The Mavericks have had a cold summer trying to lure NBA free agents, and it may be getting chilly trying to keep one of their own.

Raja Bell, who started 32 games in the regular season and seven in the playoffs, is pessimistic he will return to the Mavericks for the 2003-04 season.

"They spoke to me early, and everybody said then that they want me back," Bell said from his home in Miami. "But as of now, I'm going to explore all my options.

"I'd love to come back to Dallas, but I'd love for them to really want me back, too. Right now, I don't see it that way. Right now, it [returning to the Mavericks] is looking a little doubtful. But things can change."

The drafting of 6-6 Josh Howard with the 29th pick could impact Bell's status. Both are shooting guards who can play small forward. Bell played point guard in rare instances last season, too.

But if Howard becomes a player who takes minutes that went to Adrian Griffin and Bell last season, they become expendable.

"We have interest in all our free agents at some level," said Donnie Nelson, president of basketball operations. "It depends on a lot of other factors. Our emphasis remains the same: adding size and toughness in the paint."

The Dallas Mavericks announced they have signed free agent guard Marquis Daniels. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Daniels, who played at Auburn, was not selected in the 2003 NBA Draft but played for the Mavericks Summer League team in Long Beach and Salt Lake City. He appeared in 10 games and averaged 18.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and a team-high 3.4 assists per game in 31.7 minutes per game. He scored a summer league-high 38 points against Memphis in Long Beach.

As a senior at Auburn he averaged 18.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals in 34 games and was named to the All-Southeastern Conference Second Team. He led the SEC and ranked 23rd in the nation in steals and also ranked second in the SEC in scoring, fifth in field goal percentage and 10th in assists. He led the Tigers in scoring 20 times and in rebounding 12 times. He finished his career ranked ninth on Auburn?s all-time scoring list and as the school?s all-time career steals leader. He was his named his team?s MVP the last three years and was a Third Team All-SEC selection as a sophomore.

Poised and ready to deal when it began, the Mavericks' swing into this summer's free-agent frenzy has been a whiff. And though disappointed by their inability to land a big-name and big-bodied free agent, the Mavs are cautiously optimistic about a potential home run in the draft.

Enter long and lean Josh Howard.

The Mavericks' first-round draft pick could fill a need overlooked by most. The focus in free agency has been on landing a low-post presence. Flirtations with Alonzo Mourning, Brad Miller, P.J. Brown and others fizzled, leaving the Mavs on the outside looking in during a flurry of activity around the league, especially among their Western Conference rivals.

But Mark Cuban, Don and Donnie Nelson also spoke of a need to improve the team's perimeter defense. Though gifted offensively, Steve Nash, Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel aren't tenacious defenders.

Their general inability to consistently hinder penetration last season proved too taxing on the team's big men, namely Shawn Bradley and Raef LaFrentz. Not intimidators in the paint to begin with, Bradley and LaFrentz often found themselves in quick foul trouble trying to defend smaller players driving to the basket.

So in addition to finding that muscle down low, the Mavs hoped to find some athleticism outside. That's Howard, a 6-foot-7 swingman from Wake Forest and star of the Mavericks' main summer-league entry.

"He can give us some intangibles we've been looking for," said Charlie Parker, a Mavs assistant who has coached the summer-league team in Long Beach, Calif., and Utah. "One, he's an excellent defensive player. He can guard anyone from [point guard] to [small forward]. He's long, he gets a lot of deflections, blocks shots and he's an excellent rebounder. He's our best rebounder on this team. He gets to the offensive boards. He has a knack for the ball."

They haven't gone on record as saying so, but the Mavericks are treating the Big Three of Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley as if they're not available as trade bait.

If the Mavericks were to inform teams around the league that no one on their team is untouchable, then they would be in good position to add a much-needed enforcer to their roster. But that's not a route the Mavericks plan to take.

"Sometimes you can make changes, but to get quality you've got to give up quality," said Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks' president of basketball operations. "Do you want to see one of the Big Three walk out the door? I know I'm not ready to do that, that's for sure."

While San Antonio, Sacramento, Minnesota and the Los Angeles Lakers have added talent, the salary-cap-strapped Mavericks have been left at the altar.

But if Dirk Nowitzki returns from Germany more polished, if the much-maligned center combination of Shawn Bradley and Raef LaFrentz can add some power to their games, and if guard Nick Van Exel can continue to be an in-your-face presence, then perhaps the Mavs can be as good as the version that won a franchise-record 60 games last season while advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

"We're really excited, and the bottom line is this team is getting better," Nelson said. "Dirk is getting better, Raef -- with last year's playoff experience -- will see that his better years are ahead of him.

Owner Mark Cuban has denied a published report that he's trying to trade center Raef LaFrentz to the New York Knicks.

According to the Daily News of New York, the Mavericks are attempting to ship LaFrentz and another player to the Knicks for power forward Kurt Thomas and point guard Charlie Ward. The article said the deal can't take place before Tuesday because of salary-cap constraints.

But Cuban said the Mavericks are not in any discussions to trade LaFrentz to the Knicks, and coach Don Nelson has a policy against discussing potential trades.

Thomas left the Mavericks for the Knicks via free agency on Jan. 22, 1999, during the lockout-shortened season. Thomas had agreed to sign with the Mavericks, but shocked Nelson when he bolted to the Knicks, who offered him approximately $200,000 more than the Mavericks.

A former TCU and Dallas Hillcrest High School standout, Thomas could give the Mavericks the tough-guy persona they're missing down low. Thomas, who turns 31 on Oct. 4, has two years left on his contract and will earn $5.394 million next season and $5.8 million in 2004-05.

Sidney Moncrief, the third all-time leading scorer in Milwaukee Bucks history, has been added to the already long list of candidates who will interview for the Bucks' head coaching vacancy.

Another former Bucks great, Paul Pressey, who for the past three seasons has been an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic, also affirmed his interest in the job.

"I have been contacted (by the Bucks) but we haven't set a time (for an interview) yet," said Moncrief, who had been an assistant on Don Nelson's Dallas Mavericks staff for the past three seasons.

Moncrief, who earlier this week said he would not return for a fourth season in Dallas, said he was very much interested in pursuing the Bucks' head coaching job.

"I would be interested in coaching again, but it would have to be a head coaching job in the right environment," Moncrief said. "And for me, there aren't a lot of those situations around.

Scott Layden's search for a center has led him back to Raef LaFrentz.

According to a NBA team official, the Knicks and Mavs are discussing a trade that would send LaFrentz and another player to New York for Kurt Thomas and Charlie Ward.

Because of salary-cap rules, the deal cannot take place before Tuesday.

Layden has tried to land LaFrentz for the past two years, dating back to when LaFrentz was with Denver. The Knicks president has intensified his pursuit after being shut out from getting any one of several big-name centers who have changed teams this summer.

Mo Williams left Alabama after his sophomore season to seek fame and fortune in the NBA.

The first step was a killer; he was not taken until late in the second round during last month's draft.

The second step came Monday night at Salt Lake Community College, and it was much more palatable.

During the Jazz's 77-65 win over Dallas in the Rocky Mountain Revue, Williams finished with a team-high 12 points and two assists. After missing 12 of his 17 field-goal attempts in Utah's first two summer league games, Williams went 4-for-6 against the Mavericks and helped the Jazz improve to 2-1.

Williams also looked more relaxed and comfortable during his 16 minutes of action.

Another big man on the Mavericks' free-agent wish list is on the verge on signing elsewhere.

Indiana Pacers center Brad Miller is close to signing a six-year deal with the Utah Jazz or Denver Nuggets. The Jazz have offered Miller a $52 million contract; the Nuggets' offer is $49 million.

Miller's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said a decision will be made today or Wednesday, which means the Mavericks probably are out of the picture. Outside of offering their $4.9 million mid-level exception, the Mavs would have to serve up Steve Nash or Nick Van Exel in a sign-and-trade with the Pacers in order to acquire Miller.

Seattle's Elden Campbell and Atlanta's Theo Ratliff are the remaining free-agent centers still available. An underachiever in recent years, Campbell made $7.9 million last season and is adamant about taking nothing less than the $4.9 million mid-level exception.

Free agent Elden Campbell is among a list of options the Mavericks are considering at forward, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. The first option remains a sign-and-trade deal for Indiana's Brad Miller, who will visit Utah and Denver this week.

Campbell averaged 6.1 points and 3.2 rebounds for Seattle last season. He will turn 35 next week.