Nowitzki hoping Mavericks add superstars

DALLAS -- The names have been mentioned. Superstars like New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard -- the players that will likely headline the 2012 crop of NBA free agents. It is believed that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban didn't re-sign Tyson Chandler, J.J. Barea and DeShawn Stevenson because he wanted the salary cap space to make a run at a couple of stars to pair with Dirk Nowitzki. However, Cuban has said he isn't necessarily trying to acquire both Williams and Howard, claiming he could spread the cap room around among several star players instead of two superstars. But listening to Nowitzki's comments following Saturday's season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the franchise's greatest player is hoping for superstars. "We need some guys that can make plays for themselves," Nowitzki said. "That's pretty obvious. If you look at all the top teams now, they have at least two-three guys they can throw the ball to and they do their thing." Nowitzki then specifically mentioned how Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden each carried a Thunder team on different nights in the four-game sweep of the Mavericks. "If you want to be an elite team in the league right now, you have to have 2-3 guys that can go off at any time," Nowitzki added. Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota