Stein joins Ben and Skin to discuss the possibility of Devin Harris returning Dallas.

 

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Is the Carmelo Anthony trade good for the NBA? Does it take the focus off the product? Coop & Nate debate.

 

As with every other team, the Dallas Mavericks were waiting on a Carmelo Anthony deal to finally set off action as the big clock ticks on Thursday's 2 p.m. trade deadline.

So no Melo rental in Dallas, but what about the leftovers and the left out? ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported on Jan. 10 that the Mavs registered interest with the New Jersey Nets in bringing Devin Harris back. The Mavs were always planning to try to see if they could re-acquire the former fifth overall pick in the 2004 draft once they knew if Harris was or wasn’t in a Melo deal.

The Nets swung and missed and now the notion of a three-way deal with the Mavs, Nets and Nuggets that lands Harris in a Dallas backcourt with Jason Kidd and Rodrigue Beaubois, sources told ESPNDallas.com on Monday night, is a long shot.

At least the Mavs know they won't have to deal with Anthony in a potential playoff series. Melo killed the Mavs in the 2009 second-round series, and as this season gets back into swing after the All-Star break, Dallas is the No. 2 seed and Denver is No. 7.