While the Dallas Mavericks quickly fell out of championship contention after winning the 2011 NBA Finals, a new report suggests that the team might have had a chance of remaining on top of the Western Conference in the years that followed their first — and only — league title so far. According to a leading NBA insider, point guard Chris Paul and center Dwight Howard — who were still among the NBA’s best at their respective positions at the time — both came close to signing with the Mavericks when they entered free agency in the summer of 2013.