Dallas, TX

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban announced the team would aggressively pursue trade opportunities before the Feb. 21 deadline.

"We're letting everybody know that the 'Bank of Cuban' is open," Cuban said Monday night.

The 16-23 Mavs are in danger of having a 12-year playoff streak snapped. Their best chance to make major roster upgrades is in the trade market.

However, the Mavs wouldn't have had the flexibility to make those types of trades brought key championship pieces Jason Kidd and Tyson Chandler to Dallas as a luxury-tax-paying team.

Cuban is now hoping to lure cost-cutting teams with have several expiring contracts.

The Mavs will seek to get involved as a facilitator in multi-team trades as well as discuss traditional deals.

"If it's the right deal, we don't mind taking back money. But we're not going to do a trade just to do a trade.

It's got to be worthwhile," says Cuban who's been poring over rosters and making suggestions to Dallas president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson on a daily basis.

Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki recently lamented that they missed out on Deron Williams last summer and would be a long shot to land a legitimate superstar this offseason.

"That's obviously good to know that he still wants to go for it," said Nowitzki who re-signed in 2010 on the basis that Cuban will use his resources to make Dallas a winning team for the four years he remains.

 

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