They'll be as tough as ever for the Mavericks this summer.

The blunt assessment of this season is that the Mavericks maxed out. This team played hard, even if it didn't always play well. It went about as far as anybody expected, maybe further than some thought possible, especially given injuries to multiple key players.

So now what?

Interestingly, the words "blow it up'' have been heard less frequently of late because blowing it up means jettisoning Dirk Nowitzki. Anybody who watched the playoff run knows that is a foolish alternative.

However, Nowitzki has seen three seasons go by since the Mavericks' 2006 visit to the NBA Finals. The profound disappointment of the Finals loss to Miami has been followed by three lost years. The Mavericks have made personnel decisions that have not put the right crew of support players around Nowitzki.

The Mavericks and the former NBA MVP know the clock is ticking.

"Absolutely,'' Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said Thursday. "We have to do everything possible to make a championship happen now. Dirk's in his prime. He's playing better than he's ever played, statistically and everything else. And he only has one goal. And that goal is our goal. And that's a title. We have to work to get the team better.''

With that much set in stone, Dallas can address its major issues.

Internally, free-agent point guard Jason Kidd is the top priority, Mavericks president of Basketball operations Donnie Nelson said.

Kidd said he loves it in Dallas. The Mavericks made it clear they want to re-sign him after July 1, when the free-agent negotiations begin.

But Kidd, who made $21 million last season, will have loads of opportunities, some likely from title-contending teams.

Are the Mavericks in that group? Not yet. Management knows that. They must make other decisions with Brandon Bass, who will be unrestricted and could command a salary the Mavericks don't consider palatable.

They have Ryan Hollins, James Singleton and Devean George to deal with, too.

The Mavericks understand that some new players will have to be added to the mix. And not just hood ornaments. Just as Nowitzki is not satisfied, neither is management.

"And they shouldn't be,'' guard Jason Terry said. "Anything less than a championship from here on out is a disappointment. We're not going to be satisfied until we get there and do it. So whatever we got to do to make our team better, I'm sure the powers that be will do it.''

Less clear is whom they can add to the mix. After talks with numerous players and NBA personnel, here's a look at the Mavericks' best chances for improvement:

*A built-for-speed big man who can score. The new center in the NBA is both strong and agile. There are no Dwight Howard clones out there. But there are players like Tyson Chandler, Samuel Dalembert, Mehmet Okur and David Lee, names that are going to be widely chased this off-season. Okur and Lee can become free agents, but Dallas can't afford either of them.

However, the Mavs do have lots of assets to dangle in sign-and-trade possibilities. Whether it's expiring contracts (Erick Dampier, Jerry Stackhouse, Josh Howard) or in-their-prime talent (Brandon Bass, Howard), Dallas has some chips that might interest trade partners.

*Another perimeter scorer. Carlisle said the Mavericks' needs are not unlike a lot of team's needs: athletes, shooters and players with size.

If you could get somebody that packages two of those assets, all the better. The list of shooters available this summer is iffy, at best. Detroit's Richard "Rip" Hamilton can opt out of his deal but is unlikely to do so.

Trevor Ariza, the Lakers' small forward, is not a sterling shooter, but has blossomed into a quality scorer and is a sticky defender.

Perhaps the most intriguing name: Ron Artest.

Either Artest or Ariza would seem to be a quality fit with what the Mavericks are trying to do.

The ability to get a scorer on the perimeter or at center could have an impact on the team's ability to re-sign Kidd.

As always, the bottom line will come down to money. The Mavericks have only their mid-level exception (expected to be about $5 million) and bi-annual exception (about $1.7 million) to work with.

"As always, we're going to be active,'' Nelson promised. We're looking to get the pieces around Dirk. We're all in this business for the same reason. Right now, there's a hole in that pursuit. You just don't want that to be a career void.''