Sources: NBA examining Mavs trade

The Dallas Mavericks continue to plan for the addition of former All-Star sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic early next week. But the trade to create a roster spot for Stojakovic, according to sources close to the talks, remains on hold.

Although the Mavericks and Raptors continue to express confidence that the trade sending little-used center Alexis Ajinca to Toronto will ultimately be approved, league officials spent Friday examining the deal for salary-cap compliance after postponing a trade call originally scheduled for Thursday night to ratify the deal.

The trade was regarded as such a formality Thursday that Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, as captured by TNT's cameras, went so far as to sit Ajinca down to tell him he had to go back to the team's hotel in Chicago after the third-year center had already arrived at the United Center in advance of Dallas' eventual loss to the Bulls.

Sources insisted Friday that the Mavericks remain on course to sign Stojakovic as soon as he clears waivers following the 33-year-old's buyout Thursday from the Raptors. He'll become a free agent Monday -- which is the NBA's first business day after Stojakovic clears waivers this weekend -- and has already given a verbal commitment to the Mavericks that he intends to sign with them.

The Mavericks and Raptors maintain that the deals involving Stojakovic and Ajinca were struck independently of each other, but the delay in league approval stems from what sources say are complaints from a few other teams that Dallas and Toronto are essentially using two transactions to trade Stojakovic for Ajinca, which would not be permissible under league rules. In the event that the league strikes down the proposed trade, Dallas would have to waive a player to create a roster spot for Stojakovic or perhaps find another trade destination for Ajinca.

Sources said Stojakovic's fast commitment to go to Dallas was likewise greeted with dismay by multiple contending teams that had interest in signing him. But sources also confirmed Friday that the Mavericks were granted permission by Toronto to start speaking to Stojakovic's agent, David Bauman, shortly after Caron Butler's season-ending knee injury in anticipation of Stojakovic's eventual release.