Dallas, Chicago, Cleveland and the Lakers all made last-ditch efforts to acquire Kevin Garnett before losing out to Boston.

The Knicks were told last month that they didn?t have the assets to land Garnett, which has to be a bitter pill for Isiah Thomas to swallow.

With Kevin Garnett now in Boston, the Mavericks and Suns are expected to ramp up efforts to sign P.J. Brown.

Charles Oakley thinks about a comeback ? his 6-foot-9 frame looks in better shape than the day he left Toronto in 2002 ? but only under the right circumstances. Toronto would be nice, but so would Dallas, Miami, Cleveland or New York, as long as the price is right.

"I'm not coming back cheap," he said. "If you read this article and you think you can get me cheap, there's another thought coming."

The Mavericks on Thursday signed second-round draft pick forward Nick Fazekas.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The Mavericks selected Fazekas as the 34th overall pick in the 2007 draft.

He was a part of the Mavericks' summer league team that played in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. In Las Vegas, he averaged 6.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 17.4 minutes in five games.

Reserve point guard J.J. Barea will probably return to the Mavericks for a second season.

The Mavs have until Aug. 1 to decide whether to release him, but Barea's agent expects the team to pick up the option for another year.

"I'm fully expecting him to remain with the Mavs," agent Richard Katz said Wednesday. "He's done everything they asked and more, and he's had a great summer."

The Mavericks and forward Brandon Bass have agreed in principle on a two-year deal, according to Bass' agent, Derek Lafayette.

The details of the contract, which is the Mavericks' first of the free-agent season, could be finalized as early as this week. Financial details aren't known, but the Mavericks will probably use some of the $1.83 million bi-annual exception to sign the 22-year-old.

Bass, a 6-8, 240-pound power forward from LSU drafted 33rd overall in 2005, played two seasons with the New Orleans Hornets. He is playing on the Mavericks' summer-league team and averaged 14.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in four Las Vegas games and 10 points and five rebounds at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City.

"He's a young, athletic guy, and he's strong," Lafayette said. "He can bring a lot of energy to the table and bring some athleticism, along with his size. He's a good guy that can finish around the basket."

Former Hornets forward Brandon Bass gave consistent performances during the four games he played for the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team. After giving that type of effort, there is a chance he could land a contract offer from Dallas, although the Hornets have the right to match it because Bass is a restricted free agent.

Bass averaged 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and shot 57.6 percent from the field during the Las Vegas Summer League. During two seasons with the Hornets he did not develop at the pace Coach Byron Scott desired.

A defense of the NBA came Friday from, of all people, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

In a blog entry titled "Calamity as Catalyst ? My Vote of Confidence in the NBA," Cuban wrote: "The NBA took a hit today. Behind that hit is a catalyst and opportunity for significant change that could make the NBA stronger than it ever has been. It's a chance to proactively put in place people, processes and transparency that will forever silence those who will question the NBA's integrity."

According to the Dallas Morning News, Cuban declined to comment when asked to elaborate.

Golden State restricted free agent Mickael Pietrus has an interest in joining the Mavs, a deal that would likely require a sign-and-trade deal, his agent, Happy Walters, said.

Walters said the Mavs are one of four teams in discussions about the 6-foot-6 swingman, who has spent all four years of his career with the Warriors.

He's seeking the full mid-level exception of $5.36 million, Walters said. Cleveland and Miami are also reportedly interested.

Mickael Pietrus said Tuesday that the Warriors have neither actively engaged his agents about a new multiyear contract nor pursued several sign-and-trade scenarios that other clubs have broached.

"I'm just a little disappointed that the Golden State Warriors haven't seriously discussed keeping me in Oakland while other teams" are interested, Pietrus said from his island home in Guadeloupe.

"Others teams, Miami, Cleveland, Dallas, they've been asking about a sign-and-trade that could be interesting for me, so I'm just waiting," said Pietrus, who didn't hide his affection for the trio of teams.

Part of the issue, however, is that the Heat, Cavaliers and Mavericks are all toeing the luxury-tax line, so it's unlikely they would sign Pietrus outright with all or part of their midlevel exception and have his salary effectively doubled through tax penalties.

"They've been talking to my agent ... but the thing is, they haven't discussed if they want me, if I'm a part of the future. I like coach Don Nelson, I like Chris Mullin, but right now, their decision seems to be holding me back."