• Knicks guard Jason Kidd credits Kenyon Martin for "saving our season," writes Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. It is difficult to imagine where New York would have been without Martin's contributions, especially as the team has dealt with plenty of injuries in their frontcourt. 
• Eric Koreen of the National Post outlines the top ten legacies that are on the line during the NBA playoffs. 
• Jon Humbert of KOMO tweets that the Longshore Union filed an appeal over the land use challenge for the Seattle arena. Last month, a report from The Seattle Times (via the Associated press) said that the Longshoremen have been in staunch opposition of an arena being built near the Seattle waterfront, due to the congestion of the area that would be caused by athletic events. 
• Mike James proved to be a viable pickup for the Mavericks this season, averaging 8.1 PPG and 4.2 APG while helping the team finish 15-8 over their final 23 games. Although James said recently that he'd like to play two more seasons with the Mavs, Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas discusses why the Amityville product doesn't figure to be in the team's long-term plans.
• Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace is expected to travel to Rome next week to scout Gigi Datome, according to Sportando.net (hat tip to Il Corriere dello Sport).  
• Following up on a hypothetical trade proposed by Grantland's Bill Simmons, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com examines the possibility of the Bulls trying to trade for Kevin Love, exploring whether a package of Carlos Boozer, Jimmy Butler, the rights to Nikola Mirotic, and Charlotte's first-round pick would be more than Chicago would be willing to give up.
• Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at the evolution of Paul George into an All-Star and a leader in the Pacers locker room. 

The biggest game of the Mavericks' season takes place in Los Angeles today, as the Mavs and Lakers square off, each looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. Dallas is currently two games back of the eighth-place Jazz in the Western Conference standings, so a loss would all but crush the team's playoff hopes. As we look forward to what should be an entertaining game, let's check in on a few Mavs notes....

• Mike James has played a key role in the Mavs' second-half surge, having started the team's last 14 games, and tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com that he hopes to continue his playing career beyond this season. "My plan is to play two more years and my hope is to be able to finish my career here in Dallas playing for Rick [Carlisle], Donnie [Nelson] and Mark [Cuban] and with Dirk [Nowitzki]," James said.
• In advance of tonight's game against the Lakers, Nowitzki revealed what he told longtime friend Steve Nash when the point guard signed with the Lakers last summer: "I wished him the best when he signed with L.A. I said, 'Have a great year and I hope you lose to the Mavs'" (link via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News).
• Kevin Sherrington and Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News agree that if the Mavs sneak into the playoffs, it can be attributed more to Carlisle's coaching job than Cuban's approach to roster-building.
• Carlisle, however, doesn't want to hear talk about the coaching job he has done this season, as Sefko details in a separate piece.

MONDAY, 11:07am: The Mavs officially announced, via press release, that they have signed James for the rest of the season.

SUNDAY, 9:14pm: The Mavericks have guaranteed the contract of Mike James for the remainder of the 2012/13 season, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Telegram.  James' second 10-day deal, signed January 18, was set to expire on Sunday night.  The Mavericks made no secret of their plan to sign James for the rest of the year.  The veteran point guard has averaged 3.3 points and 11 minutes in 9 games in Dallas. 

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News wrote earlier today that the decision on James was expected to come down tonight, and that the perception of Rodrigue Beaubois would likely play a part in the decision.  Marc Stein of ESPN confirms the deal, via Twitter, and says that the Celtics would have had interest if the Mavs passed.

The Jazz were on the wrong end of one of the Lakers' better performances of the season last night, and now they have to turn around tonight and take on the Pacers, who are just one of two teams in the league giving up fewer than 90 points a game (the Grizzlies are the other). Utah, sitting seventh in the West, is only a game and a half in front of the ninth-place Rockets, and with only five players with guaranteed money on the books for next season, the Jazz will be an interesting team to watch as the trade deadline draws near.

As we await a 10-game night in the NBA, here's more from around the Association:

• The Grizzlies owe a pair of future first-round picks to other teams, and would look for at least one, and preferably two, first-rounders in any deal for Rudy Gay or Zach Randolph, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Memphis would also make such a deal with the idea of freeing up space to re-sign Tony Allen, an unrestricted free agent this summer.
• The Bucks have given assistant GM Jeff Weltman a three-year extension, matching the length of the extension GM John Hammond received this week, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Weltman has drawn interest from the Clippers and Suns about their GM jobs in recent years, Woelfel adds.
• With Mike James' second 10-day contract expiring Sunday night, Mavs owner Mark Cuban was asked whether the team would sign him for the rest of the season, and Cuban indicated that was the plan, notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "So far, so good," Cuban said of James. "No reason to think otherwise at this point."
• Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News hears that former Suns coach Alvin Gentry had player development coordinator Lindsey Hunter removed from practices on multiple occasions, and feared that Hunter, his eventual successor, was a "spy" for the front office.
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel downplays the idea of Jermaine O'Neal rejoining the Heat, pointing out that the center didn't leave Miami on good terms in 2010, and opining that the Suns are unlikely to buy out his minimum-salary contract. 

FRIDAY, 11:08am: The Mavericks officially confirmed James' second 10-day contract in a press release.

THURSDAY, 2:04pm: The Mavericks have re-signed James to a second 10-day contract, according to an AP report (link via NBA.com). Because James' first 10-day deal hasn't technically expired yet, I assume the new one will begin tomorrow.

9:43am: Mike James has appeared in five games for the Mavericks since signing a 10-day contract last week, but he saved the best for last, helping propel Dallas to a win over the Rockets last night with four points and five assists. With his contract set to expire at midnight tonight, James is expected to sign another 10-day deal with the Mavericks, according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (via Twitter).

For the Mavs, there's little risk in extending another 10-day contract to the veteran guard. The team wouldn't be able to offer James a third 10-day deal when his second one expires, but there'd be no obligation to sign him for the rest of the season either. For his part, coach Rick Carlisle suggested last night that he'd like to see James remain on the Mavs' roster.

"I’d say that there’s a great chance that he’s going to be there tomorrow, after tonight," Carlisle said, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. "And by the way, I thought his play at the end of the third quarter and early in the fourth may have been the difference in the game."

As our 10-day contract tracker shows, James signed a pair of 10-day deals with the Bulls last season before eventually joining the team for the remainder of the year, a feat the 37-year-old is hoping to replicate this season in Dallas.

Among the highlights on tonight's NBA schedule: A pair of Western Conference showdowns, as the Spurs host the Grizzlies and the Thunder look to extend their Conference lead with a win against the Nuggets. While we wait for those games to get underway, here are a few links from around the West:

• Corey Brewer tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) that he'd like to re-sign with the Nuggets in July when his contract expires. "Yeah, I’d like to be here," Brewer said. "I like the fans, I like the city, I like the system, I like George Karl’s system, I like my teammates. So it’s a good situation for me."
• Given the Suns' current record and place in the standings, coach Alvin Gentry acknowledges that it may be time to look to the future and give his younger players more minutes, as Bob Young of USA Today writes.
• Eric Bledsoe wants to be a starting point guard in the NBA at some point, but for now he's happy to learn from Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups on the Clippers, says Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
• Agent Mark Bartelstein tells Ken Berger of CBS Sports that his client Brandon Rush underwent successful knee surgery today and is expected to make a full recovery (Twitter links).. With his health not a given this summer, I'd imagine Rush will exercise his $4MM player option for 2013/14 and remain with the Warriors.
• Mavericks guard Mike James spoke to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about the challenge of making an impression while playing on a 10-day contract.
• Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld recognized the Trail Blazers multiple times in his picks for the NBA's best offseason moves, giving Portland the nod for best first-round pick (Damian Lillard) and best coaching hire (Terry Stotts).

As we wait to hear the next development in the Sacramento Kings/Seattle investment group story, let's check in on a few other odds and ends from around the NBA....

• It's a transition year for Paul Millsap, who has been the subject of trade rumors and faces unrestricted free agency in July. As he tells Ian Thomsen of SI.com, Millsap hopes to stay put, but will understand if the Jazz trade him next month: "At least somebody wants you, so you can't really be hurt about that. I don't have a problem with change if that's the case. I feel like I'm a guy that can adjust to whatever situation is thrown in front of him. For me, I hope it's here [in Utah]. But if not, you know, I've got to go.''
• Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld suggests the Spurs may lower their asking price in DeJuan Blair trade talks now that the club appears close to signing big man Aron Baynes.
• The Pistons might not make a major move before the trade deadline, but they have more assets of value than expected, says David Mayo of MLive.com.
• Grantland's Zach Lowe examines how Anderson Varejao's leg surgery will affect the Cavaliers, and what the team's roster-building strategy may look like going forward.
• Rockets GM Daryl Morey views his team's roster as "stable" and doesn't expect to add anyone he sees at the D-League showcase in Reno, but he's in attendance anyway, as Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld writes.
• There's no quick fix out there for the Kings, who are more than just one or two moves away from contending, opines Brian Blomster of the Sacramento Bee.
• Mike James doesn't figure to be a difference-maker for the Mavericks, but the team is hoping he can offer what Derek Fisher was supposed to, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.

TUESDAY, 2:09pm: James has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Mavs, according to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The team confirmed the news in a press release.

MONDAY, 2:01pm: The Mavericks will sign Mike James to a 10-day contract after the Texas Legends' game today, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). James had recently signed with the D-League squad hoping to impress the Mavs and earn another shot in the NBA.

In his lone game for the Legends so far, James helped lead the club to a comfortable victory over the Tulsa 66ers, pouring in 26 points in three quarters. He'll join a Dallas team that was seeking a veteran for its backcourt after losing Derek Fisher (Twitter link via Stein).

James, 37, has appeared in 539 NBA games since making his debut back in 2001. Last season, he signed a pair of 10-day contracts from the Bulls in 2012 before inking a deal for the remainder of the season.

The Dallas Mavericks have waived Chris Douglas-Roberts, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. The guard appeared in six games for the Mavs since being called up from the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League. He averaged 2.8 PPG in those games.

MacMahon reports that the Mavericks will look to sign a player to a 10-day contract with the roster spot created by releasing Douglas-Roberts. One player the team may look at is Mike James, who played for the Bulls last season.

It was an active day around the Association, and it might be that way for a while. Monday is the start date for 10-day contracts and the final day teams can waive players on non-guaranteed deals in time for them to be off rosters by January 10th, when those contracts would become guaranteed for the balance of the season. Come Monday, we'll also be just two weeks and a month from the trade deadline. As we count down, here's the latest NBA scuttlebutt.

• Nolan Smith has fired agent Joel Bell, who asked the Blazers to trade his now former client, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports. Smith said he has never asked for a trade himself, and as we passed along earlier, he also spoke with Haynes about his upcoming free agency, professing his love for Portland in the process. Sam Amick of SI.com identified Smith as a trade candidate earlier today. 
• Sean Deveney tweets financial details on Patrick Beverley's $850K buyout from Spartak St. Petersburg. The Rockets, who are expected to sign Beverley, paid the maximum $550K while Beverley chipped in the rest out the $700K in earnings he had already drawn on his $1MM contract with the Russian club.
• Chris Mannix of SI.com mentions Kansas freshman shooting guard Ben McLemore as a darkhorse for the No. 1 pick and ranks the top 20 draft prospects for June, with Kentucky center Nerlens Noel atop the list. 
• Hornets coach Monty Williams said the team wants to have the flexibility to bring in new players at small forward, as John Reid of The Times-Picayune notes, and presumably that's why New Orleans waived Dominic McGuire today. Williams has been unpleased with the play of the team's threes since before McGuire signed last month, and now the coach is calling for improvement from Al-Farouq Aminu, who'll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer because the Hornets declined his fourth-year option prior to the season.