Lewis gets 'Big D' welcome in Dallas

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Lewis gets 'Big D' welcome in Dallas

By Percy Allen

Seattle Times staff reporter

RYAN DONNELL / DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Free agent Rashard Lewis is greeted by media, Mavericks fans and team owner Mark Cuban, far left, at the Dallas airport yesterday.

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They sent two stretch limousines to the Dallas airport to retrieve the most eligible free agent in the NBA. Their coach interrupted his Hawaiian vacation, flew in from Maui the night before just to shake hands and say hello.

They filled the airport concourse with cheerleaders and packed the America Airlines Center with screaming kids who yelled his name and carried posters bearing his resemblance.

One fan, a middle-aged man in denim jeans and cowboy boots, handed him a 10-gallon hat, a welcoming gesture he called a Texas greeting.

The Mavericks did all of this for Rashard Lewis, the erstwhile Sonics forward, in hopes he will follow Alex Rodriguez and leave Seattle to make a new home in the Dallas area.

"We just want him to know that this is important to us and that we're willing to pull out the stops," Mavs owner Mark Cuban said. "Money is always important, but sometimes being close to home and knowing where you fit in the organization is just as important.

"This isn't about pressuring him. This isn't about trying to sell him at all. He's got to feel comfortable, he's got to know this is a good decision because this is a career decision."

They say everything is bigger in Texas and judging by the reception Lewis received yesterday, the Mavs apparently believe he's one of the biggest young stars in the NBA. Accompanied by his mother and two agents, Lewis steadfastly maintained that this trip was just a scouting visit and he had no intention of signing a deal before possibly making other visits. But that was before meeting Cuban, perhaps the most persuasive owner in the NBA.

"He's unbelievable," Lewis told reporters in Dallas. "My welcome was one of the best I've ever had. I'm from this area, (so) my family and friends will be able to see me play a lot more often.

"The way they go about things is really surprising. Makes me put a smile on my face. The main thing is me being comfortable and wanting to go out there and be with the team. They're making me feel at home right now, so it's a good thing. Something I've wanted to do is go out and visit other teams, see what other organizations are like and see what they have to offer."

The next stop for Lewis may be a familiar one as sources with the Rockets said the team is considering meeting him. The Lewis-to-Rockets talk is nothing new and began when he prepped at Alief Elsik High School in Houston.

Lewis, 22, recently purchased a house in Houston where he lives during the offseason. For years he's been infatuated about playing for his hometown team even though the Rockets skipped over him in the 1998 NBA draft and expressed little interest two years ago when he re-signed with the Sonics.

"The Rockets have interest," Carl Poston, one of Lewis' agents, told the Houston Chronicle. "They have expressed interest informally. They don't understand why Seattle has not signed Rashard. But if they don't sign Rashard, (the Rockets) would be very interested in having him be here."

There are as many as five other teams that have expressed interest, including Chicago, Minnesota and Toronto.

"He's going to take some time," said Kevin Poston, another agent. "There's no rush, but there's also no reason to wait. Business respect means a lot to Rashard. He knows what Dallas can do, but at a later time I believe he will be taken care of. He wants to win now."

The Mavericks are selling Lewis on the idea of putting together a young team of All-Stars that includes power forward Dirk Nowitzki and guards Steve Nash and Michael Finley that could challenge the Los Angeles Lakers for supremacy in the West.

For Dallas, signing the fifth-year veteran would mean a small immediate investment because the Mavericks are over the salary cap. Lewis could sign a one-year deal and wait until next summer when more teams should be competitive in the free-agent market.

But Poston said Lewis is likely to sign a three-year deal if he left Seattle to earn his "Bird" rights, which would allow him to re-sign with his next team in excess of the salary cap.

There are significant risks involved in such a financial gamble, which include not finding a role with a new team, re-injuring a strained left shoulder that caused him to miss 11 games last season or a decline in production that would lower his marketability.

"When you have Mark Cuban and you see the history that he brings with him as far as taking care of his players, I think that says enough," Dallas Coach Don Nelson said. "I don't believe we're allowed to talk in terms of numbers or future or anything else, but I think you have to look at what Mark has developed, his philosophy as an owner and make your decisions based on that."

As for the Sonics, it is their turn to wait. Despite claiming that Lewis was the team's top offseason priority, Seattle management tended to other personnel matters before making him an offer on Monday for as much as $70 million on a seven-year deal.

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