The Dallas Mavericks want the NBA world to know that their trade for young All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis comes with an in-house understanding: The summer cap room is gone. As noted in our scoop here: It's Porzingis and it's Luka Doncic and that's about it for now and that's OK. Harrison Barnes and his $25 mil and Dwight Powell and his $11 mil are opting in this summer and that's part of the plan and that's OK, too.

But the NBA world is preparing a response: By Feb. 7, leagues sources tell me, there will be at least two NBA teams that will contact the Mavs about trying to acquire Barnes and/or Powell.

Dallas' blueprint allows for nothing to happen here. As "easy'' as the Mavs made the Dennis Smith Jr. (and stuff) for KP (and stuff) trade happen, the root of the deal is actually about the people in this organization having a relationship with the Porzingis family since dating back to about 2014, when the teen was playing professionally in Spain. (I keep hinting that the Luka Doncic trade is the result of the same sort of teenage/family friendship with Donnie Nelson and staff; I'm puzzled still as to how few understand that this may be the answer to the "mystery'' as to why Arizona, Sacramento and Atlanta didn't just draft Luka.) So this can look "easy,'' too. The Mavs simply bite the bullet, and Porzingis -- probably after sitting out the rest of this year, as planned, as DBcom was first to report -- and then KP joins Luka and they are also joined by Barnes and Powell, at least until the 2020 trade deadline, when they'll be expirings and maybe they can reap Dallas a reward like the one Wesley Matthews and DeAndre Jordan just produced.

Or maybe the trade calls come sooner. Predicts one team executive: "(Dallas) will start getting calls on Wednesday.''

Wednesday is the day before the deadline. Wednesday is the day that Dallas, accepting of having to live with another year of Barnes and Powell (and I don't mean to have that sound more negative than it is), will be provided an escape hatch or two. Do the Kings or the Cavs or Jazz want Barnes because of his talent? Does another team like Orlando see Powell as a solid piece? Can Dallas get involved in a three-way if the Pacers, Wizards or Pels need help? And ultimately, is there a way to move Barnes and Powell without taking a cap clog in return?

For now, the KP trade consumed spent pretty much all the cap room the Mavs had accumulated for 2019. Before the deal, no matter what, they were going to have max cap room for at least one player (at least $50 mil of room), and in the right scenario almost enough for three max deals (almost $87 mil). Here, they used up over $46 mil of that room by taking on the continuing contracts of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee, plus the $17 mil cap hold for Porzingis' restricted free agency. Unless Barnes, Powell, or both opt out, their current track will have them limited to players who can be signed using the $9.25 mil Mid-Level Exception. And that's it. (Our David Lord fully explains the dollars and sense here.)

But moving them before this deadline? A goodbye to HB means the $25.1 mil vacancy can be Dallas' anew. Powell's giveaway can mean $10.3 mil of added cap room. And then Dallas can be back in business in trying to buy "big fish'' help for Luka and KP this summer.

Again, as I write this, Dallas literally hasn't gotten these calls, I'm told. (At least not in any serious form.) And as with any swap, the odds seem long. (Though the KP deal reminds us that it's OK to believe in pipedream unicorns). The Mavs probably aren't going to issue a corny public "We're open for business'' announcement. But the calls will come. On Wednesday. And the Mavs will be obliged to listen.