[BGMaverick9]

Do the Dallas Mavericks need to participate in the game, Let's Make a Deal? The Mavericks have been to Rumorville and back. The Mavericks of 2009-2010 lost their mojo and never recovered before the break, which led to their major deal with Washington to bring in Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson. Six weeks ago, Dallas looked like a team that was, once again, stuck in quicksand and looked destined to fall behind in the pack. The difference was that injuries led to the team's dramatic struggle. The Mavericks found their mojo and have returned back in the pack of elite teams that could legitimately be a title contender.

"This is a great feeling,'' Terry said when asked to describe this season's squad compared to last season's team. "Last year, going into this time, I think we had a trade on the horizon, so we were kind of in flux and we didn't know what to expect. This year, our team is intact. We don't foresee any moves - that I can see. It would surprise the heck out of me.''

So the question then becomes, do the Mavericks need to make a trade? Thursday marks the trade deadline and most of the leg work in creating trades is done over All-Star Weekend. Most or all of the owners and general managers are in town so work can get done.

Mark Cuban has never been confused for an owner that will sit on his hands, the man is always looking for the next deal. Surprising many, Cuban has given the impression that the trade deadline could come and go with the Mavericks standing pat. "I'm going to be opportunistic, and if somebody comes along and makes an offer we can't refuse, I'm going to grab it," Cuban said. "But there's not as much a sense of urgency to do something as there was last year. It's different circumstances obviously. We've really had a lot of people step up this year. We really didn't have that last year."

One of the bigger pieces, if not the biggest piece, that could be moved in a deal for the Mavericks would be Caron Butler. His expiring contract, at nearly $10.6 million, could fetch a talented player or two in return. The "problem" is that Butler appears to be headed towards a quicker than expected recovery from his knee surgery in early January. Early last week, Butler was seeing walking around while showing no signs of a limp, rode a stationary bike and began running on an underwater treadmill. "This is what they call phase two in getting to phase six,'' Butler said. "Able to ride the back, first day running (underwater). Eight weeks in, I start doing some strengthening stuff. And from that point on, it's how much (pain) can you take. You throw everything at it if we're not having any complications and continue to move forward.''

Butler continues to believe that he can return to the team in time for the playoffs. "Let's see what happens," he said. "I'm feeling good, though, mentally and physically. (Tuesday) was my first day running in the pool and I felt great. I plan on playing in this year's playoffs.'' There is upside to keeping Butler past the deadline. There is a chance that he could put them over the top in the playoffs. He could also be retained in the off-season at a reduced rate. You can see Jameer Nelson during the 2008-2009 season to observe the potential downside of bringing a player back in the midst of the playoffs.

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