Stuff from ESPN's Weekend Dime

1.  Q&A with Dirk:

Q: We're already down to nine teams playing for eight playoff spots in the West ... and your team is in ninth at what's basically the halfway point. How worried are you that the Mavs could actually miss the playoffs?

A: It's been hard lately because we haven't had Josh [Howard]. So if Jet [Jason Terry] and I don't score 30, we're having trouble winning. Obviously you can't win with [only] two reliable scorers. But Josh has missed at least a month. I think we are still right there, but obviously we've got to get healthy.

Q: I'm sure you've heard people around town say it's time to blow this team up. It hasn't even been a full year yet since the Jason Kidd trade, but how worried are you that management might actually listen and consider trading you?

A: I've always said that I know this is a business. Cubes [Mavs owner Mark Cuban] has been great to me and he's a loyal guy, but in business I know that that stuff doesn't mean anything.

I've said it in the past when people [in Dallas] said we should try to get Shaq or try to get Kobe: If this franchise can get better by me leaving, then I understand. If they feel like I can't take this franchise any farther than where we got a couple years ago [when the Mavs advanced to the 2006 NBA Finals], then, hey, I'm happy to let someone try to take this over.

Q: Happy? I always thought you wanted to finish your career in Dallas.

A: Of course I do. I love this organization. I think if I did go somewhere else and even if I won the championship, I don't think it would feel the same. I've poured my heart and soul into this franchise. That's all that's missing for us here. We've done everything else.

Q: I know earlier this season you spoke about possibly taking a pay cut in the future if it could help the Mavs bring in more help for you. Where do you stand on that now?

A: My answer on that is that it's still all open right now. All the options are open. It's still [almost] two years away.

Q: What are "all the options?"

A: I could opt out [after the 2009-10 season and test free agency]. I could try to re-sign for less so we can sign somebody else. I could [decide to] not opt out. But I really haven't thought about it too much. We'll see what the future holds with my contract, but I'm still trying to make this [team] work.

2.  Trade stuff regarding Josh and Shawn Marion:

Sources indicate that there are other teams in contention for Marion, most notably Dallas in a trade that would feature Josh Howard going to Miami for Marion.

Yet it remains to be seen (a) whether Miami ultimately decides that it would rather gamble on O'Neal's vulnerable right knee in spite of his Toronto's struggles because quality centers are harder to find and (b) whether Dallas is prepared to surrender Howard for Marion and risk losing Marion without compensation this summer.

Howard obviously isn't a center, but the 28-year-old would appear to fit better alongside Wade and rookie Michael Beasley than Marion, since he wouldn't cut into Beasley's minutes at power forward like Marion sometimes does.

Howard also has a contract that fits into Miami's long-range plans, with a salary of $10.4 million this season, $11.4 million next season and a team option for 2010-11 at $12.3 million. Acquiring Howard now would give the Heat almost a season and a half to gauge how he functions as a Wade sidekick, with no obligation to slice into their future salary-cap space if they don't like how it looks.

Because its original three-way deal with Charlotte and Oklahoma City featuring Raymond Felton unraveled last week, Dallas still has Jerry Stackhouse's virtual expiring contract ($7 million this season, only $2 million guaranteed next season) to facilitate such a swap. A package of Howard and Stackhouse works for Marion cap-wise.

Full Weekend Dime here.