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Webber, who took a buyout from the Philadelphia 76ers last Wednesday, will not clear waivers until Tuesday morning.
"Why [decide] Monday? Well he hasn't played in a month, he's healthy and ready to go. So if he decides Monday, he can travel and get in place for his physical and have an opportunity to play in the next game, and that could be Tuesday night," Goodwin said.
It should be noted that of the four contending teams, only the Mavericks play Tuesday night (at home against Houston).
Goodwin said Webber had spoken with Pat Riley of the Heat, Dumars and coach Flip Saunders of the Pistons and general manager Mitch Kupchak of the Lakers (Webber and Kobe Bryant had exchanged messages), and had arranged to speak with Mavericks coach Avery Johnson.
"He hasn't made his mind up yet, and we made it a point today for him to talk with coaches and GMs himself, because they're the ones that can get him to understand what they would want from him," Goodwin said. "They can tell an agent anything."
So where will Webber wind up?
In what's only a guess, albeit an educated one, I rank the contenders thusly:
1. Lakers: It brings Webber back to the Western Conference in a glamour city with a glamour teammate, and it allows him to play in a system that, in theory, would suit his skills.
2. Detroit: A chance for Webber to reconnect with his hometown and possibly be a returning hero. It's always big to be something special to the folks back home.
3. Miami: Another glamour city with glamour teammates and even a glamour coach, but even Webber has to have a few doubts about whether another championship is truly possible.
4. Dallas: This is where Webber would actually have the best shot at a title, but we're not convinced that championship aspirations will end up being the determining factor in Webber's decision.</div>
Yesterday
