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As the Worm turns Rodman may soon sign with Mavericks
Posted: Tuesday January 25, 2000 09:46 PM
DALLAS (AP) -- 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. "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." 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. 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. Should another team be interested and have some salary cap space, they could get Rodman by offering more money. Because Dallas is over the salary cap, the most it can offer Rodman is about $475,000 for the rest of the season.
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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