The Mavericks have another long-limbed European on their radar: Yugoslavia's Ognjen Askrabic.

Why such urgency from Dallas? Askrabic, a slender 6-9 power forward considered one of the top prospects in Europe, declared for last summer's draft alongside teammate Radmanovic but went unselected after suffering an ankle injury in a pre-draft workout.

Because Askrabic, 22, had his name in the draft pool without being chosen, he's now free to negotiate with all 29 teams. The Mavericks would have to buy out the final year of his FMP contract to have him in time for training camp in October, but they already know his (mostly perimeter) game intimately after Askrabic won MVP honors at the Global Games in town last summer.

Look for Dallas to intensify its push to sign Askrabic after the season. He'd be the seventh foreign-born Maverick if a deal materializes, in a league with a 15-man roster maximum.