The Mavericks currently don't have any plans to discuss an extension with Caron Butler, according to general manager Donnie Nelson.

Butler is in the final season of his current contract, which could make him a contender to be traded.

I'm just focused on the team goals," Butler said Wednesday. "I know the more successful we are, the more successful everybody will be individually. I'm just focused on winning and striving for a title.

"That's the only focus of mine."

Mark Cuban believes the improved depth of the Mavericks will make them a title contender.

"Our second unit really couldn't win games for us last year," Cuban said. "If you look at teams like San Antonio and Phoenix, their second units won games. We're going to be deep at all positions. People say, well, what difference is the ninth or 10th man on the team?

"Depth matters, and it's going to be a big difference for us. You're going to see us put pressure on teams early because we have depth. We'll have a much stronger second unit. In the playoffs, who beat us? It was George Hill. It wasn't Tony Parker."

The Mavericks are finalizing their training camp roster and are leaning against ?Brian Scalabrine types?? and more toward "a player like" Ike Diogu.

Diogu was injured for the 09-10 season.

The Mavericks are scrambling to replace veteran forward Tim Thomas and are looking at free-agent Brian Cardinal.

While Cardinal is considered the favorite to land in Dallas, nothing is imminent as the Mavericks pursue other options.

Thomas informed the Mavericks earlier this week that he won't be able to play this season as he cares for his ill wife.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban commented on the LeBron James fiasco for the first time on Wednesday in an appearance on The Dunham and Miller Show on SportsRadio 1310 in Dallas.

"LeBron has every right to go wherever and do whatever, whatever team he wants to," Cuban said. "Going to the Heat was his choice, those guys working together. I don't even have a problem with the three of them working together, as long as they follow all of the NBA rules, which I think they did.

"Where I think LeBron made a mistake, was in how he did it. I don't even have a problem that he had the tv show. But it turned out to be the largest public humiliation in the history of sports. He humiliated the organization, he humiliated the state of Ohio, the city of Cleveland. All of a sudden he became a bad guy, he lost a billion dollars in brand equity, give or take a couple bucks here or there.

"I told his folks that I think he got bad advice. It's not about 'Can he move?' He can move, he can play for any team. I think he picked the wrong team (chuckles). There's a team in Dallas that could have used him and that would have been better served but it's his choice. But the way he did it I thought was just a huge mistake."

Tim Thomas won't be playing for the Mavericks this season.

Thomas has informed the team that his wife's illness, which took him away from the NBA last year, will prevent him from playing this season.

He agreed to a one-year contract with Dallas last month. He had signed for the veteran's minimum of $1.35 million.

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is happy that there are high expectations for the team entering the 2010-11 season.

Carlisle agreed with the Dallas Morning News that a lot of pressure follows the expectations.

"Yeah, but that's good," Carlisle said. "You want to be in a situation of high expectations. That means your team is good. I love it and our team loves it. That's one of the reasons we're one of the best teams in the league in close games."

Carlisle hasn't be at all happy with his first two seasons in Dallas.

"They're both failures," he said. "One we got to the second round so maybe it's viewed as more successful. But we were a better team this past year. We just got beat in the first round.

"Our mission is to stay the course and keep working on the things we have to work on ? defense and getting better at home. That's the difference between ultimate success and perceived shades of success."

Former NBA center Greg Ostertag may be close to earning a spot as a player/coach for the D-League's Texas Legends.

Ostertag has been out of the NBA for four seasons, but Legends co-owner Donnie Nelson said it's possible that he'll join the team.

When asked if the Mavericks might be interested in Ostertag, Nelson, who runs the team's basketball operations, said they have plenty of depth at center.

Rodrigue Beaubois said he's hopeful that his foot is well enough to play at the start of the season.

"It's a tough injury with where it is," said Beaubois. "I just need to wait a couple more weeks, and the goal is to come back for the regular season. If I can come back early, great. But it [waiting] is the best thing to do."

Dee Brown will be in training camp with the Mavericks later this month.

Brown played for Maccabi Tel Aviv last season and will join Dallas in camp under a non-guaranteed contract.

Utah drafted Brown with the 46th overall pick out Illinois back in 2006.