Dallas Mavericks need to make a play for playmaker

The Mavericks know more about the Mavericks than the rest of us do. That's just a fact.

If your instincts say they need a better post presence, they've already reached that conclusion.

And what you may not realize, but what they already have dissected and come to grips with, is the player they need to replace most this summer.

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Yes, the man who played a grand total of 10 games this season proved to the Mavericks that they need what he used to offer on a nightly basis. It's seeking that kind of player – not necessarily that position, but that sort of production and attitude – that the Mavericks view as a key quest for the off-season.

Coach Rick Carlisle, when asked if the Mavericks need another scorer from either the perimeter or the post, said it best.

"The guy you're talking about is someone to replace what Stack gave us for four or five years – a guy who came off the bench and was going to guarantee double-figure scoring," Carlisle said.

"He was going to draw double teams and help create shots, and he brought a tough-minded physical presence to both the floor and the locker room. So yeah, there is a void to fill. And the void is Stack."

The Mavericks owe Stackhouse plenty. But he'll probably be playing elsewhere next season.

In his place, they need a playmaker. The Mavericks don't necessarily need another star. Think single or double, not home run. If they get another scorer, it makes sense to keep Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Josh Howard.

And it doesn't have to be any particular position that the Mavericks upgrade. They feel they just need one more key player.

"A shooter, a scorer," Terry said. "A tough, hard-nosed defender and a big man that's going to foul somebody and be an enforcer. We got to get an enforcer."

Hey, there's nothing that says a big man can't be the missing piece, even though it's never happened in Mavericks history.

So here, in no particular order, are the avenues the Mavericks have to chase such a player and some possible candidates to fill that role.

The top names are going to be Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Ben Gordon, Shawn Marion, Allen Iverson, Andre Miller and Rasheed Wallace.

Of those, the Mavericks can neither afford any of them, nor do they really need any of them with the possible exception of Wallace.

The better values will come from the second tier: Trevor Ariza, Grant Hill, Eddie House, Anderson Varejao and, yes, Chris "Birdman" Andersen.

The Mavericks have their mid-level exception to use on free agents. That will top out at about $5 million.

There are some other names of interest, like Hedo Turkoglu, Rodney Carney and Anthony Carter.

As for restricted free agents, the big fish are New York's David Lee, Utah's Paul Millsap and Charlotte's Raymond Felton. But prying them away would probably require something like this:

• Sign and trade: These are tough to pull off. But teams worried about losing players for nothing often will try to deal them for pennies on the dollar.

This also is an option for the Mavericks as well. If Jason Kidd wants to go somewhere else besides Dallas, the only way he can get anything close to fair value is for the Mavericks to sign him, then trade him.

Of course, that would leave only Antoine Wright to show for the Devin Harris trade.

"The Devin trade is eons ago," owner Mark Cuban said. "It won't influence anything. We have the option of going for cap room for next year, which is where we wanted to be."

That would probably preclude any sign-and-trade options for large contracts going forward. At the least, sign-and-trades are difficult because player and agent have to agree to the contract, and the teams involved have to agree to the swap.

• The draft: The Mavericks have the 22nd overall pick. That's not generally considered a huge asset. But remember, Josh Howard came to them with the 29th overall pick. And as Carlisle said, it's better than not having a pick. Draft workouts begin Tuesday.

• Trades. The Mavericks are never opposed to a trade. They still have their eye on the fertile 2010 free-agent class. But if something comes up that knocks their socks off this summer, rest assured they will jump.

"With our history, anything is possible," president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. "We are really well positioned for 2010 and we can be players in that market. At the same time, if the right opportunity comes up and we can make a significant upgrade in an area or two, we're not afraid to pull the trigger."

01:10 AM CDT on Saturday, May 16, 2009