In this year’s NBA offseason, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was reminiscent of the girl everyone flirts with but, for whatever reason, no one actually takes to the dance. Consistently cited as the owner NBA players would most like to play for, the brash and controversial Cuban has struggled to land key free agents when given the option of playing for the most recent team outside of Miami to win an NBA title.
According to him, he’s better off that way.
“I think we’ve put ourselves in a spot where we’re in a better spot thanwe were at if we got just the one max-out deal,” Cuban toldESPNDallas.com on Wednesday night. “Ithink it’d be better shorter and longer term. I don’t want to make thatsound the wrong way. I think we’ll be better this year because we addedfive good players or more.”
None of the players Cuban is referring to are exactly “world-beaters.” Headlining this free agent class is dynamic, shoot-first guard Monta Ellis and joining him will be Jose Calderon, Wayne Ellington, Samuel Dalembert, Brendan Wright, and Devin Harris. Additionally, the team will be able to keep aging veterans Shawn Marion and Vince Carter.
This solid but underwhelming crop of players comes after the team dismantled its 2011 championship squad only to fail to land targets like Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Dwight Howard the past two offseasons.
As always, Cuban remains undeterred and will likely spare no expense in making the Mavericks a contender once again. The owner said he is currently on a two-year plan to make that happen.
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