Karl Malone has spent his career sometimes knowing, always believing, the Utah Jazz had a shot at winning an NBA title. He knows, and believes, that is not the case now.  

Which is why he hopes a deal sending him to the Dallas Mavericks for Juwan Howard and a couple of first-round picks will go through.  

Several sources confirmed the Mavs have made a concerted effort to acquire Malone, 38, whose toughness and halfcourt scoring talent would elevate Dallas from mere playoff to conference-final contenders. When Utah didn't bite on the Howard deal, Dallas was presented with several three-team scenarios the Jazz would accept, one of which was to deliver Raef LaFrentz from Denver rather than Howard. They haven't been able to get any of them done, but that doesn't mean they're not still trying.  

What's important to understand is that Malone wants to go and the Jazz, under the right conditions, are willing to let him. Utah's demands are the point of contention. Jazz owner Larry Miller doesn't like Mavs owner Mark Cuban and is loath to make a deal unless he clearly has the upper hand.

That would be a mistake. The Jazz aren't going to get any better as is, and Malone is their most valuable commodity. If he finishes out his career with them, the Jazz are flirting with the sort of long draft-lottery stretch the post-Bird Celtics endured.  

Everyone is naturally treading lightly around this issue. Ask Karl about the proposed deal and he directs you to Dwight Manley, his agent. Manley, who doesn't want to tick off Jazz management with two pending free agents (Donyell Marshall and Bryon Russell), directs you to Miller. Running his car dealerships this time of year left Miller no time to return a call, according to his secretary.  

Cuban offered the lone on-the-record response, casting the deal as if the Jazz initiated it (which doesn't make much sense) and downplayed it (which contradicts my sources).  

"We listen to everything, but there were never any serious discussions," Cuban said by e-mail. "In my two short years in the NBA I have heard just about every name in the league thrown around in deals, and learned very quickly that 99.99 percent never turn into anything. It's just teams fishing to find out who we might part with. So I didn't take it very seriously."  

Malone, however, apparently did take it seriously. The Jazz refuse to see themselves as rebuilding and, sources say, asked Karl to develop the team's young talent. The problem is Utah has no up-and-coming players whose styles remotely fit Malone's. He's a tool-and-die machinist tutoring dry-wallers.  

There are plenty of reasons why he'd join the team that knocked the Jazz out of the playoffs last season, starting with the fact they knocked the Jazz out of the playoffs. His mother lives within driving distance of Dallas in Summerfield, Louisiana, and his Arkansas ranch is a 2 1/2-hour highway jaunt away as well. Most important, though, is that they're the only contender willing to take on his contract and incur the luxury tax.  

There will be those, of course, who criticize Malone for looking to go elsewhere. Not me. Anybody who would either doesn't understand that loyalty in the NBA is a unicorn (pure myth), or is content living a second-rate life. I'm all for players like Kevin Garnett, who decided he wants to put his mark on a place by carrying it to higher heights. But know that KG did so because he is young enough and has enough faith in GM Kevin McHale and coach Flip Saunders to believe it can happen.

Malone once had all that, too, which is why he spent 17 years in Salt Lake City. But he doesn't have it now and simply drawing a paycheck isn't enough. Anybody who has worked for a company that once allowed them to pursue their dreams but no longer can knows what Karl is feeling.

Hey, I work for the worldwide leader in sports because it gives me the best forum to cover the NBA. If ESPN fell off as precipitously as the Jazz have -- and I couldn't see a way of singlehandedly changing that -- you can bet I'd be exploring my options to go elsewhere, too.  

Chances are the deal won't happen and Karl will finish his career playing only for the Jazz. Considering what he does and doesn't have left, there are better ways for him to go out.

As of now, watching him play in SLC is as difficult as watching the ol' bald guy in D.C.

AND ONES: Bison Dele (previously known as Brian Williams, and another Manley client) is in playing trim and ready to return to the NBA. With the league's dearth of big men he's sure to draw interest, but Manley has this message for the GMs who haven't returned his calls about another unemployed client, Olden Polynice: "Don't bother calling about Brian." ... Kings forward Chris Webber practiced last week for the first time on his sprained ankle and is tentatively scheduled to make his return Dec. 2 when the Mavs and his ol' pal Don Nelson visit ... It's not clear what the Clippers' next move will be, but rest assured it involves moving some of their young talent. A team source says the Clips are showcasing Darius Miles, while a league source sees Corey Maggette in the display case. Yet another believes Michael Olowokandi's days in L.A. are numbered. Moving Lamar Odom, damaged goods as a result of his second league drug violation, has to be an option, too. In any case, know that owner Donald Sterling is not going to pony up to keep them all ... Bash your local point-guard-needing team for not drafting Jamaal Tinsley or Tony Parker if it makes you feel good, but know that both are in ideal situations to succeed. Remember how Travis Knight's intelligent hustle as a rookie made him look so good with the Lakers, and how he's looked so mediocre (at best) since? Tinsley and Parker are benefitting from a similar effect. Both are far better than Knight, but put them with almost any of the 20-some teams who passed on them and they'd be struggling.

Ric Bucher covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail ric.bucher@espnmag.com.