Southwest Links: White, Spurs, Prince, Mavs

As every Southwest team except the Grizzlies prepares for action tonight, let's check in on the latest notes out of the division....

• Royce White finally made his D-League debut for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and showed flashes of the potential that makes Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle think White could help the Rockets this season.
• Don't expect the Spurs to make a serious play for Josh Smith, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
• Tayshaun Prince appeared on the Chris Vernon Show on ESPN Memphis, and discussed how shocked he was when he heard he'd been traded to the Grizzlies, as well as the adjustment he's making to a new team and city (link via Sports Radio Interviews).
• Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News explains why Mavericks fans shouldn't be holding their breath waiting for the club to make a blockbuster trade.
• The Mavs would love to get their hands on DeMarcus Cousins, who they think would greatly benefit from the team's culture, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. But with the Kings unlikely to move Cousins and the third-year big man not due for restricted free agency until the summer of 2014, Dallas may not have much of an opportunity to land him.