Mark Cuban has a two-year plan to return the Dallas Mavericks to championship contention. "We want to be a championship team. We've never said we have to be a championship team this year," Cuban said Saturday. "We want to be a better team, a top-seed team. If we get the top free agent, that doesn't leave us a whole lot of flexibility to add a lot of players, but we have a good nucleus around them. We know we'll have a good team, but we won't know if we have a great team. "If you look at this like a two-year plan, then we think we're on a track to have a great team by the end of next year." The Mavericks are believed to be targeting Dwight Howard or Chris Paul in free agency. "I can make an argument why we should absolutely go after the big fish and I can make an argument on why we shouldn't,” Cuban said. “There are a lot of really, really good players that, in combination, that I think can make us a top-3 or 4-seed in the West."

Terrence Williams has spoken to Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers since he was arrested for brandishing a gun, and he believes that he remains part of the Boston Celtics' future. "We talked about the future, and I was part of that. Everything else, is between us," Williams said. Williams is slated to earn $948,000 if he makes the Celtics' roster next season, but the deal is not fully guaranteed. Asked about the vote of confidence received from the Celtics, Williams said: "Very encouraging. Because everybody writes a million stories that I'm just this horrible person."

Tony Allen will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end, but the 31-year-old defensive specialist would prefer to remain a Memphis Grizzly. "I don't even understand the business side," Allen said. "When July hits, somebody is going to have to sit me down and explain it. All I know is I'm a Grizzly and I believe I'm going to be a Grizzly when it's over with. "I bleed blue. I think they going to keep me. But if they don't, I understand. "I don't even think about it now. I just play. I love being in Memphis. I love the city. Hopefully I stay here. It feels like home." Allen is earning a reported $3.3 million this season.

Amar'e Stoudemire will resume working out with Hakeem Olajuwon for the second summer in a row, according to his training adviser Travis King. King said the workouts will take place in August at Olajuwon's ranch outside Houston. Olajuwon reportedly charges $50,000 a week for private instruction.

Mark Cuban admitted on Saturday that the Dallas Mavericks could end up trading or stashing their 13th overall pick in this year's NBA draft. To prevent the player's $1.66 million against the salary cap, the Mavericks might draft a player "to stash overseas somewhere," Cuban said. "If you look at this like a two-year plan, then we think we're on track to have a great team by the end of next year," Cuban said.

Masai Ujiri has reportedly inched closer to becoming the Toronto Raptors' new general manager, but Denver Nuggets president Josh Kroenke believes he and Ujiri had reached a new contract prior to the interview process with the Raptors. "In my mind," Kroenke said, "we had an agreement but it doesn't matter because I would never hold someone back from an opportunity they might be curious about. Especially someone I hold in such high regard as Masai." After speaking with Ujiri, Kroenke decided it was best for both sides to allow the former Raptors official to interview with his old team. "I have understood all along the relationships that Masai has in Toronto, and I respect those immensely," Kroenke said in a phone interview. "So when Toronto inquired about him recently, I knew that it was going to be a tough situation for everyone strictly because of the relationships involved."

Vivek Ranadive, the new primary owner of the Sacramento Kings, has placed Mike Malone on his list of head coach candidates, according to a source. Ranadive had been a minority owner of the Golden State Warriors. Malone has been Mark Jackson's top assistant coach. Keith Smart is not expected to be retained by the Kings.

James Southerland has scheduled eight visits over the next few weeks. Southerland will work out for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz. "He's visiting a bunch of teams," Southerland's agent, Mark Bartelstein said. "He's going to be very, very busy." Southerland worked out for the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this week.

Peyton Siva auditioned for the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. “He’s real competitive, [has] great speed,” Nets director of player personnel Gregg Polinsky said. “What do you say? [He comes from a] winning culture, he’s been coached, can take all you can give him ... he’s going to get some looks.” Siva led Louisville to a national title and believes that experience will help him handle the pressure of playing at the next level. “It helped me a lot,” Siva said, “because I was able to play against a lot of different guards, and especially against some of the top-tier point guards. “Obviously winning helped a lot.”

The Portland Trail Blazers have scheduled a pre-draft workout with Pierre Jackson, a 5-foot-10 point guard out of Baylor. Considered a mid second round selection just a few weeks ago, Jackson is now being projected as a first round pick. The Blazers have four picks in the draft, including the No. 10 overall selection.

The Boston Celtics will host six point guards and four centers for draft workouts this weekend. Point guards Shane Larkin of Miami, Phil Pressey of Missouri, Pierre Jackson of Baylor, Peyton Siva of Louisville, Erick Green of Virginia Tech, and Myck Kabongo of Texas are scheduled to attend. The centers expected to participate are Jeff Withey of Kansas, Steven Adams of Pittsburgh, Colton Iverson of Colorado State, and Greg Echenique of Creighton. The Celtics have the No. 16 pick in the June 27 draft.

Anthony Bennett proved to be a versatile player in his lone season at UNLV. Bennett possesses a 7-foot-1 wingspan and shot 38 percent from beyond the arc in 35 games for the Runnin’ Rebels. "I just feel like I’m a basketball player. I don’t really have a position. I can play inside. I can play out," the 6-foot-8 Bennett said. "So whatever a team needs, I think I got it." Bennett has spent time doing background work on teams that might select him.  "I can go anywhere in the top 5. I feel I can play in any of those systems," Bennett said. "I don’t even have to change my game."

The Toronto Raptors have requested permission to interview Kevin Pritchard for their general manager opening, according to sources. The Indiana Pacers do not want to allow interviews until the season ends. They are currently down 1-0 to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. One of the possibilities that the Raptors have identified is teaming Pritchard with Oklahoma City assistant GM Troy Weaver.

Kosta Koufos will train with the Denver Nuggets' coaches and trainers this offseason rather than playing for the Greek national team. Koufos averaged 8.0 points per game and 6.9 rebounds this season. Greece is playing in the FIBA EuroBasket 2013 tournament in Slovenia.

Ernie Grunfeld believes there's talent beyond the top two picks in the upcoming draft. "Well, I think it’s a three-player draft," Grunfeld said, when told the draft is being described as top heavy, with the top two players being Nerlens Noel and Ben McLemore. "But I won’t tell you who that third player is."Grunfeld seemed to suggest the Wizards already have a player in mind."Obviously we've been going through this process already, but the process will continue," he said. "And as I said before, we feel good about the player that’s probably going to be available to us at that spot."Grunfeld wouldn’t rule out the possibility of trading the No. 3 pick."Well, I think everything is on the table," he said. "We feel good about where we are, we think we’ll get a nice player, but you never say never to anything."

Trey Burke is scheduled to work out for the Orlando Magic before the June 27 draft. Burke has scheduled just one workout thus far. "I may do three or four (workouts with teams), two or three, I don't know (yet),” Burke said. "Everything's not (totally) scheduled yet still." Burke doesn’t have a preference for where he could end up. "Wherever I go, it doesn't matter," he says. "Wherever I go, I'm going to be ready to play right away. "Try and contribute at a high level."

After playing a second consecutive season with torn ligaments in his left wrist, Luol Deng doesn’t plan to have a procedure to repair the wrist, a league source told RealGM. Deng made his second straight All-Star team this season for the Chicago Bulls, averaging 16.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and three assists in 75 games. He decided to bypass surgery after last summer’s Olympics and played all season with his wrist taped. Instead of undergoing surgery, Deng will rest his wrist. He also dealt with a fractured thumb earlier in the season. Deng led the Bulls to a 3-1 series lead over the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, but he missed the final seven games – including the series win – of Chicago’s playoff run due to lingering symptoms from a spinal tap. He’s since recovered and felt better. The Bulls’ season ended in a Game 5 series loss to the Miami Heat on May 15. Over the past two seasons, Deng has cemented himself as an integral, durable piece on the Bulls, establishing himself under Tom Thibodeau as one of the NBA’s elite wing defenders.

P.J. Carlesimo had a 35-19 record as interim head coach of the Brooklyn Nets and said that expectations from ownership are not lining up with the level of talent on the roster. Carlesimo, however, did say that the Nets' head coach opening is one of the best in the NBA since they are a playoff team. "Having said that, the expectations to win a championship in two years, that’s a heavy load for anybody, not just for Brooklyn. But I don’t know if that’s realistic the way the roster is right now," Carlesimo said Thursday. "I wouldn’t say that team cannot win a championship, because we thought we could this year if things broke a little better for us. But if that’s on your plate that you need to win a championship in two years, I think that makes it a little challenging." Mikhail Prokhorov said after buying the Nets in 2010 his goal was to win a championship within five years.  "I also think the expectations are maybe not totally realistic, but you’d rather have that from your owner, and then he’s got the wherewithal to back it up," Carlesimo said. "That’s his goal. We talked about that from day one. He doesn’t make any bones about it. He doesn’t want to have a nice team, he doesn’t want to just sell tickets in Brooklyn and make the team competitive. He wants to win an NBA championship, and as a coach you can’t ask for more that. So if what comes with that is a short leash, well, so be it."