The Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors, living up to the wild tenor of the past few weeks in the NBA, have hatched a complicated sign-and-trade arrangement that went through numerous constructions Wednesday before resulting in an agreement in principle that will send Shawn Marion to Dallas and also absorb the Raptors' much-anticipated signing of Hedo Turkoglu.

Sources close to the negotiations told ESPN.com on Wednesday night a trade call has been scheduled with the league office for Thursday, indicating all sides have agreed to the terms of a transaction that, in its final form, will also involve the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic.

Sources said the Mavericks, after securing Memphis' participation as a third-team facilitator, contacted numerous teams to expand the deal and believed they were close to securing a fourth trade partner from the Eastern Conference. That team, according to ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher, was the Chicago Bulls and would have landed Tim Thomas with the Mavericks.

But one source close to the process later told ESPN.com that the deal was scaled back to a three-team arrangement without Chicago before it was expanded yet again to fold in the Raptors' signing of Turkoglu.

The deal, according to sources, calls for the Mavericks to acquire Marion and Kris Humphries from Toronto and Greg Buckner from Memphis, with Marion to receive a five-year contract worth an estimated $39 million. Buckner has had two previous stints with the Mavericks but is likely to be released, sources said.

The Grizzlies will land Jerry Stackhouse from Dallas and a substantial cash payment to buy out Stackhouse's contract. Only $2 million of Stackhouse's $7.25 million salary next season is guaranteed, as long as he is waived by Aug. 10.

The Raptors will receive Devean George and Antoine Wright from the Mavericks, while also preserving their $5.9 million mid-level exception for the coming season by turning their acquisition of Turkoglu -- who is getting a five-year deal worth an estimated $53 million -- into a sign-and-trade as opposed to an outright signing. Assembling the trade this way could also enable Toronto to re-sign Carlos Delfino, after it appeared that the Raptors would have to renounce Delfino to help make room for the Turkoglu signing.

The Magic, meanwhile, were motivated to join in the trade because their participation, as opposed to merely letting Turkoglu walk, will create a valuable trade exception they can use in future deals worth around $7 million.

The inclusion of Humphries, Wright and George gave the Raptors more financial incentive to help Marion find a new home via sign-and-trade, as both George and Wright are heading into the final year of their contracts, while Humphries has two years left on his deal. Toronto, furthermore, is in need of a shooting guard after Anthony Parker signed Wednesday with the Cleveland Cavaliers, so adding Wright gives them a credible starter until newly drafted DeMar DeRozan is ready to contribute.

The main thrust of Wednesday's involved maneuvering, though, is Marion's move to Dallas, since Turkoglu's commitment to join the Raptors has been known since last weekend.

The Mavericks are hoping that the combination of Marion and Orlando restricted free agent Marcin Gortat -- along with the re-signing of Jason Kidd -- will greatly improve the depth and flexibility possessed by a team that won 50 games last season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing to Denver. The Magic can match the five-year, $34 million offer sheet Gortat has signed with Dallas but are expected to let him go.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban has said for months he was prepared to be as aggressive as possible this summer as opposed to waiting for the free-agent bonanza of 2010, when Dallas was initially expected to have substantial cap space. With these moves, Dallas can start Marion at small forward next to Dirk Nowitzki and shift Josh Howard to shooting guard, with Sixth Man Award winner Jason Terry staying in a bench role. The Mavericks also believe that they will have a strong small-ball unit when they elect not to play Gortat or Erick Dampier, featuring Howard at small forward, Marion at power forward and Nowitzki at center.

Sources say the Mavericks are determined to keep Howard even with Marion on the way, believing that Howard will have a strong season with free agency looming in the summer of 2010. If there's a concern for Dallas, it's that Marion will be yet another key member of their core over the age of 30, joining Nowitzki (31), Kidd (36), Jason Terry (31) and Howard (who turns 30 next April).

Marion earned $17.8 million last season and was traded for the second straight February when Miami sent him to Toronto in a swap for Jermaine O'Neal. He went from Phoenix to Miami one year earlier in the Shaquille O'Neal trade.

Yet sources say Toronto was intent on re-signing Marion until the Raptors realized that they had an 11th-hour shot at convincing Turkoglu to back out of a verbal commitment he had given the Portland Trail Blazers, having seen late-season signs of promise in Marion's collaboration alongside Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani.

A deal with Dallas appeared to Marion's best and last hope for securing a new contract starting above the $5.9 million mid-level exception, given that the Cavaliers -- despite their recent pursuits of Trevor Ariza and Ron Artest and a well-chronicled need for a combo forward -- were not making a hard push for him.

The Mavericks on Wednesday also signed free-agent swingman Quinton Ross to improve their perimeter defense and replace the outgoing Wright. Dallas' moves also would appear to make it unlikely that it will try to bring back free-agent forward Brandon Bass.

"It's been a long day of looking at spreadsheets, reading NBA cap rules and rubbing my eyes," Cuban said via his Twitter account.

Although neither team has reneged, an agreed-upon trade between Memphis and the Los Angeles Clippers that would put power forward Zach Randolph in a Grizzlies uniform wasn't made official Wednesday for several reasons ranging from accounting to player physicals.

Meanwhile, All-Star guard Allen Iverson could be donning a Grizzlies uniform any minute.

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley wants to meet with Iverson and is seriously considering a one-year, $5 million offer, according to team insiders. Heisley's renewed interest presents a sudden turn of events, given that the organization had all but decided to pass on Iverson.

The veteran scorer is a free agent for the first time in his professional career. Iverson, 34, is also negotiating with the Miami Heat.

What began as exploratory discussions with the Griz has turned into substantive talks, according to sources. And the Grizzlies are a house divided on the issue. There is little to no support for signing Iverson in the organization, but Heisley is having second thoughts.

Heisley will make the final call, and he is leaning toward the risk-reward given Iverson's marketing appeal and basketball ability compared with his controversial work ethic.

Heisley, the Chicago-based billionaire Grizzlies' owner, is expected to outline to Iverson a proposal that is more lucrative financially but less than what the 13-year veteran seeks in terms of his basketball role.

If Iverson joins the Grizzlies, he'll agree to be a player off the bench who conforms to the team's commitment of developing its young talent.

The Grizzlies would make clear to Iverson that he would be sent home or banished for any perceived act of insubordination.

It is still unknown whether Iverson would consent to the Grizzlies' criteria.

Iverson recently indicated via Twitter that he wanted to play a significant role on any team.

"I'm a Free Agent, healthy again, and capable of signing with any team," Iverson said. "My only preference will be to play for a coach that knows what I bring to the table and that I am going to bring it every night! Someone that knows how to best utilize my skills to make our team the very best that we can be."

Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, didn't respond to phone messages left by The Commercial Appeal.

"Some offers are on the table and discussions are ongoing," Rose told the Miami Herald for Wednesday's editions. "That's all I can really say at this point about that."

Iverson had a problem being a reserve with the playoff-bound Detroit Pistons and said he'd prefer to retire before becoming a bench player. It's a sentiment that he repeated in an interview with Detroit media last weekend.

A somewhat mysterious back injury ended Iverson's season April 3.

Iverson's scoring ability and mass appeal are indisputable. He played in 57 games for the Pistons and averaged 17.4 points and 4.9 assists. Iverson also has always been a sellout draw in Memphis, something Heisley presumably is considering.

Plus, the Griz need more backcourt scoring punch and a reliable ballhandler in reserve. Iverson, a former league MVP, has averaged 27.1 points in his career.

If the Iverson negotiations continue to progress, the Griz stand to make significant upgrades in the backcourt and on the frontline.

It could take up to five more days before the Randolph-for-Richardson swap is announced, mainly because the Griz are looking to consummate another trade scenario first.

As the NBA lifted a moratorium on transactions Wednesday, Memphis was among a few teams considering a three-way deal with Dallas and Toronto.

The Mavericks are trying to pry Shawn Marion from the Raptors in a sign-and-trade agreement and are soliciting the Grizzlies as a facilitator. It is believed that the Griz would receive veteran guard Jerry Stackhouse and cash considerations in the deal.

Stackhouse has $2 million guaranteed on a $7 million contract for next season.

Any potential Memphis-Dallas-Toronto deal would not affect the Grizzlies' agreement with the Clippers.

Raymond Felton's agent, Kevin Bradbury, called me back to say that while they don't have an agreement, he's working toward one with the Bobcats.

Felton wants to be in Charlotte and Larry Brown and Michael Jordan want him here. The issue -- isn't it always? -- is reaching a contract number both sides accept.

It sounds like Bradbury has a good grasp of the situation: That he should work with the Bobcats until a deal is made or the team gives him reason to turn elsewhere. Bradbury said several other NBA teams have inquired about Felton, but he's focused on completing a deal with Charlotte. I won't be surprised if that takes a while, but I bet it gets done here.

Las Vegas -- Saying your franchise is in transition isn't code for not being able to compete.

The Pistons absolutely intend on competing next season. Are they as good as the Celtics, Cavaliers or the Magic right now? Probably not. Are they better than last season? Oh, yes. Are they a certain playoff team? Yep.

So if your bottom line is being a solid playoff team in the first real year of transition, well, that's not so bad

Saying you are not going to overextend yourself financially on a coach is not code for hiring an incompetent coach.

John Kuester might not have been president Joe Dumars' first or second choice, but given the way the roster has shaken out, plus the sudden drop in average age, he might wind up being the right choice.

Yes, Dumars said he wanted an experienced hand to oversee the transition. Yes, he went after Doug Collins and Avery Johnson. But winding up with Kuester is far from a booby prize.

Kuester's only head coaching experience is at Boston University and George Washington, but he has been on an NBA bench since 1995. This is not a repeat of the Michael Curry hire, who was an assistant for one season.

This guy is smart -- basketball smart and real-life smart. He understands the game, he understands the people who play the game, and he understands the culture of the league. He is low-key enough his ego never will clash with the players'. But he's competitive enough and confident enough in his ability to coach he won't allow the players to walk over him.

Trust me on this: Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince feel a whole lot better about this hire than they did the last one.

Did you watch the Eastern Conference finals last year? Cavaliers coach Mike Brown trusted Kuester with his offense so much he allowed him to draw up plays and run huddles late in games.

Cavaliers beat writers tell me LeBron James and the other veterans had total respect for Kuester, and while happy he's getting this opportunity, they are sad to lose him.

This is far from a throw-in-the-towel hire. This is bringing in a new leader who offers a new vision, a new temperament and a new identity to a team redefining itself on the fly.

Today is not Armageddon for the Pistons. Today is the first day of spring. Today is the day you throw open the windows for the first time after the winter thaw and feel that warm, refreshing, rejuvenating breeze in your face.

Gone is the disaster that was Curry's one year. Gone are the old dramas that seemed to play out year after year toward the end of the last era. Who's mad at the coach today? Who's sulking today? Who's not happy with his role or his minutes?

It's a new day -- and that is not code for falling off the NBA map.

Work still to do

On Wednesday, the Pistons signed two cornerstones of the next era, a 26-year-old blue-chip scorer in Ben Gordon, and a 24-year-old multidimensional forward in Charlie Villanueva, whose talent many scouts believe is about to reach full bloom.

Add them to a youngish core of Hamilton and Prince, Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo and Will Bynum, plus Kwame Brown and Jason Maxiell -- this isn't a lottery team.

Here in Las Vegas, four rookies are cutting their teeth in summer league -- Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers, Deron Washington and Jonas Jerebko. At least two, maybe three, could be in the rotation next season.

No doubt there are holes. Who is the on-court leader? Hamilton? Prince? A combination? Can Stuckey make that leap in his third season?

Those things likely won't get resolved until well into next season.

Where are the big men? Brown is the only true center on the roster. Maxiell is a tough but undersized low-post player. Villanueva is 6 foot 11, but he's more effective playing away from the basket and has never been accused of being a stingy defender.

Dumars isn't done remaking the roster, obviously. They have about $1.7 million left. As much as Antonio McDyess loves Dumars and is comfortable playing here, that's not going to get him back. He reportedly accepted a three-year deal from San Antonio, starting at $5.8 million. So, how is Dumars going to fill that hole in the middle? The $1.7 million won't buy him much.

If he could get a team willing to take Afflalo and Walter Sharpe for draft picks, he would have a little less than $2 million. That might put him in the running for Dallas' Brandon Back.

Of course, perhaps Dumars revisits Carlos Boozer. The Jazz want to trade him. Dumars has been disinclined thus far to trade either Hamilton or Prince. Perhaps as the summer wears on, or as we get into next season, he changes his tune.

On to the next

That's a lot of ifs, ands or buts -- which is why most pundits are predicting a steep slide for the Pistons. I offer only this as a caution against that: In the summer of 2001, the Pistons hired a rookie coach (Rick Carlisle), who found a way to win 50 games with a mismatched roster featuring one star (Jerry Stackhouse), a young and still unproven Ben Wallace, and a group of aging vets (Cliff Robinson, Jon Barry, Chucky Atkins, Dana Barros, Corliss Williamson, Damon Jones).

Kuester's roster is going to be flawed, but it's younger, more athletic and much more diversely skilled than Carlisle's squad in 2001.

Regardless, the days of six consecutive trips to the conference finals ended when Chauncey Billups was traded last November.

Nothing lasts forever.

It's time to move on.

Embrace the beginning of a new journey.

The Thunder apparently won't sign a free agent this off-season - rats; I was hoping for the Cavs' Anderson Varejao - but the key to this franchise is developing and retaining its own players.

Sign Kevin Durant and Jeff Green to long-term contracts next summer, and Russell Westbrook the summer after that.

And that task appears to be getting easier.

According to an NBA memo obtained by ESPN, the league's salary cap and luxury-tax threshold are expected to drop for the 2010-11 season.

The cap for 2009-10 has been set at $57.7 million, down $1 million from 2008-09, with a luxury-tax threshold at $69.9 million, meaning any team that spends over that level will have to pay a dollar-for-dollar tax.

And the memo suggests further erosion of revenues for 2010-11, with the cap estimated between $50.4 million and $53.6 million, with a luxury-tax threshold of $61.2 million.

What does all that mean? Less money to spend on free agents, and since franchises already have the advantage in signing their own free agents - with longer contracts - the news should play well into the Thunder's plans.

The Thunder would do everything in its power to keep Durant and Co., but the price might not be driven as high under the current economic conditions.

Locking up Durant and Green, with the ability to do the same with Westbrook a year later, fortifies the Thunder's future.

No franchise can stand pat.

Eventually, all teams, good or bad, must add players via free agency. But adding role players is much less expensive than adding prime parts.

"We have needs and things we want to address," general manager Sam Presti said earlier this summer. "We're not going to address them in one draft or in one summer. We could try to do that, but if we did, we'd be sacrificing value."

The NBA's revenue outlook makes it appear easier for the Thunder to keep its core together.