The Dallas Mavericks would like to add a perimeter player capable of engineering their offense while also creating shots for himself and others.

“Look, we’ve been spoiled with guys like [Steve] Nash and Jason Kidd, and those are certainly big shoes to fill,” Donnie Nelson said. “And I think, you know, the quarterback position is one that we’re going to look very, very hard at. We’ve always liked players that are veteran, players that are smart, and having the ability to raise our collective IQ is also something that’s important to us.”

Nelson also covets a defensive center capable of protecting the rim and controlling the glass.

“We’re always into rim protectors and shot blockers,” Nelson said. “That certainly makes life a lot easier for everyone on the floor. But we’ve got six guys under contract. We’ve got three veterans and three young guys, and we’re in pretty short order going to try to address all of those available positions. … It’s free agency, it’s draft, it’s trade, and so we’ll turn over every rock in attempt to get where we need to be, which is not where we are right now.”

The Mavericks finished the season with nine players on expiring contracts.

O.J. Mayo will opt out of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks, making him a free agent this coming offseason.

"Getting something long term, locking something in is what I think is best for me," Mayo said Thursday after his exit interview with Rick Carlisle and Donnie Nelson.

Mayo has yet to seriously consider teams that might be a fit for him.

"I'm sure new teams have popped up on the list," Mayo said. "I need to talk to my agent [Rob Pelinka] and see what we can work out."

Dallas Mavericks guard O.J. Mayo says he would like to return to the team next season.

Mayo, who has a player option in his contract for the 2013-14 season, was the recipient of a recent public criticism from coach Rick Carlisle.

"Yeah, I'd like to be back here," Mayo said.

The guard can opt to make a $4.2 million salary from the Mavericks next season, or decide to test the free agent market.

"I haven't really sat down and talked to [Mark] Cuban about it or my agent," Mayo said. "I think I'll probably take a week or so off after this season and get together and meet."

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle ripped into guard O.J. Mayo during Monday night's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Carlisle shot a disgusted stare at Mayo after calling a timeout. Mayo had two sloppy turnovers and a weak foul over a 90-second stretch.

"I called that timeout just to get you out of the game!" Carlisle screamed at Mayo in the huddle, according to one player.

Carlisle then made his criticism loud and clear during his postgame news conference.

"I just want to see him show up," the coach said. "I just want to see him show up and compete. He didn't compete tonight.

"And I tell you, with all the time we've put into helping him develop and bringing him along, in the biggest game of the year -- an opportunity to be a winning team -- for him to show up like he did tonight, I was shocked.

"Look, sometimes guys have bad nights, so make sure to put that in there, too."

Mayo was especially poor all season against the Grizzlies, a team that tried to trade the former No. 3 overall pick repeatedly and showed no interest in re-signing him last summer.

"He just had a bad night," Carlisle said after making a point to mention that the coaches showed Mayo film at halftime "where he was virtually just standing around defensively" and essentially implored him to mentally check into the game. "I guess I'll write it off to that.

"But I tell you what, if I was playing against my former team, I'd come out ready to go. I'd come out ready to go at them. But that's me. You know, that's me."

The Dallas Mavericks have signed Josh Akognon for the remainder of the season.

Akognon was the Mavericks' final cut in training camp and spent the bulk of the season in China, where he led the Chinese Basketball Association in scoring.

Akognon went undrafted in 2009 out of Cal State Fullerton.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban hopes Vince Carter is a guy that will retire with the club.

"I feel worse for Vince than I do for Dirk (Nowitzki). Vince hasn't been there and he's had two great seasons for us," Cuban said. "And he's just a first-class guy who busts his (tail) every game. You never look at Vince and say he's taking a play off. I'm proud that he's on the Mavericks. The guy lays it out every time. I can't put it any other way. He's one of those guys I want to retire here."

Carter is signed through the 2013-14 season.

"I hope so," Cuban said when asked if Carter would play for Dallas after his contract expires. "The current trend is, as guys get older, they lose a little weight and I think Vince is athletic enough and smart enough and genetically gifted enough that if he goes on that same Steve Nash, Dirk, Tim Duncan path, where you lose a little bit of weight every year and keep your spring, he's a genetic freak.

"He can play for more than a year, easily. He'll be cranking those motorcycle handles for a while."

Mark Cuban accepted blame for the Dallas Mavericks’ failure to qualify for the playoffs this season.

"We obviously should have had more," Cuban said. "I don't know if we could have, but we should have. And so it's all on me. If that means I let (coach Rick Carlisle) down, I let Rick down.

"People always give me s---. 'Why do you put your email up on the screen? And why are you always out front?' This is why. So if someone's got a shot to take, take it at me. My job is to make sure we put everybody in position to succeed and we obviously didn't."

Cuban promised that he will quickly rebuild the Mavericks through shrewd decision-making.

"I'm not making any predictions," Cuban said. "All I'm saying is we're not going to do a traditional rebuild. That's (why) we got all this cap room, so we wouldn't. We're going to be opportunistic."

The Dallas Mavericks will miss the playoffs for the first time during a full season in which Mark Cuban has had ownership of the franchise.

Dallas lost to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, eliminating them from playoff contention with a week left in the season.

"I've always said there is one winner and 29 other teams tied for last," Cuban said. "Our goal is to win championships, so it's disappointing to not win. But we will come back and get better next year."

The only promise Cuban can make about this summer: "We're going to be opportunistic and do the best we can."

Dirk Nowitzki has stated several times that he wants to finish his career with the Dallas Mavericks, but also doesn't want to be fighting for a playoff spot every season.

Dallas has made the playoffs 12 consecutive seasons, but they sit more than two games behind the Utah Jazz for the eight seed in the Western Conference with just a handful of games remaining.

Nowitzki will be a free agent after next season, bringing his future with the Mavericks into question.

"Now that I already reached my goal (of winning it all), I really want to finish my career in Dallas," Nowitzki said. "But saying all that, I don't want another year next year with the same as this year, (with) the frustration and playing for the eight or nine seed. I think we all know that this is a very big summer for us. (Mavericks general manager) Donnie (Nelson) knows. (Mark) Cuban knows. We want to get back to the championship level."

Nowitzki said "I think it's going to be a big summer for us."

After striking out on Deron Williams last summer, the Mavericks signed and acquired a bunch of players on short-term deals as to not compromise their salary situation going forward.

"Of course he doesn't want to fight for an eighth seed in the future; none of us do," Cuban said. "Beyond that, like he has told me and the world, he can't see himself being anywhere else."

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban suggested that he might consider drafting Brittney Griner, but Connecticut women's coach Geno Auriemma doesn't think much of the notion.

Cuban told reporters that if Griner is the best player available, "I will take her."

"Right now, I'd lean toward yes, just to see if she can do it," he added. "You never know unless you give somebody a chance."

Auriemma said Wednesday that Cuban is a financial genius, but "his genius would take a huge hit if he drafted Brittney Griner."

"I think it would be a sham," he said. "The fact that a woman could actually play right now in the NBA and compete successfully against the level of play that they have is absolutely ludicrous."