Eddie Sefko

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There can be no debate on the impact of the trade, which is looking more and more like the biggest heist since Pau Gasol (although Washington got exactly what it wanted out of the deal, too, which was financial relief to expedite the rebuilding).

This week, we're going to pay homage to the less celebrated member of the threesome that came from the Wizards: DeShawn Stevenson.

If you were watching the Minnesota game Monday, you saw Stevenson get punched by Wolves thin man Ryan Hollins. Stevenson did not take it well. He confronted Hollins and looked like he was ready to rumble. He had to be restrained by coaches and teammates.

That's great stuff. A throwback to Jerry Stackhouse, the kind of player the Mavericks have been missing since ... OK, since Jerry Stackhouse.

Great teams need a rabble rouser. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a bad guy, either. Stack was one of the good guys. So is Stevenson. But both of them were just a little bit flaky, which served their teams very, very well.

Be glad the Mavericks have Stevenson, even if his minutes dwindle when Jason Terry comes back.

By the way, need to make a minor correction to last week's newsletter. I did some investigating – OK, I asked somebody who knows – and they said Violet Palmer is still indeed an NBA ref but that she's been out with an injury. Also, Steve Javie and Joe Forte are out, too.

Q: Take a few sentences to touch on how great the Southwest Division is. It's amazing the record the Mavs have considering they have to play their division rivals so much.

MFFL, Eddie H.

SEFKO, MWFY: Actually, I thought the Southwest looked a lot tougher before the season than it does now.

San Antonio isn't very good. Neither is Houston or New Orleans. Memphis is on the rise but still not in the playoff hunt.

Looking at the standings, the Northwest Division has four playoff teams to just two for the Southwest and Pacific.

So this Mavs Writer For Years would have to say the Southwest is good, but not the toughest in the league.

Q: In a situation like that of Tim Thomas or Allen Iverson, when the team lets the player off for a considerable time to attend to personal business, is the team permitted to knock off some paychecks for the time the player is gone because of his unavailability for his team's games?

Bob A., Dallas

Q: Can the Mavericks ask the NBA for permission to fill Tim Thomas' spot on the roster?

Jairo C.

SEFKO: Both good questions about the same issue, so thought I'd knock them out in one swing.

The answer is no, the Mavericks cannot dock pay or bring in another player for Thomas' roster spot.

There are special cases, such as long-term injuries, when the team can get some financial relief. One of those is if a player misses 40 consecutive games. Insurance then kicks in to cover 80 percent of his contract. But I don't believe Thomas' case will qualify. Plus, we're not talking about a $20 million deal.

The Mavericks could add another player, two in fact, since they only have 13 on the roster. But it would not be in place of Thomas.

Q: What is the most likely scenario next October: Erick Dampier starts and Brendan Haywood on the bench, Haywood starts and Damp is on the bench, Haywood starts and somebody else is on the bench or none of the above.

John

SEFKO: Man, I hated these questions back in school. I always just picked all of the above. But I guess that won't work in this case.

My gut tells me that Option 2 is the most likely. But so much is dependent on what happens in the playoffs. If the Mavericks' run ends prematurely, I could see Dampier bolting. And I could see somebody tossing some pretty good cash in his direction in the off-season.

Do the Mavericks really want to throw $9 million a year at Haywood and tie up another $6 million or so in his backup?

The Mavericks would like to get younger at any spot they can, and that might be one of them.

Of course, my personal hope is that they get older there and bring in Brad Miller to back up Haywood. Couldn't ask for a better backup center.

Q: Big Ed, here's one from left field: Would you trade Roddy Beaubois for Ricky Rubio?

John, Clearwater, Fla.

SEFKO: Geez, when did I sign up for brain surgery? These questions are hard.

Hey, I love me some Roddy. And I'm just not sure what kind of commodity Rubio is, and there are lots more "ifs" with him.

If he will agree to play with you. If he will be great at the NBA game. If he will always be enticed by the bright lights of New York or LA.

As a staunch conservative when it comes to dealing with the known vs. the unknown, I'd probably keep Roddy. We know what kind of potential this kid has, and by the time Jason Kidd is ready to become a full-time backup, Beaubois will be ready to take the reins. That's something else we don't know about Rubio.

Q: The Mavericks are a better team without Jason Terry, because jump shooting does not win a title. Write that down. Roddy and J.J., take the ball to the basket.

Jim M., Plano, Texas

SEFKO: I'll write something down as soon as you write down a question.

And by the way, if jump shooting doesn't win a title, you can eliminate the Mavericks right now. They are going to take jump shots. But hopefully, there's a happy medium in there somewhere.

Q: Sef, with Carlisle getting tossed in the first half the other night, can he still talk to the team at halftime? Brian S., Dallas

SEF: Yes, he can. The coach can do pretty much anything except be on the court. I think cellphones to the assistant coaches probably would draw a fine from the league, but during the halftime he can impart messages or, as Nellie used to do, just open up a beer or three.

Q: Jason Kidd's Atlanta triple-double was at least 15 points, rebounds and assists. It was the second time he did that in his career. I know Larry Bird did it once and Magic Johnson twice. Who was the other player?

Thanks, BDW

SEFKO: You are correct. One other player did it: Fat Lever.

Q: Which Mavs are free agents after this season? It seems to me that the Mavs roster could be pretty much set for next year. The new guys seem to be fitting in really well and provide the ability to play multiple positions. What do you think?

Dave W.

SEFKO: They could lose Erick Dampier, which would put them in the market for a center. They could lose Brendan Haywood, which would put them in the market for two centers. And they could lose Tim Thomas, but given his situation this season, I would bet he ends up coming back if his family health issues clear up.

The Mavericks have 10 players under contract next season. So there will be some movement.

And remember, Erick Dampier's expiring contract is worth $13 million next season (or $10 million this season if he is traded before August as part of a sign-and-trade).

But you have it dialed in pretty well. They aren't all in yet with this group, but they aren't far from it.

Q: I know the Mavs traded Kris Humphries for Eduardo Najera in January primarily as a salary (and luxury tax) savings move. If the Mavs had known they would now have to play without either of their centers for several games and without Tim Thomas, would they still have made that trade?

Phillip L.

SEFKO: I suspect they would have, primarily because those few millions in savings probably helped loosen Mark Cuban's thought process when it came to dealing for Caron Butler & Co.

And by the way, that savings was only for this year, which equaled about $4 million or $5 million when you add the luxury tax. Next year, it's close to a wash and in the third year, Eddie Najera still is due $2.6 million while the players the Nets got will be due nothing.