So much for '08 midlevel silver lining

The decision to give Gana Diop the full midlevel exception last summer was so bad that Mark Cuban admitted it was a mistake. The Mavs acknowledged the error and shipped Diop to Charlotte in what was basically a money-saving move. Matt Carroll's salary goes down in each year of his deal, which has four years and over $16 million remaining, while Diop's salary increases. Ryan Hollins was a throw-in. Hollins showed flashes of promise during his brief time in Dallas. That provided some hope that the Mavs might be able to salvage something from their midlevel mistake by developing Hollins, a 7-foot pogo stick who comes up with the occasional SportsCenter-worthy slam or swat but isn't ready to be relied upon to play regular minutes. But the Mavs weren't intrigued enough by his potential to pay more than the minimum salary for a big man who would have rarely left the bench this season. So Hollins is headed for Minnesota, and the slim silver lining in the '08 midlevel mistake has disappeared. Unless you're still holding out hope that Carroll, who has made a grand total of one 3-pointer in a Mavs uniform, can be a shooter off the bench who helps space the floor.