If Mavs pursue Barry, they'll have company
By JEFF CAPLANStar-Telegram Staff Writer
KEITH VAN HORN
MINNEAPOLIS -- With two roster spots that need to be filled by Saturday, the Mavericks are in the hunt for a big man and a 3-point ace named Brent Barry.
The Spurs traded Barry to Seattle for added inside muscle in Kurt Thomas and the Sonics cut him.
In what could have been viewed as a Jerry Stackhouse-style deal, it made sense to believe the injured Barry would sit out the league-mandated 30 days and then re-sign with the Spurs.
But that scenario's apparently not a slam dunk.
So that's where things get intriguing.
Barry can either return to San Antonio, the team he won two titles with and where his family lives, or spurn the Spurs by signing with one of their three key rivals: the Suns, Rockets or Mavs, all interested parties.
When asked about Barry on Sunday, Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said: "We're interested."
Houston, where Barry's analyst brother Jon finished his playing career, is seemingly putting on a full-court press. As for the Mavs, Dirk Nowitzki would only smile when asked if he's made a personal pitch to the 43-percent 3-point shooter and Jason Kidd said he'd welcome Barry.
"I was going to call him and see where his mind-set is, but I haven't had a chance to call," Kidd said. "He makes the game easy. He would definitely help."
That's what the Suns, Rockets and Spurs are thinking, too.
As for the Mavs' seeking to bulk up their interior, Jamaal Magloire, released by the Nets on Friday, will become a free agent Tuesday evening if he clears the 48-hour waiver process.
Forward Justin Williams, released by Sacramento, is also a possibility. Dale Davis is off the table. He re-joined his former team, the Pistons.
"Like other teams, whether it's Boston or Phoenix or L.A. or whomever, we make the same calls to good players that they make," Mavs coach Avery Johnson said.
"Everybody that we talked to is in the wait-and-see decision mode."
Players must be added by Saturday to be eligible for the postseason roster.
Front and center
Without DeSagana Diop, the Mavs' center rotation is moving from a two-man rotation to more of a rotisserie with Erick Dampier, the lone true center, grabbing the lion's share of minutes, Avery Johnson said. Depending on matchups, Dirk Nowitzki, Brandon Bass, Juwan Howard, Malik Allen and any newcomer could rotate in short shifts. Sunday, Dampier played 29 minutes. "At the end of the day it's going to be 12 or 14 minutes," Johnson said. "We know that our defense might suffer in terms of shot blocking [without DeSagana Diop], but we need to get more charges and maybe play some more zone."
Kidd under control
Avery Johnson and Jason Kidd have met several times off the court to better understand each other's tendencies on it, the coach said. "I'm going to let him go in a lot of ways," said Johnson, a micromanager with former point guard Devin Harris. "But there are times where we're going to need him to manage this particular team probably different than he did in New Jersey."
Team building
The re-tooled Mavs gathered for lunch Saturday at a downtown Minneapolis Italian restaurant, their first chance to meet as a team off the court since the trade. "You try to get a feel for guys and personalities," Avery Johnson said. "Everybody has different personalities. You try to push the right buttons with certain guys. Things are more meaningful to some guys than others."
New Bulls
Chicago comes to town tonight without the big hair of Ben Wallace, who was traded to Cleveland with Joe Smith at the deadline. The Bulls will have a new look with Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden.
Briefly
The Mavs improved to 4-16 when entering the fourth quarter tied or trailing.
The Mavs had 24 assists on 36 field goals. They've had 56 in the past two games. Before Kidd's arrival, the Mavs averaged 19.9 assists a game.
Breakdown
Why the Mavericks won: Although the Timberwolves had another hustling home performance, a strong finish by Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki sealed it in the final 5:30.
Three keys
Streaky Terry: Terry scored 20 points, giving him 42 in the past two games on 17-of-31 shooting (54.8 percent).
Hoppin' Howard: Maybe it's his sore back -- and a stomach illness Sunday -- but since Jason Kidd's arrival, Josh Howard has made just 16-of-56 shots (28.6 percent).
Road momentum II: The T'wolves took the Spurs to the wire two nights earlier, so winning in any fashion boosts confidence.
Up next: Bulls at Mavericks, 7:30 tonight, KTXA/Ch. 21
SPOTLIGHT VAN HORN FACTOR
The Mavericks just might have gotten the last laugh if the NBA cuts out the loophole that allowed them to use Keith Van Horn to make salaries match in the Jason Kidd trade.
Because Van Horn never filed retirement papers with the league -- which most players don't -- the Mavs controlled his rights. They signed him to the amount needed, roughly $4 million, and sent him to New Jersey.
Timberwolves vice president Kevin McHale told the Minneapolis Star Tribune he thinks the league will change the language to prevent retired players from being used in trades, likely before next season. Mavericks assistant general manager Keith Grant agrees.
Here's the ridiculousness of it all. League lawyers stressed that Van Horn needed to show a commitment to resuming his playing career to be included in the trade.
So far, Van Horn is the invisible man. There's a Nets locker with his name on it, but the 6-foot-10 forward has yet to be seen or heard from.
"He's here," Nets president Rod Thorn assured reporters last week. "But we are not going to make him available for interviews."
Of course, if the league doesn't get around to closing the loophole, the Mavs can always resurrect Walt Williams, Johnny Newman and Kevin Willis. They still control the rights of all three players.
jcaplan@star-telegram.com
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