Rondo ready, Stoudemire on deck as Mavs start stretch run

DALLAS (AP) -- Rajon Rondo is ready to return for Dallas after missing the last six games before the All-Star break with a broken bone near the eye.

Amare Stoudemire is a day closer to joining the Mavericks after the last-place Knicks turned him loose with a buyout.

Let the latest makeover of the Mavericks begin, or continue, or whatever might be the best way to describe a team that changed significantly in the summer and again in December, and now waits to see how the addition of another former All-Star will alter things.

The Mavericks won't have much time to tinker in the relentless fight for playoff positioning in the Western Conference. They start the stretch run Thursday with hard-charging Oklahoma City, followed by NBA scoring leader James Harden and Houston in a back-to-back.