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DALLAS -- Ultimately, Caron Butler was right. He's still a member of the Dallas Mavericks after the NBA trade deadline. That doesn't mean he wasn't included in potential deals. Had Detroit come around on letting go of Tayshaun Prince, Butler would likely be a Piston today.

So Butler will finish out his $10.6 million expiring contract rehabbing his right knee and fighting to make a return for the playoffs, a feat he has predicted he will accomplish. He's also made strong comments suggesting he will re-sign with the Mavs after he becomes a free agent this summer.

Nelson wouldn't delve that deep into the future after Thursday's 2 p.m. deadline passed without the Mavs making a move. However, Nelson said he wasn't disappointed that the club didn't cash in Butler's contract for immediate help, and he praised Butler as though the 30-year-old (he turns 31 on March 13) is a piece the Mavs might like to have back as their starting small forward.

"He's part of the fabric of what we've been doing and what we're going to do," Nelson said. "In fairness to him, I don't know a guy that's put his heart and soul into this team like he has. He's back there right now as we speak working to get back. We really value that kind of person in our locker room."

One motivation for Butler to play in the postseason is to help the team and experience the playoffs. Another is to show the Mavs and other teams that his right knee, which required surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon, is back to full strength as he heads into free agency and likely his last chance to cash in.

DALLAS -- The 14 players on the Mavericks roster before Thursday's trade deadline are the 14 the team will ride into the playoffs. Dallas didn't find a trade worth making and stood pat as the 2 p.m. deadline passed.

Mavs president Donnie Nelson stated the team's chemistry, leading to a 41-16 record, as the reason for little urgency to strike a deal.

"This group's got special chemistry and they've really earned the right to make a run for the roses," Nelson said. "We feel great about it and we're looking forward to the playoffs."

Mavs players have stated their desire to leave things as is. Tyson Chanler has proved a tremendous upgrade after being acquired in a trade last summer. And the recent acquisition of Peja Stojakovic, plus the return of Roddy Beaubois, have helped to bolster an already strong unit. The Mavs have won 14 of 15 games and are averaging well over 100 points during that stretch.

"It’s big. It’s big because what it does is it instills confidence in the guys that we have from management," Jason Terry said of the club sticking with what it's got. "We know they believe in us. We know we’re a strong team and all it does is reassure us of our thoughts.

"I know right here, with this team we have in Dallas, we’re a contender."

Nelson said he's right there with Jet. Nelson said the club had talks at some level with nearly every team in th league and Beaubois, the second-year guard with tremendous upside, was the most popular prize trying to be had. The Mavs were having none of it.

"Roddy is a very popular Maverick when it comes to receiving phone calls," Nelson said.

The Mavs held onto their most valuable asset leading up to the deadline, Caron Butler's expiring $10.6 million contract. Butler, who maintained that he would not be traded and has said he believes he will re-sign with Dallas in the offseason, was working out at the American Airlines Center as the deadline passed.

Nelson deemed a question about Butler's future with the team beyond this season a topic for the summer.

Ultimately, the Mavs believe they have constructed a deep team that can contend for a title and didn't want to mess with the obvious chemistry it has established. At the same time, the club didn't possess the necessary pieces, either a player or a high draft pick, to grab targeted players such as Detroit's Tayshaun Prince.

"You've got to give to get and we were not willing to give up any of our core rotation guys because you've got a unique thing in that locker room," Nelson said. "That's really what it came down to. It would have had to have been a complete over-the-top deal where it was an absolute no-brainer. Otherwise, we want to give these guys the freedom to make the run."

The top three teams in the West, the San Antonio Spurs Los Angeles Lakers and the Mavs all stood pat. What you see today is what you'll see in mid-April. It will be interesting.

The Mavs do have a roster spot that can be filled, but if the Mavs bring in an additional player it likely wouldnt' be much more than practice player.

DALLAS -- Thirty remain in NBA Trade Deadline 2011 and it appears the Mavericks are going to stand pat, something the players have said is just fine by them.

At 41-16, the Mavs are not in need of obvious help, but would take it at small forward, which is why they've tried to pry Tayshaun Prince from Detroit. Dallas holds Caron Butler's expiring $10.6 million contract, an asset that might go unused and which would allow the injured Butler to make good on his claim that he will be back for the playoffs.

This is a club that appears set on not taking back salary for a variety of reasons, starting with the league's expiring CBA and a new salary structure on the way. If they can't make an even swap for an expirining it looks like it be a quiet remaining half hour.

As the minutes count down, never say never, but it would seem little will be going down at the AAC today.

DALLAS -- It was business as usual Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban chugged through his typical workout regimen while he entertained the media. Meanwhile, president of Donnie Nelson did his usual pre- and post-game schmoozing with Dallas' upper crust.

Come daybreak, both will have their cell phones glued to their ears as the NBA trade deadline counts down to 2 p.m. As ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Wednesday night, the Mavs would love to pry defensive-minded forward Tayshaun Prince from the stubborn Detroit Pistons or long-range shooter and misfit J.R. Smith from the re-tooling Denver Nuggets. Neither will come easily.

The Mavs on for the 14th time in 15 games, and four in a row, after Wednesday's 118-99 victory over the reeling Utah Jazz. Mavs players seem to believe they've got everything they need after the recent addition of Peja Stojakovic, who scored 18 points and hit 4-of-5 from 3-point range against the Jazz, and the even more recent return of Roddy Beaubois.

Dirk Nowitzki has said the Mavs are "right there" among the league's top contenders. Jason Terry said a move is unnecessary.

But, what about coach Rick Carlisle? Does he believe the team he coached Wednesday night will look the same today at the stroke of 2 p.m.?

"Until somebody tells me different," Carlisle said. "There's always a lot of talk about deals. How often there actually are deals, you know how that goes. At the same time, I would never put anything by Donnie and Mark. If it's something that can help us, I'm sure they'd look at it."

Dirk Nowitzki says the Mavs hit “rock bottom” with the setback in Memphis that saddled injury-riddled Dallas with its first five-game losing streak since Rick Carlisle’s first month on the job in November 2008.

Mark Cuban tweeted a “hang in there” message to Mavs fans minutes after the defeat.

The quiet word in Mavsland, meanwhile, continue to suggest that no trade is imminent, no matter how jittery those fans might be in the wake of a 2-8 slide that began with the losses of Nowitzki (for nine games) and Caron Butler (for the rest of the season) to knee injuries.

Sources close to the situation say that the Mavs are indeed in the mode of assessing their trade options through discussions with numerous teams. But they also prefer to see how things look with Nowitzki back before committing to any trigger-pulling … and Nowitzki’s comeback only lasted 15 minutes in Memphis thanks to his third-quarter ejection. The Mavs thus believe it’s still too soon, in other words, to draw deep conclusions about where they are (without Butler and Roddy Beaubois) compared to where they were at 24-5.

It is not too soon, however, to assess some of the names that have emerged as potential Mavs targets. A big second-half comeback from Beaubois remains their dream scenario, but plenty of time looms for them to change course and go the trade route, with 39 days left before the Feb. 24 trade deadline.

So here are five of the names, for starters, on the Mavs’ radar:

Charlotte’s Stephen Jackson: As ESPNDallas.com reported Jan. 5, there is an undeniable level of sentiment within the Mavericks’ organization to make a run at the 32-year-old swingman. Yet there are two nagging impediments despite the fact that Jackson – with his undeniable 3-point range and unforgettable insistence that he’s uniquely wired to “make love” to playoff pressure – is the most intriguing name on this list.

1. Dallas remains unsure whether taking on Jackson’s contract, which has two more years to run on a three-year deal worth nearly $28 million, is a gamble that can definitely restore the Mavs to their 24-5 form and get them out of the West. Cuban would have to be convinced on those fronts before a serious push is made for Jackson.
2. Bobcats officials are telling teams, with a 6-4 record under new coach Paul Silas and the playoffs again within sight, that they do not want to surrender Jackson or Gerald Wallace in a mere salary dump. Although there is undeniable skepticism around the league about Charlotte’s position – there are teams out there who do indeed believe that Bobcats owner Michael Jordan will be willing to move Jackson or Wallace in a deal that saves a lot of money between now and the deadline – Dallas would have huge resistance to giving up anything more valuable than Butler’s expiring contract in a Jackson deal.

Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince: Prince isn’t nearly the threat offensively that Jackson would be, which is a problem because Dallas’ needs are primarily on the offensive end. But Prince is in the final year of his contract ($11.1 million) and thus combines affordability with his proven playoff resume. The more immediate roadblock to acquiring the lanky lefty, sources say, is that the Pistons have been reluctant to consider Prince trade scenarios while waiting to see if the three-way deal for Carmelo Anthony involving Rip Hamilton finally gets done after a week-plus of trade limbo.

Denver’s J.R. Smith: Sources say the Mavericks have likewise discussed the possibility of trading for the enigmatic Smith with the Nuggets. Denver, though, has taken a similar approach with the likes of Smith and veteran center Nene as Detroit with Prince, telling teams it wants to let the Melo Drama reach a conclusion before seriously contemplating trades with other Nuggets. From the Mavs’ perspective, furthermore, Smith is unquestionably more affordable than Jackson or even Prince – with an expiring contract valued at $6.7 million – and has seemingly limitless 3-point range. But he’s also the riskiest name on the board when it comes to fit and chemistry. The Mavs’ in-house harmony isn’t nearly what it was when they got off to the 24-5 start, but Smith’s on- and off-court unpredictability rank as certain sources of hesitation.

Milwaukee’s Corey Maggette: ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher mentioned in a Thursday night visit with 103.3 FM’s Ian Fitzsimmons that the Mavs and Bucks have discussed Maggette’s availability. Maggette, though, is even more expensive than Jackson, with more than $21 million left on his contract through 2012-13 after this season. Jackson is likewise a far better fit with his ability to stretch the floor, passing eye, defensive ability and proven toughness. If Philadelphia’s younger and more versatile Andre Iguodala is too expensive, Maggette is way too expensive for what he can deliver.

New Jersey’s Devin Harris: As noted in this cyberspace a week ago, Dallas does have legit interest in a Harris reunion. Sources say that the Mavs have discussed the idea with the Nets and, upon being informed that New Jersey has to keep the 27-year-old to plug into Melo scenarios, have let Denver know that they are interested in talking about Harris if he winds up a Nugget.

The Mavs, though, are realistic. They know there will be strong interest in Harris -- whether he stays with the Nets or lands with the Nuggets -- that will make it tough to reacquire the 2009 All-Star because Dallas isn’t overflowing with trade assets. The Mavs also concede that -- as confident as they are that Harris could play alongside Jason Kidd and Jason Terry just like J.J. Barea does because Harris is a better scorer on the drive and a quicker defender than any of those guys – they have a greater need for an athletic small forward who can score and stand up to playoff tension than what Harris can give them.

The most appealing aspect of trying to get Harris back might be the fact that moving him on again, if necessary, wouldn’t be hard given the leaguewide appetite for lead guards.

Monday means “The Come Up” -- which is a pretty good thing considering last night was The Come Down. The Mavs got rolled by the Lakeshow to the tune of 131-96, but it seemed way worse. Than a 35-point beatdown. Seriously. Four of their next five are at home before a long five-game East Coast trip. It all gets started with a struggling Detroit Pistons team at the AAC on Tuesday night.

And it go a ‘lil summin’ like this:

At least Villanueva is a salty Tweeter …

The Pistons have lost nine in a row. That’s bad. Their last five losses have come against sub-.500 East teams -- three of those coming at home. That’s really bad.

They’ve had a lot to deal with -- a new coach (John Kuester), several key offseason acquisitions to work in (Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Ben Wallace) and a lot of injuries to key guys. They’ve just recently been able to put Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Gordon back on the floor after extended bouts with some hurt.

The result is they don’t score much at 91.5 a night and they let their opponents hit almost 47 percent of their shots against them. I think they’ll eventually be able to score at a higher clip, but I don’t know that’ll translate to being more than a middle-of-the-road team in the East.

I do like Rodney Stuckey, but not as a point. And I can’t help but think he and Gordon are a bad fit together. I could easily be off base there. It does seem like Stuckey could be related to the GZA, however. I dunno, maybe off base there too.

Speaking of off base, I can’t help but think of this Wayne Winston rant on True Hoop (some of the most over-the-top basketball analysis I’ve ever read) whenever I think of the Pistons signing Gordon:

My prediction is that the Bulls are going to stink this year. Ben Gordon and Brad Miller were their best players. They let Ben Gordon go to the team they need to beat for the playoffs? Why'd they do that? Letting him go is just beyond stupid. It's ridiculous. And who'd they pick up to replace him? Jannero Pargo?

I find this hilarious on so many levels, I can only summarize it with -- this is what you get when you turn to math professors for basketball commentary. He predicted that a mediocre .500 team in the East would stink this year after losing their leading scorer. Now that’s bold. But let’s move on to his more acerbic take -- that letting Gordon go is “beyond stupid” and “ridiculous.”

It should be noted that the 6-foot-3 2-guard that the Bulls decided not to pay $10 million a year has a career playoff shooting percentage of 40 percent to go with his almost 1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, is a sub-par defender and had led the Bulls to exactly one playoff series win in his five years there.

Gordon is a talented scorer, a gunner who can single-handedly keep you in a game. I’ve also seen him shoot his team out of games with possessions in which he’s the only guy that touches the ball -- several trips in a row. I’m not a big fan of that type of basketball, so I must be beyond stupid and ridiculous to not be on board with throwing away $10 million a year when you need so much other help. Especially if it hasn’t translated to big winning in the NBA yet and when probably every GM in the league would much rather have D-Rose dominate the ball at half the salary.

When this season is said and done, I’d be surprised if the Bulls and Pistons are more than a few wins apart from one another in the standings. But Chicago will have, at minimum, $10 million in salary-cap room this summer, probably more once the final numbers come in. Money they wouldn’t have had if they’d chosen to pay Gordon instead and be that same .500 team in the East.

What a bunch of idiots, right Wayne?

Friday Night Lights on the Riverwalk

The Spurs started the month of December with three straight losses and were sitting at 9-7 and having to answer all the “what’s wrong” questions. A month later, they’re won 11 of their last 14 as they’ve closed the Sothwestern gap down to two games behind Dallas.

Those who are still apprehensive about San Antonio will note that the Spurs have been feasting on weaker teams during that stretch and that they’re two toughest games, Phoenix and Portland, resulted in L’s. But The Spurs are deep -- nobody on their team is averaging 32 minutes a night -- and they're versatile and have no trouble scoring and rebounding.

It starts with Tim Duncan, who is still giving you 20 and 10 a night. They outrebound their opponents by 4.5 a night and hit 39 percent of their treys and 48.6 percent from the field on their way to 102 whenever they tip it up.

But you know the drill with the Spurs. They are the Mavs' biggest rival, and these games always seem to matter more than any other each year. They’ve split the season series at one each with both teams protecting their home floor.

Always fun ...

And this is how you put a team on your back…

The Jazz season to date has been one long steady ho-hum. They’re 18-15, but only 6-10 on the road. They’ll roll into town Saturday night after having visited the currently unbeatable Memphis Grizz the night before. The interesting thing about their record is that they haven’t had any prolonged streaks one way or the other with two different three-game winning streaks being their longest stretches of note.

But seeing as it’s Mavs/Jazz -- this is the only thing you’re really thinking about, isn’t it?

What more can I say, top billin' ...