DALLAS -- Nick Van Exel is willing to take a smaller playing role with the Dallas Mavericks, especially since it means he's in the playoff chase again and out of Denver.

"It doesn't matter if I play two minutes one game and 40 minutes the next game," said Van Exel, a key figure in the seven-player deal pulled off just before the NBA's trading deadline. "It's definitely a blessing to be on a championship-caliber team."

Van Exel, the Nuggets' leading scorer with a 21.4 average, went public with a trade demand Dec. 8. He never anticipated going to Dallas, where he will initially be a backup to All-Star Steve Nash.

But on Thursday, the Mavericks acquired Van Exel, Raef LaFrentz, Avery Johnson and Tariq Abdul-Wahad from the Nuggets. Juwan Howard, Tim Hardaway and Donnell Harvey were sent to Denver, which also got $1 million and Dallas' first-round pick in the next draft.

Coach Don Nelson, whose team leads the Midwest Division with a 38-17 record, made the move in an effort to improve his team for the postseason.

Dallas won 53 games last season and went to the playoffs for the first time since 1990. The Mavericks upset Utah in the first round before being eliminated by San Antonio.

Nelson said he wasn't concerned about the risk of upsetting the chemistry of his team, which is on pace to win more games this season.

"Everything is going to work out. This is a very fine group of men, the ones that left and the ones that remained," Nelson said. "We're adding winners to the locker room. We'll see how things go, but I'm not going to be concerned about that."

Before finalizing the trade, Nelson sat down with his trio of All-Stars. Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Nash -- all agreed to the deal.

The restructured Mavericks won't have to wait long to see how they stack up against the NBA's best. Dallas plays Sacramento, the league's first team to 40 wins, on Saturday.

The 6-foot-11 LaFrentz provides an upgrade at center, a position the Mavericks have manned this season with five players, including Nowitzki. The presence of LaFrentz will allow Nowitzki, an All-Star this season, to be able to play exclusively at power forward.

LaFrentz ranks second in the league in blocked shots (2.96 bpg) and is eighth in three-point percentage (.437/73-of-167). He scores 14.9 points a game, which was second on the Nuggets to Van Exel.

Van Exel will assume Hardaway's role, but Nelson plans to use him more than the 24 minutes a game Hardaway was playing and to share the court with Nash at times.

"I think both he and Steve will play together down the stretch," Nelson said. "Nick is a big-shot maker and a big-game player. He always plays his best against the best teams. That was a factor in our thinking for the playoff situation. He has the capability of doing that."

Nelson said Nash and Van Exel will "play together and sub for one another." The coach hopes to keep them fresh by playing both 28-30 minutes a game.

"I'm glad to have some help now," Nash said.

Johnson, a 14-year veteran, provides the unexpected luxury of a third option at the point. Abdul-Wahad is a shooting guard not likely to get much playing time.

"To win a championship, you have to have two MVP-caliber players," said Johnson, who won a championship with San Antonio. "We have three or four."