Dallas ? When free agent-to-be Raef LaFrentz was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in February, he knew right away that he wanted to stay.

On Tuesday, he got his wish.

“This is the place to be,” said LaFrentz, a Kansas University product. “This is the team of the future. Last year we fell short of our long-term goal. But we’re young and going to have a large window. I feel good to be a part of it.”

LaFrentz was so serious about staying that he didn’t even talk to another team before signing a maximum-length deal of seven years. And he accepted what Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said was “a lot less” than the $84 million maximum contract.

The Dallas Morning News reported in today’s edition the contract was worth $69 million.

Then what was the holdup that took two weeks past the opening of the signing period for the deal to be finalized? A vacation by LaFrentz’s agent.

“He probably could’ve gotten paid more other places, but he wanted to be here,” Cuban said. “That made it simple.”

Plenty of teams were after LaFrentz in February, when the Denver Nuggets were shopping him. He and Nick Van Exel wound up in Dallas, where they helped lead the Mavericks to a franchise-record 57 wins, only to be ousted in the second-round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Because of the previous interest in LaFrentz, Cuban thought some team might step up with a bigger offer. LaFrentz, however, had been telling his agent all spring that he wanted to remain playing alongside Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Steve Nash.

“I knew that coming here I’d be able to play in the playoffs, be on a great team and have the chance to play for something,” he said.

The 6-foot-11, 265-pound LaFrentz originally was acquired to play the low post as a defender and shot-blocker, then to use his outside touch to pull opposing centers out to the three-point line, thus clearing the lane.

But LaFrentz often got into foul trouble and struggled with his shooting.

Part of his problem was figuring out when it was his turn to shoot in one of the league’s highest-scoring offenses. It also was the first time that he wasn’t the only tall guy who could shoot from long range; Nowitzki and Wang Zhizhi did that, too.

“I anticipate being much more comfortable,” he said. “I can’t wait for the opportunity to start from Day One.”

In 27 regular-season games with Dallas, LaFrentz averaged 10.8 points, down from 14.9 in 51 games with the Nuggets, while his rebound average of 7.4 was the same in both places.

LaFrentz isn’t the only KU player in the NBA with a huge deal kicking in. Paul Pierce’s six-year, $83.68 million pact also begins this season.