DALLAS -- Culture, coaching and his agent’s familiarity with the franchise were the primary reasons Andrew Bogut chose to be traded to the Dallas Mavericks instead of the Houston Rockets.

On the day the Mavs face the Rockets in Bogut’s Dallas home debut, the veteran big man confirmed ESPN.com’s summer report that the Golden State Warriors gave him the option to choose between the two Texas teams when they needed to trade him to create the salary-cap space necessary to sign Kevin Durant.

Bogut believed the Mavs were the better fit for him, saying he wanted to go to a team where he might be able to stay long term as he entered his contract year.

Andrew Bogut works the ball inside against the Nuggets' Nikola Jokic during a preseason game Oct. 21. David Zalubowski/AP Photo

“I’m not saying Houston has a bad culture by any means, but my agent has a familiarity here,” said Bogut, whose agent, David Bauman, represented Peja Stojakovic, among others. “I’ve known a lot of players that have been pretty happy here when they were here. Richard Jefferson was one of them. And then the city -- I like the city, so it all made sense.

“Rick Carlisle is also one of the best coaches in the league. He knows how to get the best out of his players. He’s very, very smart and makes great adjustments. He’s a guy you want to play for. Obviously, [Mike] D’Antoni is a pretty good coach, too, but probably not suited for my style of play. I would have probably had to drop about 20 pounds to play in his system. They play a tough system, get up and down the court.”

The Rockets made the Warriors an offer identical to the Mavs’ bid for Bogut: a heavily protected second-round pick, almost certain never actually to be Golden State’s property, for the big man and a second-round pick. Houston moved on by signing Nene to a one-year, $2.9 million deal to serve as Clint Capela’s backup.

Bogut said on media day that he might have forced a buyout if the Warriors had traded him to a team he did not approve. He clarified Friday that he was not referring to the Rockets.

“That was a different team, not Houston,” Bogut said, acknowledging that the Philadelphia 76ers were the other team that engaged the Warriors in serious trade talks. “I’m not saying I would have forced a buyout. It would have been an option.”