Skip to main content

Mark Cuban says Mavericks has two-year plan to be championship contenders

Mark Cuban thinks the Mavericks can be contenders in two years. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Mark Cuban thinks the Mavericks can be contenders in two years. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believes the Mavericks can be a "great" team within two years, Cuban said in an interview with ESPN Dallas radio. Cuban said the Mavericks will undergo a "quick rebuild" while targeting the top free-agents this summer that include Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.

The Mavericks pitch to Paul and Howard will include the Mavericks ability to make major upgrades in 2014 due to considerable salary-cap space. NBA tampering rules disallows executives to speak about specific free agents but Cuban acknowledged the Mavericks have various options this summer. Cuban added that teams being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs "opened up at least a few doors for us to at least have conversations."

The Mavericks missed the NBA playoffs for the first time in 12 years this past season.

"We want to be a championship team. We've never said we have to be a championship team this year," Cuban said Saturday on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM during his first interview since the Mavs' season ended. "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"