Cuban not afraid to dish out dollars, and he's not alone

[kriD]

Cuban not afraid to dish out dollars, and he's not alone

01:13 AM CST on Sunday, November 12, 2006
By David Moore / The Dallas Morning News]

You can question Mark Cuban's methods. You can question his courtside behavior and sense of style.

But you can't question his commitment to the Mavericks.

Cuban dedicated $158.9 million this off-season to keep the nucleus of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry intact. He added free agents Greg Buckner and Devean George along with first-round pick Maurice Ager for a total cost of $27.6 million.

And don't forget the $20 million or so he dished out to sign coach Avery Johnson to an extension.

Salary figures obtained by The Dallas Morning News show the depth of Cuban's commitment. If he purchases a small country in the next few weeks, French Guiana perhaps, his payroll would rival the one assembled by New York's James Dolan.

The Knicks once again win the NBA title for largesse with a payroll of more than $117 million for the 2006-07 season. The Mavericks are second at $91.1 million.

But Cuban's payroll for this season doesn't tell the whole story. He sunk more than $205 million into the long-term future of this club after losing to Miami in The Finals. The big-ticket items:

A three-year, $59.38 million extension for Dirk Nowitzki that binds him to the Mavericks through the 2010-2011 season.

A six-year, $57.89 million contract that keeps Jason Terry under wraps through the 2011-2012 season.

A four-year, $41.67 million extension for Josh Howard that expires with Nowitzki's contract.

Here are a few other items:

• The NBA uses a soft cap. Very soft. Only three of the league's 30 teams – Charlotte, Atlanta and Toronto – are under the $53.135 million figure.

• A much more significant number in the minds of owners is the luxury tax.

The trigger is $65.42 million. Every dollar over that amount requires the owner to put another dollar into the pot. Cuban must pay an additional $10 million this season – the Mavericks' payroll is just over $75 million when you erase Michael Finley's contract under the one-time amnesty clause.

There are 10 teams above the luxury-tax threshold, four of them by no more than $1 million. There are 12 teams that come in just below the luxury-tax number. That is the figure that drives trades and free-agent signings.

• There is no such thing as an average Joe in the league. But there is an average Trenton. Minnesota's Trenton Hassell is the only player in the league whose $4.35 million salary matches the league average.

• Would someone please give Jason Richardson a dollar? The Golden State guard makes $9,999,999 this season.