In the lane

CUBAN TANKING CRISIS: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban continues to be the go-to source when it comes to the delicate balance between playoffs and lottery, with his team in a similar situation most of the season to that of the Heat. “We’re tanking while we’re trying to win,” he told Dallas’ 105.3-FM, stressing that time is being made for player development, while still featuring win-now veterans. Cuban also acknowledged the significance of the NBA draft, with free-agency in the impending collective-bargaining agreement adding even more of a home-team advantage. “I don’t see us going after the big fish,” he said, in going with Pat Riley’s nautical theme, “because they can make too much money staying with their incumbent teams.” QUICK CHANGE: At a time when Riley continues to talk about a quick makeover for his team, Magic Johnson accepted his new position of influence with the Los Angeles Lakers, stressing that a climb from similar depths as the Heat takes time. “It’s going to take three to five years to get them back rolling again,” Riley’s former championship guard told about the Lakers. “If we’re patient and we develop our own players, in today’s NBA it’s different than when I played. You have to develop your own players because free-agent movement is not like it used to be. You have to make sure you hit a home run with the players you do draft and keep the players you have on your roster.” So, coupled with Cuban’s thought above, that’s Build From Within 2, Riley’s Way 1. BEEN THERE, PUFFED THAT: Lance Stephenson says this latest last chance, his 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, has him back as a different player than the one who blew in the ear of LeBron James during the height of the Indiana Pacers-Heat playoff rivalry. “That’s what, four years ago?” the former Pacers swingman said before an ankle injury sidetracked this comeback. “I’m a different person now. I’m just trying to win. I’ll do whatever it takes to win, but I’m not going to use that method again.” WADE’S WAY: Included in Dwyane Wade’s podcast with The Vertical was an interesting spin on how the still-dysfunctional New York Knicks were not appealing when he, James and Chris Bosh decided to team up on the Heat in 2010. “They just weren’t prepared,” he said of the free-agency frenzy that summer. “They weren’t ready to take on what we wanted to do,” Wade said. “The city? Yeah, the city was ready. The market? The market was there. It’s New York. But [from] an organization standpoint, we didn’t feel like they could handle it. At this point in our career, this is the prime of our career. This is the meat of it. This decision is going to make or break your career, and we really had to make a decision where it really made sense. And Miami, the structure was there for us.”