DALLAS _ The Dallas Mavericks all but carved out a three-inch headline Wednesday afternoon in stressing their quest to trade center Andrew Bogut and point guard Deron Williams.
Bogut and Williams were both excused from even showing up at the Mavs' practice facility as the team held their first workout since the All-Star break.
"Williams and Bogut were held out _ they're not here," coach Rick Carlisle said, in opening his post-practice interview session with the media. "With the trade deadline tomorrow you can read a lot into that.
"But that's about all I'm going to say about it."
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 2 p.m. CST, and Williams and Bogut have been mentioned in a few trade scenarios.
Carlisle said his message to the players Wednesday practice is that the Mavericks still hope to make a solid run at the playoffs.
"We're in a dynamic business, that goes without saying," Carlisle said. "At this time of year there's a possibility of a lot of things happening.
"But the guys that are here today it's important for them to focus on getting back, getting a good lift, getting completely stretched out, getting some conditioning work, a lot of shooting. And we've got to prepare for tomorrow's practice, which will be a little shorter, then we got to get on a plane and we got a tough back-to-back at Minnesota and then New Orleans basically with a new team at home and waiting on us, so plenty going on."
The Mavs play in Minnesota on Friday and host the new-look New Orleans Pelicans _ with the recent addition of DeMarcus Cousins _ on Saturday.
Meanwhile, guard J.J. Barea found it odd not having Williams and Bogut at Wednesday's practice.
"It's always strange, but you get used to it," Barea said. "It's a business, and especially at this time of the year, things happen.
"But I've been with those guys the whole year, so if they're not here, something's missing. But it happens."
Barea believes that the Mavericks can make a strong run for the playoffs even if they trade Williams and Bogut.
"No question,'" Barea said. "I think they're great players, great vets, but we've still got a good team here, and we're a team that we're never going to quit, we're always going to give our best, so we'll see what happens."
The Mavs (22-34), currently 12th in the Western Conference, are three games out of the eighth and final playoff spot occupied by the Denver Nuggets (25-31).
If Williams is traded, at least the Mavs can turn to rookie Yogi Ferrell, who went 5-2 as a starter after they signed him from the NBA D-League's Long Island Nets last month.
"Yogi's done extremely well," Carlisle said. "He's had some very good stretches as a starter and he's done very well in stretches as a backup.
"So with 26 games left we're very pleased (and) we're glad we have him signed to a multiyear deal, but I don't think now is the time to declare anybody a starter or not a starter. We've got to see what's what come tomorrow and then I've got to be ready to tweak things depending on how things go down."
Carlisle did note that Barea, who could become a big factor if Williams is traded, will miss the next three games as he continues to recover from a strained calf that forced him to miss the last 13 games.
"It was a good day, though, a good week, I felt really good," said Barea, who practiced Wednesday. "I felt like I'm getting everything back."
Williams, meanwhile, is in the final year of a contract that pays him $9 million this season. And Bogut is in the last year of a contract that pays him $11 million.
The expiring contracts help make the two players attractive to contending teams.
In the meantime, Carlisle and the Mavericks face a tough challenge in trying to make the playoffs, with or without Williams and Bogut.
"We'll make it work," Carlisle said. "That's the job, and we'll see."
It's still a business, but Barea and his teammates still were dumbfounded Wednesday when Williams and Bogut weren't at practice.
"We were just told that a trade might happen, so they're not here," Barea said. "That's probably all I know. Now when I get home, probably I'll know a little bit more. But that's all I know right now."
