There's never a dull moment in Donnie Nelson's office. There's always a European scouting trip to plan, a film of college players to watch or a sponsorship obligation for the Mavericks' president of basketball operations.

But if things could ever be termed "uneventful" in regard to the state of the Mavericks' union, this is probably the time.

When your team is cruising along with a 34-10 record, has possibly the NBA's deepest roster and lists chemistry and focus as two of its best assets, there's not a lot of reason for Nelson to be burning up cellphone minutes.

"On an NBA front, it's been consistently calm and quiet," Nelson said Monday. "We're always prepared. But you just don't mess with success."

The trade deadline is Feb. 23. The Mavericks in the past have been on every other NBA team's must-call list when it came time to make deals. They have always listened to proposals.

This year, other teams realize the Mavericks have no reason to listen unless something so obvious falls in their lap that they have no other choice. So there has been less communication than in the past.

"That guy in there has made all our jobs a lot easier," Nelson said, pointing to coach Avery Johnson's office. "He deserves all the credit in the world. Him and the guys out there on the court."