The Dallas Mavericks figure to be active on the trade market before the February 21 trade deadline, but owner Mark Cuban made it clear that the team has no plans to trade Dirk Nowitzki. Cuban told ESPNDallas.com that Nowitzki has the team's assurances that he is safe:
"I told Dirk we're not going to trade him. He was happy. I think," Cuban said, laughing. "I wanted to make it clear to him. I said, 'We're in this through thick and thin,' and so there's no way I would trade him, no matter what."
Cuban stated that the Mavs will be aggressive in attempting to make a move before the trade deadline, hinting that the team's salary-cap flexibility could put them in a position of advantage to make an unbalanced trade with a team looking to get under the luxury tax.