Mavs pursue Williams to fill small forward void -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Marc Stein ESPN.com After missing out in their attempts to sign Rashard Lewis and Michael Redd, the Dallas Mavericks have turned to Walt Williams to address their void at small forward. Williams, a 10-year veteran who spent the past three seasons in Houston, arrived in Dallas on Thursday to take a physical and then sign a one-year deal for the $1 million veteran minimum. The Mavericks' four-year, $12 million offer sheet to Milwaukee's Redd, a restricted free agent, was matched earlier this week by the Bucks. Seattle's Lewis contemplated a move to Dallas for much of the summer before opting to stay with the Sonics, who had the salary-cap flexibility to offer him a richer deal. Dallas needs depth at small forward because Adrian Griffin (back) and Tariq Abdul-Wahad (knee) have struggled with their health, leaving the Mavericks exposed. Eduardo Najera is a combo small forward/power forward and newcomer Raja Bell has been the only other option at that spot to either spell or play alongside Michael Finley. Williams, 32, averaged 9.4 points in 48 games for the Rockets last season, highlighted by 42.6-percent shooting from 3-point range. Marc Stein is a Senior NBA Writer for ESPN.com.
