The details of the deal, agreed to last night, were still being finalized today, according to a team official involved in negotiations. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of league rules against any comments before the signing period begins Wednesday.

Stackhouse will make more than the midlevel exception, which is expected to be set at roughly $6 million.

Stackhouse has spent three years with the Mavericks, reinventing himself as instant offense off the bench after years as one of the league's top scorers. He averaged a career-best 29.8 points in 2000-01 and has a career average of 19.2, a figure dragged down a bit since becoming a backup.

The 32-year-old Stackhouse was a free agent for the first time and could've gone for one last big payday and another chance to be a starter. Instead, he was comfortable with his setup in Dallas and stayed true to his vow of re-signing.

This is the first move the Mavs have made in free agency. Forward P.J. Brown, who is pondering retirement, is among the other players the team is considering.

Stackhouse averaged a career-low 12 points last season, helping Dallas win a franchise-best 67 games before being ousted in the first round of the playoffs. He averaged 13 points the previous season, helping the Mavericks reach the NBA finals. His points and minutes have gone up in the postseason all three years he's been in Dallas, all part of coach Avery Johnson's plan to get the most out of Stackhouse.

When Dallas acquired Stackhouse before the 2004-05 season, there were questions whether a player who'd been the focus of every team he'd been on could handle being a role player. But he embraced the chance to extend his career and play for one of the league's best teams after years of struggling to make the playoffs in Philadelphia, Detroit and Washington.