Cuban's Sour Grapes on D-Will

For a year, the reporting was consistent: the Mavericks were cutting salary, declining to offer veterans new contract in hopes that they could persuade Deron Williams to sign with them. D-Will himself said that he was close to signing with the Mavericks, until the Nets showed him they were serious about contending.

Now, Mark Cuban thinks maybe it was good that he didn't get the big fish. "Obviously the decision was to go for him," said Cuban. "But the conversation was, ‘OK, once you take $17.1 million in salary to what we have with Dirk and [Shawn Marion], then what do you do?’ That’s your squad. And it’s not just your squad for this year, it’s your squad for next year, other than the $3.3 million mini mid-level [exception]."

Instead, Cuban says he's happy with his off-season haul: Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo, Chris Kaman, Elton Brand, Dahntay Jones and Jared Cunningham.

• Mark Cuban: Mavericks ‘in better position’ without Deron Williams - Jon Machota - Dallas Morning News
• Cuban moves on without Deron Williams, goes off on Jason Kidd - Jeff Caplan - ESPN Dallas-Fort Worth
• Not buying what Dallas Mavericks' Mark Cuban is selling - Jean-Jacque Taylor - ESPN Dallas-Fort Worth
  
• Cuban glad D-Will isn't a Mav ... Nets are too - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York