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Mavs in hunt for Wallace?
By Art Garcia
Star-Telegram Staff Writer


NBAE-GETTY IMAGES/JONATHAN FERREY
Rasheed Wallace is "one of the toughest matchups in the NBA," Mavericks assistant Donnie Nelson said.


PORTLAND - If ever there was a poster boy for what ails the NBA -- and possibly all of professional sports -- Rasheed Wallace could be the guy.

He's rich beyond the wildest dreams of most, but feels exploited by the league that has made him so. He's vulgar and volatile. He's uncooperative and, some believe, uncoachable.

He has turned off a fandom that was as rabid and loyal as any in basketball. His team's management would love nothing better than to ship him out of town.

Once the centerpiece of a franchise on the brink of a championship, Wallace won't be part of Portland's future.

And, though talent alone doesn't erase considerable baggage, it does provide for second chances. Fresh starts. New leases.

Wallace will be in a uniform next season. It just won't say "Blazers" on the front.

It just might say "Dallas."

Though the the NBA's tampering rules prohibit the Mavs from discussing the possible acquisition of Wallace, team sources confirm a definite interest in the nine-year veteran. A deal for Wallace before the Feb. 19 trading deadline isn't likely, but the Mavs could be in hot pursuit of the troubled star when he becomes a free agent after the season.

Expect the Mavs to be mentioned in almost any trade rumor dealing with Wallace -- or almost anyone else -- from now until the deadline. The team's brass, however, insists it is done dealing unless a "no-brainer" is presented.

"We're answering phones," president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. "We're always looking to upgrade our front line. That's why we did the last two trades [for Antoine Walker and Antawn Jamison]. But we're not going to make a trade just to shake things up."

The Mavericks (15-11) would rather shake their losing ways, having dropped three in a row heading into tonight's game in Portland. The two-game road trip ends Christmas Day in Sacramento.

There's little doubt that Wallace has the physical tools to help the Mavs, who didn't address their need for a dominant presence on the front line during the off-season. Wallace, 29, is averaging 17.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this season.

"He's one of the toughest matchups in the NBA," Nelson said. "He's a 6-11 guy who can play bigger because of his length. He can shoot the 3, block shots; he's a solid rebounder, good passer and athletic. When he's focused, he can be an excellent defender."

Focus has to be the chief concern. Wallace's unique set of skills should place him in the exclusive category of MVP-caliber power forwards, yet he's not mentioned in the same circles as Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki.

Wallace's laundry list of indiscretions and suspensions runs the gamut from drug charges to obscene gestures. He has had run-ins with the NBA, the law, officials, teammates, opponents, coaches, management and fans.

"I don't know what Rasheed aspires to," Blazers coach Mo Cheeks said. "I know he's a very talented player, and I know he loves to win. In saying that, I don't think he wants to go out and be a star who has 35 points and 20 rebounds night in and night out. He's capable of doing it, but I don't think he aspires to be like that."

Would a change in scenery change his motivation? Wallace is in the last year of his contract at $17 million, and Portland would rather not lose him without compensation. The Blazers can move Wallace before the trading deadline or attempt a sign-and-trade deal next summer.

Waiting does involve the risk of Wallace signing with another team as a free agent, leaving Portland with nothing in return. Considering the market and his history, it's doubtful Wallace would receive a contract approaching his current pay scale.

The Mavericks, according to sources, would be interested in signing Wallace to a contract starting at the mid-level exception, expected to be about $5.4 million. A sign-and-trade is also a possibility.

"Rasheed Wallace is a good guy, and he's a good teammate, and those are two things you have to look at if you're thinking about bringing him on your team," Cheeks said. "Maybe he's done some things or said some things that weren't perfect, or maybe they were things he thought later that he shouldn't have done or said, but we've all done that at some point.

"Is he going to get condemned for it? Over the long haul, I don't know."

The Mavs have a successful track record recently with so-called "problem" players. Other than Dennis Rodman, the team incorporated several players with troubled reputations to varying degrees. Nick Van Exel and Christian Laettner are two that came and went with nary an incident. Walker and Danny Fortson were added before this season.

Van Exel found an unlikely ally in Mavs assistant Del Harris, his former coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. Harris also knows Wallace well, having been with Portland in an advisory capacity before joining the Mavs at the tail end of the 1999-2000 season.

Nelson said the support structure is a product of the Mavericks' core players -- Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley -- coach Don Nelson and the culture created by owner Mark Cuban.

"It starts in the locker room with the character of the Big Three," Donnie Nelson said. "People want to be a part of this environment. It's a certain degree of professionalism. And, outside of the locker room, Mark's commitment and drive to win only enhances it.

"And when you talk about Nellie, he's seen and done it all. If someone isn't pulling his weight, he gets called out. If he gets called out too often, he'll get planted to the bench, and, after that, we won't stand for it."