Jason Terry: ‘I’m Playing for 29 Teams’

Jason Terry is anxious about his contract situation — he’s in the final year of his deal, and was turned down when he asked for an extension after the Mavericks won the title last year. Terry explains what his state of mind is these days, as he angles for a new contract. From ESPN: “For me, personally, I’m playing for 29 teams,’ Terry said. ‘I want to stay here. I want to be here, but every night I’m on the floor I’m on a job interview.’ Terry requested a contract extension after the lockout was lifted, but that was never considered by a front office determined to create as much salary-cap space as possible this summer. Jason Kidd is among the other core members of the Mavs’ title team in a contract year, and center Brendan Haywood and small forward Shawn Marion are candidates for the amnesty clause or to be traded. […] It’s been an up-and-down year for Terry, the longest-tenured member of the Mavericks other than Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavs’ sixth man is scoring 14.8 points per game — his lowest average since 2004-05, his first season in Dallas — and has uncharacteristically struggled on the road. Terry, who prides himself on being an outstanding clutch performer, has been benched twice during crunch-time this week. He expressed frustration after sitting the last several minutes of last week’s loss to the Phoenix Suns, when guard Rodrigue Beaubois missed two potential tying shots on the last possession, and vented about the general state of the Mavs after a loss to the Sacramento Kings the next night. ‘I don’t know about the frustration level, but it’s time for change,’ Terry said in Sacramento. ‘You can only look at something for so long and you’re getting the same result. So at what point are you going to change or are you going to ride it out? I’m here. I’m here to do my job. As far as somebody else, I can’t speak for them, I got to speak for myself. If it sounds selfish, it is what it is. We’re not a team out there right now. It shows, so until we become a team and play together on both ends of the court we’re not going to be very good.'”