| | DALLAS -- Dennis Rodman is thinking about joining the Dallas
Mavericks, but he won't make up his mind until after the Super
Bowl.
Rodman told Mavericks owner Mark Cuban on Tuesday that he's
interesting to signing on for the rest of the season, but his
calendar is booked through the weekend. He previously said he
wanted to delay a decision until after the Super Bowl and the Pro
Bowl.
| |  | | Rodman |
"I didn't get into the details of his schedule, but he can't be
back before Monday," Cuban said, smiling. "Nothing's been signed
on the dotted line yet, but we're really confident we can get to
the point that we can work something out."
ESPN's David Aldridge reported Tuesday the Mavericks have already offered Rodman a one-year deal for $500,000 -- the team's $1 million cap exception pro-rated for the 42 games remaining.
If Rodman arrives Monday, he could debut Tuesday at home against Philadelphia. A roster spot is open because starting power forward
Gary Trent went on injured reserve before Tuesday's game against
Golden State.
Rodman was not at Reunion Arena on Tuesday, but agent Steve
Chasman was.
"Nothing has changed," he said. "We're still in discussion
with several teams. Dennis will be making a decision in the next
two weeks as to which team he will play for."
Cuban, a longtime season-ticket holder who made billions off the
Internet, has been after Rodman since agreeing to buy the team from
Ross Perot Jr. in a $260 million deal a few weeks ago.
Rodman had said he preferred to play for a title contender,
which would've eliminated Dallas. But few other teams have pursued
the 38-year-old whose checkered past is often matched by checkered
hair.
"We know he's about getting attention, so there are no
surprises," Cuban said. "We just said, 'Dennis, give us the
things you want to accomplish, tell us how you want to fit in. We
want to treat you as an individual.' "
Cuban said there's no deadline, but he's also not willing to
wait forever. He can hold out through the Super Bowl, but he
probably won't also cut slack for the Pro Bowl, which Rodman
previously said he also wanted to attend.
"Hopefully we'll see him here Tuesday," Cuban said. "But I
don't know for certain."
Rodman has played just 23 games the last two seasons. He's made
more headlines for his off-court behavior, including scrapes with
the law in November and December.
But for all the risk he brings, his rebounding and defense are
exactly what the Mavericks need. Dallas averages 8.7 fewer rebounds
than opponents, more than double the next-worst average, while
allowing a league-worst 103.6 points per game.
Rodman also would give the Mavericks a boost in attendance.
"Dennis doesn't come with any secrets," Cuban said. "You know
Dennis is about marketing who he is and what he's trying to
accomplish. I told him I'll do whatever I can to help.
"He knows that Brand Rodman is going to suffer if he doesn't
produce on the court. Nobody is going to care about what he has to
say or what he dresses like or what he looks like if he's not
pulling down a lot of rebounds. He's the first to realize that."
Rodman was a poster child for bad behavior when he was on really
good teams, so it would be interesting to see how he would handle
being on a losing team.
Dallas, which hasn't won a playoff game since 1988, is 11th
among the 14 Western Conference teams and nine games behind
Minnesota for a playoff spot.
But he's been watching them on television and apparently likes
what he sees. He cited several close losses to Cuban and spewed out
several of the team's statistics he thinks he could improve.
"I was really impressed," Cuban said. "He wants to go out a
winner, He wants to go out producing and he wants to show poeple
the champion that he is."
Rodman grew up in Dallas and still has family in the area, which
have long made him an intriguing candidate to play for the
Mavericks.
But the team never seriously pursued him until Cuban came along.
"We have a very liberal owner who wants excitement and wants to
win and doesn't really care about off-the-court kinds of things,"
coach and general manager Don Nelson said. "I think everybody is
kind of ready for a bit of a gamble.
"If it works out, that'll be fine." | |
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