One of the strangest careers in Mavericks history came to a close Friday when Tariq Abdul-Wahad was waived amid jokes that most people thought it had happened two years ago.

The Frenchman had not seen action since the 2003 playoffs, when he rarely played and was kept on the playoff roster instead of a point guard named Avery Johnson.

That was Abdul-Wahad's biggest contribution in four seasons with the Mavericks. The 6-6 swingman played 18 regular-season games and eight in the playoffs, but spent far more time being a headache to the organization.

"The point guard was mad then," Johnson said Friday of being left off the playoff roster in '03. "But now, what a blessing for Nellie [former coach Don Nelson] to put me on the staff. It lit more of a match in me to coach."

Owner Mark Cuban said the relationship with Abdul-Wahad "wasn't pleasant" for the Mavericks. That's an understatement. The team claimed Abdul-Wahad could not play because of a knee injury. Abdul-Wahad thought he was healthy enough. The argument was never settled and Abdul-Wahad spent much of the last two seasons in France.

"He wasn't a key factor at any point," assistant coach Del Harris said. "That knee is a tough injury. We never felt he got to a position where he could play. He expressed a will to play. But that same injury has been so difficult on [Jamal] Mashburn and [Penny] Hardaway. It's just a tough injury. We never felt like he could play with that."

Abdul-Wahad refused to work with the Mavericks for a buyout of his remaining contract. As such, he will be paid the guaranteed portion for the next two seasons, $3.656 million this season and $1.968 million in 2006-07. Only half his contract was guaranteed this season with one-fourth guaranteed next season.

Seeing that it happened to him twice, coach Avery Johnson said one of the toughest parts of his job is waiving players.

"That's one of the things I struggle with," said Johnson, and he'll have to do it two more times before the Oct. 31 deadline. The Mavs have to cut their roster from 17 to 15 by then.

Tariq Abdul-Wahad will be waived, and free agent Kaniel Dickens probably would be as well.

Johnson said he likes to talk to the player being waived beforehand and let him know the Mavs are there to help.

"You don't want to just let a guy go and leave him out there," Johnson said. "We're here to service the player. If we cut a guy, it's not like he can't call us and ask us to send film of some preseason game he played in. Whatever we can do to help."

Avery Johnson may have overcooked the praise of Marquis Daniels a little when he said that he's "always thought of him as a triple-double guy."

This is, after all, a player whose next triple-double will be his first.

But considering the way the third-year guard is sizzling through the preseason, Johnson's optimism about Daniels is understandable. The 6-6 Daniels is healthy, happy and reminding the Mavericks of what they missed last season when he fought injuries.

"Marquis is part of that second unit that comes in with energy and makes things happen," Jason Terry said. "If he got enough minutes, he's definitely the type of player who could give you those kind of [triple-double] numbers."

In four preseason games, Daniels has led the Mavericks in scoring once, rebounding once, steals three times and assists once. That diversity is what has the Mavericks so excited.

"What really amazes me is that he doesn't even look like he's moving very fast," Dirk Nowitzki said. "But he's able to get to the basket and finish. He's a pleasure to have out there."

Calling the rules "quite liberal and easygoing," David Stern even joked that the dress code is something that "even [Dallas Mavericks owner] Mark Cuban can comply with." But Cuban, who often wears T-shirts and jeans to games, told ESPN.com that there was "no chance, no way" that he would comply with the league's off-the-court dress code for its players. Sleeveless shirts are not allowed under the policy.

Indiana Pacers guard Stephen Jackson, contending that a league ban on chains worn over clothing is "a racist statement" from the league, wore every long, diamond-studded chain in his collection Tuesday night as a protest.

Jackson voiced no opposition to the bulk of the "business casual" demands in the NBA's new dress code, but he described the jewelry ban as "attacking young black males."

"I think it's a racist statement because a lot of the guys who are wearing chains are my age and are black," said Jackson, 27. "I wore all my jewelry today to let it be known that I'm upset with it.

"I'll wear a suit every day. I think we do need to look more professional because it is a business. A lot of guys have gotten sloppy with the way they dress. But it's one thing to [enforce a] dress code and it's another thing if you're attacking cultures, and that's what I think they're doing."

San Antonio's Tim Duncan, far less vocal but also a critic of the new policy, did not play in Tuesday's game and sat on the bench wearing an untucked shirt and baggy jeans -- attire that could result in a fine if seen during a regular-season game.

Sam Cassell said before the game he thought he would be wearing a Mavericks uniform this season. "I think it was close," Cassell said. "Real close."

Minnesota was shopping the point guard and finally dealt him to the Clippers for Marko Jaric.

"The Bill Duffy Timberwolves wouldn't allow me to go to Dallas," Cassell said, alluding to the fact the agent has worked several deals with Minnesota. Cassell played for the Mavericks in the mid-1990s.

Cassell, by the way, believes the Clippers will challenge for the playoffs this season. "It's better here than people think," he said. "All we need is an attitude." Which makes it a perfect fit for Cassell.

Forward Keith Van Horn left the Mavericks' exhibition opener against the Sacramento Kings with a sprained right thumb.

Van Horn, a ninth-year NBA veteran acquired by Dallas last winter, scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting before getting hurt in the second half. He played 14 minutes as a reserve.

Guard Erick Strickland is back with the Mavericks.

Strickland, who played with the Mavericks from 1996-2000, signed with the team on Monday.

Dallas also signed forward Kaniel Dickens and guard Samo Udrih to round out its training camp roster.

Strickland, 31, has played in 501 NBA games, 196 of them with Dallas where he averaged 9.8 points and 3.4 assists. Last season, the 6-3 Strickland averaged 4.9 points and 1.9 assists in 62 games with the Milwaukee Bucks.