The Mavs have tentatively scheduled a news conference this afternoon
where they are expected to announce the signing of Derek Harper to a 2
year, $3 million contract.

With the signing of Harper, the Mavs will have 12 players under contract.
[I had mistakenly included Harper in my count in my previous post.]

Mashburn update: he has not been cleared for running and says that his
rehabilitation is on schedule.  He works out 4 days a week at the Landry
Center.  The Mavs expect him to be ready by the start of the season
(though he may be limited in training camp and pre-season).

The Mavs have scheduled a mini camp for September 9-11.

The 2nd round picks from Toronto that was part of the Popeye trade will 
be in 1997 and 1998 unless Philadelphia does not exercise their option to 
swap first round picks with Toronto, then Philly gets Toronto's 1997 2nd 
round pick and Dallas will get Toronto's 1998 and 1999 2nd round picks.  
(Thanks to Adrian Yu for this info)

Just when I'm finally starting to calm down regarding the Popeye trade,
Toronto goes and rubs my face in how bad of a trade it really was.
Toronto traded the New York 1997 pick to New York for Hubert Davis.  Davis
averaged 24 minutes, 10.7 points while shooting 48.6% FG, and 1.4 assists
while Popeye averaged 34.1 minutes, 11.3 points, 1.9 assists, and 10.8
rebounds.  Yet we had to _pay_ Toronto to take Popeye and Toronto gave New
York a first round draft pick for Davis.  <grrrrr>

The NBA released the schedule for the 1996-97 season.  Here is the Mavs'
schedule.

1996-97 Dallas Mavericks schedule
   
All Times Central

November
Friday    Nov 1   @ Denver       8:30
Saturday  Nov 2   Sacramento     7:30
Tuesday   Nov 5   @ Toronto      6:00
Wednesday Nov 6   @ Detroit      6:30
Saturday  Nov 9   Miami          7:30
Tuesday   Nov 12  Indiana        7:30
Thursday  Nov 14  @ Minnesota    7:00
Saturday  Nov 16  Utah           7:30
Tuesday   Nov 19  @ Milwaukee    7:30
Thursday  Nov 21  LA Clippers    7:30
Saturday  Nov 23  @ New Jersey   6:30
Sunday    Nov 24  @ Boston       6:00
Tuesday   Nov 26  San Antonio    7:30
Friday    Nov 29  Chicago        7:30

December
Monday    Dec 2   @ Orlando      6:30
Wednesday Dec 4   @ Miami        7:30
Thursday  Dec 5   Philadelphia   7:30
Saturday  Dec 7   Vancouver      7:30
Tuesday   Dec 10  @ LA Clippers  9:30
Thursday  Dec 12  @ Sacramento   9:30
Saturday  Dec 14  @ San Antonio  7:30
Tuesday   Dec 17  Atlanta        7:30
Thursday  Dec 19  @ Vancouver    9:00
Friday    Dec 20  @ Portland     9:00
Sunday    Dec 22  @ Seattle      7:00
Thursday  Dec 26  Golden State   7:30
Saturday  Dec 28  Seattle        7:30

January
Thursday  Jan 2   @ Charlotte    6:30
Saturday  Jan 4   Portland       7:30
Tuesday   Jan 7   @ New York     6:30
Wednesday Jan 8   @ Philadelphia 6:30
Saturday  Jan 11  Denver         7:30
Monday    Jan 13  Phoenix        7:30
Wednesday Jan 15  Orlando        7:00  TBS
Friday    Jan 17  Houston        7:30
Saturday  Jan 18  @ Denver       8:00
Monday    Jan 20  @ LA Lakers    3:30
Tuesday   Jan 21  @ Golden State 9:30
Friday    Jan 24  @ San Antonio  7:30
Saturday  Jan 25  New Jersey     7:30
Tuesday   Jan 28  LA Lakers      7:30
Thursday  Jan 30  Minnesota      7:30

February
Saturday  Feb 1   Utah           7:30
Tuesday   Feb 4   Sacramento     7:30
Sunday    Feb 9   NBA All-Star Game           
                  @ Cleveland    5:00
Tuesday   Feb 11  San Antonio    7:30
Thursday  Feb 13  Golden State   7:30
Saturday  Feb 15  @ Utah         8:00
Monday    Feb 17  @ Vancouver    9:00
Tuesday   Feb 18  @ LA Clippers  9:30
Thursday  Feb 20  Milwaukee      7:30
Saturday  Feb 22  Toronto        7:30
Sunday    Feb 23  @ Phoenix      8:00
Tuesday   Feb 25  Charlotte      7:30
Thursday  Feb 27  Minnesota      7:30

March
Saturday  Mar 1   @ Houston      7:30
Sunday    Mar 2   Phoenix        7:00
Tuesday   Mar 4   LA Lakers      7:30
Wednesday Mar 5   @ Utah         8:00
Friday    Mar 7   @ Portland     9:00
Sunday    Mar 9   Houston        2:00  NBC regional game
Tuesday   Mar 11  New York       7:30
Thursday  Mar 13  Boston         7:30
Saturday  Mar 15  @ Phoenix      8:00
Sunday    Mar 16  @ Sacramento   8:00
Tuesday   Mar 18  Washington     7:30
Friday    Mar 21  @ Atlanta      6:30
Saturday  Mar 22  Cleveland      7:30
Tuesday   Mar 25  @ Chicago      7:30
Wednesday Mar 26  @ Indiana      6:30
Saturday  Mar 29  @ Washington   6:30
Sunday    Mar 30  @ Cleveland    5:00

April
Tuesday   Apr 1   Detroit        7:30
Thursday  Apr 3   @ Golden State 9:30
Saturday  Apr 5   @ Seattle      2:30
Sunday    Apr 6   @ LA Lakers    8:30
Tuesday   Apr 8   Portland       7:30
Thursday  Apr 10  Seattle        7:30
Saturday  Apr 12  Vancouver      7:30
Monday    Apr 14  LA Clippers    7:30
Wednesday Apr 16  @ Minnesota    7:00
Friday    Apr 18  @ Houston      7:30
Saturday  Apr 19  Denver         7:30