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An off-season of change for the Dallas Mavericks began Wednesday with the departure of coach Avery Johnson.

Most Mavericks concede that the changes probably won't stop there.

On the heels of back-to-back first-round exits in the playoffs, a shakeup in the team's makeup appears imminent. And Josh Howard, once considered untouchable in trade talks, could be among the Mavs on the block.

After averaging 19.9 points per game in the regular season, Howard was the talk of the postseason for the Mavericks -- for all the wrong reasons. His 29.2 percent shooting performance derailed the Mavs' offense against the New Orleans Hornets, and his radio ramblings of off-season marijuana use were a distraction in the locker room.

His reputation took another hit when he ignored Johnson's postseason no-partying edict and held a 28th birthday bash at a Dallas club after the pivotal Game 4 loss.

Asked Wednesday if he would change the events of the past couple of weeks, Howard said: "Some things. But overall, you only live once."

Howard, who was rewarded with a new four-year deal worth more than $40 million after his All-Star season in 2007, insisted Wednesday that he is "not a bad person" and said he hopes to return to the Mavericks next season.

But his postseason problems could be enough to persuade the team to send him elsewhere.

Veteran guard Jason Terry said that would be a mistake.

"If you look at all that superstars do, they do worse than that," he said. "You've got guys in bar brawls, domestic violence, all kind of stuff. Him being a young superstar, it's something he can learn from and grow, and then you can get the right guy in here to mentor and talk to him."

The Wright move?

Swingman Antoine Wright, who saw limited action in 15 games for the Mavericks this season after coming over in the Jason Kidd trade, met with general manager Donnie Nelson on Wednesday and said he expects to be back with the club next season.

The second-year former Texas A&M standout saw his playing time cut from 25.8 minutes to 11.7 minutes after the trade, but he could benefit from a coaching change. He said he is optimistic about the future, especially after watching the progress of Brandon Bass, who just completed his third year in the NBA.

"I look at Dallas as a team that I definitely can be a huge part of," Wright said. "Obviously, being with Jason in New Jersey, it's a good situation for me.... Donnie has stressed to me how they're really happy with me."

Role reversal

Veteran swingman Jerry Stackhouse said intangibles, most notably the lack of a strong supporting cast, have been one of the biggest differences in the Mavs' decline since their trip to the 2006 NBA Finals.

"Quite frankly, we missed guys who might not seem like they were the most important guys when it was happening -- like Adrian Griffin, Marquis Daniels, Darrell Armstrong," Stackhouse said.

"Some of those components weren't there. We were trying to find it, thinking that was what didn't get us over the hump."

With seven players becoming unrestricted free agents, including Devean George, the bench could see a major overhaul.

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