DALLAS — Now that Dennis Rodman's tenure with the Dallas Mavericks is over, there's a good chance his NBA career is finished, too.
The Mavs released their biggest drawing card Wednesday as soon as he became their biggest pain. Comments critical of owner-in-waiting Mark Cuban might have been the last straw.
Rodman, who turns 39 in May, is likely to remain out of work the rest of this season. Even if a team wanted him, he wouldn't be eligible for the playoffs.
He might not find any takers next season, either. Dallas was probably the last team willing to take a chance on him, mainly because the Mavericks needed the attention he draws as much as the rebounds he grabs.
Any would-be employers will surely note that Rodman lasted 29 days in Dallas and 48 with his previous team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Mavericks insisted they signed Rodman to help them close an eight-game gap for the last playoff spot in the West. Dallas went 4-9 since he started playing Feb. 9, falling to 101/2 games back, which Cuban said was the reason he was released.
"If we were three games out of a playoff position, we would not be releasing him," Cuban said. "This has to do with creating playing time for the younger guys and creating continuity for next year. We just didn't think it would serve Dennis or the Mavs well if we just sat him down and didn't play him."
The Internet billionaire thought Dallas would be different for Dennis. Cuban was willing to let Rodman skip practices and arrive for games later than teammates. He even rented out his guest house to Rodman.
Buddying up to the league's biggest thorn jeopardized Cuban's pending approval as an owner; he had to answer questions about it at the league office last week.
Rodman showed his appreciation by turning on his newest friend Tuesday night following Dallas' fifth-straight loss, a 101-86 drubbing by Seattle.
"He doesn't need to be hanging around the players like he's a coach or something," Rodman said. "That's like Jerry Jones, and it's dumb. That's why the Cowboys went down. He needs to be the owner, step back and put people in who can get this team in the right direction."
Cuban said he "absolutely" considers Rodman still his friend.
If this is the end of Rodman's career, there's no doubt he'll be remembered for his tattoos, body piercings, frequent hair color changes and a public appearance in a wedding dress.
While those provocative moments were stunning, it's worth remembering that it was his seven rebounding titles and five championships that gave him the platform to be as bad he wanted to be.
Rodman, however, has yet to pull his biggest stunt: walking off a court naked.