Veteran point guard Avery Johnson signed with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.  

Although terms were not disclosed for Johnson, 39, he had to receive no less than the 10-year veteran's minimum of $1.1 million. He averaged 4.6 points and 2.4 assists in 46 games for Golden State last season, his 16th in the NBA.

The 5-11 Johnson also played for Dallas from midway through the 2001-02 season and the 2002-03 campaign before being traded to Golden State in the Antawn Jamison deal. He has averaged 8.4 points and 5.5 assists in 1,054 career games with Dallas, Golden State, San Antonio, Seattle, Houston and Denver.

Johnson will essentially be a player-coach and is ear marked to eventually become head coach of the Mavericks.

President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh has announced that sharp shooter Hubert Davis has been hired by the Dallas Mavericks as a player-development coach, the Dallas Morning News is reporting.

Davis was with the Mavericks from 1997 to 2001 before being dealt to Washington in the Juwan Howard trade. Davis averaged 8.8 points in 3 ? seasons for the Mavericks and shot 45.4 percent from 3-point range, which remains a team career record.

"Hubert is going to be an exciting addition to our player-development staff," Nelson said.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim is going to be a staple of trade rumors until he is finally traded.  He has an expiring contract and the Blazers want to free up frontcourt playing time for their young forwards Zach Randolph and Darius Miles.

There is the Jason Kidd trade.

There is the Wally Szczerbiak trade.

There is the Ray Allen trade.

There is even the Vince Carter trade.

One trade not being widely discussed, but Mike Kahn suggests is a distinct possibility is a Michael Finley trade.  They have similar salaries, though Finley has a few more years remaining.  With Jerry Stackhouse now with the Mavericks, they have two very good players who play the same position.

Bringing Abdur-Rahim would allow him to play power forward, his preferred position and would make Dirk Nowitzki a consistent small forward, and further balancing the Maverick roster.

Jerry West was very keen on acquiring Erick Dampier this summer in a sign-and-trade deal, but according to ESPN's Marc Stein, the deal breaker was Chris Mullin's insistance that Evan Eschmeyer be included in any such deal.  

The Mavs pulled the trigger on Dampier and are now trying to buy out the remaining three years and $10.8 million of Eschmeyer's deal.

The Grizzlies went on to match the offer sheet given to Jake Tsakalidis by the Cleveland Cavaliers, to fill out the center position.

Marc Stein reports that in order for Don Nelson to be retained, he promised owner Mark Cuban that defense would be stressed this season.

Cuban responded by giving Nelson more to work with on that all important defensive end.  Bringing over Erick Dampier, Jerry Stackhouse and Jason Terry, instantly makes the Mavericks an improved defensive team, replacing liabilities such as Steve Nash and Antoine Walker.

Dallas owner Mark Cuban is calling Utah Senator Orrin Hatch sleazy for soliciting donations from him.

"It started the time he suggested I sell his music CD on Broadcast.com and culminated with the time he asked me to visit with him in Washington and the net of the discussion was a request for money for the Utah State Library," Cuban wrote.

Cuban claims that Hatch avoided certain questions concerning Hatch's support for the "Induce Act" which would hold businesses that produce certain technology that allows for illegal downloading and distribution of copyrighted materials liable.

"He politely avoided the subject and guided me towards his request for money ... slimy," Cuban wrote.

In an unexpected development, the Denver Post is reporting that Greg Buckner's anticipated signing with the Nuggets is now uncertain.

The Lakers and Mavericks have expressed interest in Buckner and he appears to be thoroughly exploring his own options.

The Miami Herald reported that the Heat have reached an agreement in principle with free-agent power forward Christian Laettner, completing an active offseason for the former Duke product.

Laettner was released by the Golden State Warriors soon after coming to Oakland in the Erick Dampier sign and trade deal.  Before that he was traded by to the Mavericks by the Wizards, as part of the Jerry Stackhouse/Antwawn Jamison trade.

The Heat expect Laettner to fill out their frontcourt with his crafty veteran play.

Below is a review of Mark Cuban's new reality show.

'"The Benefactor" may be the stupidest show this season. Maybe any season. "You can't call my show stupid," says billionaire and benefactor Mark Cuban, as he kicks someone off the show for speaking the truth.

Just so we're clear on this, Mark: Your show is stupid. It's unholy stupid, not just plain stupid. And somehow ABC, or the people who dub its review tapes, accidentally reveal the final four contestants -- just after the credits roll on the pilot.

Now that's stupid.

That at least two of the four people at the end are, in fact, stupid should not be a surprise either. But they won't be revealed here because it would be stupid to think that anyone reading this would be stupid enough to care who the final four were.

You're smarter than that, right? Good. And just in case you're in a real hurry, the other new fall series premiering tonight, "LAX," is also stupid. But it's fictional stupid, not reality stupid, with real people acting stupid to win $1 million.

In short, you're free to watch "Monday Night Football" or read a magazine without fear of missing something worthwhile at the start of the fall season.

Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and an entrepreneur who made his money smartly, one would assume, has this weird rivalry going with Donald Trump. Perhaps when this season's third billionaire, Richard Branson, launches his reality show, they can all sling mud at one another on pay-per-view. In the meantime, Trump, never shy about vanquishing an opponent, ought to be positively giddy over the fact that "The Benefactor" is so very -- all together now -- stupid.

There are numerous problems with this series. The biggest is that it doesn't appear to have any rules. If Cuban doesn't like you for any reason whatsoever, you get cut -- sports terminology -- and out the door you go. It seems completely random and, as the hour goes on, patently childish.

Cuban, who seems in person to be your average guy, at home in a sports bar or a frat house or mouthing off on TV, comes across on television as a mercurial jerk. He's the puppet master and the 16 contestants (who are, like every reality show participant, willing to do absolutely anything for the million bucks) are left cowering and whimpering in fear that one false or random move will annoy him and thus return them to a life of dashed dreams and a soulless, unexamined existence.

Which is, frankly, pretty tiring to watch.

The billionaire gets to play God -- even if in his mind he's being kind, generous and enlightening -- but it's not a very good TV show. In fact, let's see here, it's a stupid TV show. It looks as if it were made up on the fly, with bad casting, bad ideas and the misguided notion of copying other lame reality shows. Stupid is as stupid does, and "The Benefactor" does stupid like nobody's business.'

Michael Finley is in the middle of a seven-year, $102.2 million contract.  Antonio Daniels has recently signed one for five-years and $29.4.  And the Mav?s have recently added Stackhouse and Jason Terry to the list of solid shooting guards.

So where does that leave second year player Josh Howard?  After receiving extensive playing time as a rookie last year, averaging 8.6 points in 23.7 minutes he will most likely be scrapping for minutes this year.

Cuban is exciting about all the talent the Mav?s have amassed at the guard position calling it the best team he has ever put together.

"Playing time will go to the guy who plays the best," owner Mark Cuban said. "Overall, with Stackhouse, J.T. [Jason Terry], Devin Harris and the continued improvement of our young guys, it makes us a far better team this year."

Where that leaves Josh Howard is anybody?s guess.