<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">DALLAS (AP) -- Mavericks forward Josh Howard agreed to a four-year, $40 million contract extension Thursday through the 2010-11 season. Howard will play for $1.6 million this season, the last on his existing contract. Howard said he did not want to test the free-agent market after the season. "I'm glad it's done," Howard said before Dallas' preseason game Thursday night against Milwaukee. "I knew I wanted to stay here as long as I could. Now I want to continue to play hard and get better." Last season, his third in the NBA, Howard averaged a career-high 15.6 points and 6.3 rebounds to help the Mavericks to the most successful season in their history before losing to the Miami Heat in six games in the NBA Finals. Talks between Howard's representatives and owner Mark Cuban had bogged down over the summer, but Cuban said it was important to get a new deal finalized with a key player like Howard before the regular season got underway. "Josh has worked hard and he's an important part of the team," Cuban said. "We're glad to get it done."</div> http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ApR3...ov=ap&type=lgns Big relief for Mavs fans. Looks like he followed Lebron, Wade, Bosh with the 4-year extension.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">In locking up Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and coach Avery Johnson to long-term deals over the past four months, Mark Cuban admitted he took a page from San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. The Spurs have two of their star players, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, under contract through the 2009-10 season. Tony Parker's contract expires after the 2010-11 season. "Popovich calls it corporate knowledge," Cuban said. "You want a core group of guys that play together under a certain system, then you get better at it. "With Avery coming in his first full year last year, it was the first time we've actually worked under a system."</div> Cuban Copies Spurs It's amazing how everything changes in one day. Yesterday an article came out saying the Mavs would wait until next summer to finalize Howard's deal. Next thing you know they extend him 4 more seasons. Great signing by the Mavs, it caps off another great offseason for the team.
Not only a great one, but a smart signing by Dallas. Glad to hear we`ve got Josh for good amount of time now.
