All's quiet on the trading front for Mavs
With Mavericks' success comes little desire to wheel and deal
06:05 AM CST on Tuesday, January 31, 2006
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
There's never a dull moment in Donnie Nelson's office. There's always a European scouting trip to plan, a film of college players to watch or a sponsorship obligation for the Mavericks' president of basketball operations.
But if things could ever be termed "uneventful" in regard to the state of the Mavericks' union, this is probably the time.
When your team is cruising along with a 34-10 record, has possibly the NBA's deepest roster and lists chemistry and focus as two of its best assets, there's not a lot of reason for Nelson to be burning up cellphone minutes.
"On an NBA front, it's been consistently calm and quiet," Nelson said Monday. "We're always prepared. But you just don't mess with success."
The trade deadline is Feb. 23. The Mavericks in the past have been on every other NBA team's must-call list when it came time to make deals. They have always listened to proposals.
This year, other teams realize the Mavericks have no reason to listen unless something so obvious falls in their lap that they have no other choice. So there has been less communication than in the past.
"That guy in there has made all our jobs a lot easier," Nelson said, pointing to coach Avery Johnson's office. "He deserves all the credit in the world. Him and the guys out there on the court."
That's true. But the Mavericks' success also speaks volumes about the job Nelson and owner Mark Cuban have done in putting the roster together.
"You can't help but be proud," Nelson said. "It's not very often that things come together like this.
"That said, we're only halfway there. The critical time of the season is in the next few months."
Nelson has purposely stayed away from the limelight during the Mavericks' thunderous first half of the season. He believes things are going well if he doesn't have to be in the news every day.
Not that there aren't issues for him. There will be contracts to hammer out at the appropriate time – after the season, which is how Cuban prefers to handle such situations. The futures of Jason Terry, Josh Howard and Keith Van Horn will all be dealt with then.
But as for changes before the trade deadline, the Mavericks don't expect any.
"If any teams out there were in the same position we are in, they'd be doing the same thing we are," he said. "There's no need to go out and do something at this point."
So, for now, the organization is reaping the benefits of the success on the court. While national media may be slow to give the Mavericks credit, the results are hard to argue with.
"I've been in a situation where I've been really fortunate to coach some terrific players and work with a solid coaching staff," Johnson said. "That's a credit to Donnie and Mark."
It's also why Nelson's office remains a lot quieter than usual at this time of year.
