Dallas Mavericks: 5 Best/Worst Trades in Team History
The Mavericks success changed drastically when it came to trades once Mark Cuban purchased a majority stake in the team on Jan. 4, 2000. Mark Cuban was aggressive in doing whatever it took to make the Mavericks contenders. Every owner and general manager has their share of hits and misses, but the Mavericks first championship in 2011 is a direct result of a series of trades that built the eventual team that brought Cuban and Dallas their first NBA title. Let’s take a look at the five best and worst trades in the history of the Dallas Mavericks franchise.
Worst
5. Mavericks trade Mark Aguirre to the Detroit Pistons for Adrian Dantley and a first-round draft pick in 1991 – Feb. 15, 1989
Mark Aguirre made it clear he was looking to be traded away from the Mavericks. Dallas was not operating with a great deal of leverage and did an awful job replacing the three-time All-Star. The Mavericks traded Aguirre to the Detroit Pistons for Adrian Dantley and a late first-round draft pick. Adrian Dantley had a wonderful NBA career, but was his skills were clearly beginning to decline. To make matters worse, Dantley was traded from a Detroit Pistons team that had played in the NBA Finals the previous year. Dantley was miserable in Dallas from the time he stepped off the plane in Texas and did little to hide this fact. Dantley was waived the following year and retired a year later. Aguirre helped Detroit win their first championship his first season in the Motor City.
4. Mavericks trade the rights to Mark Price to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second-round draft pick in 1989 – June 27, 1986
The Mavericks drafted Mark Price in the second round of the 1986 draft. This would have been a steal if Dallas had held kept the unassuming guard. The Mavericks traded Price to the Cleveland Cavaliers and received a future second-round pick in return. Price became one of the best point guards in the NBA during the remainder of the ’80s. From 1987-95 Price averaged 17.5 points and eight assists per game and made four All-Star Game appearances.
3. Mavericks trade Jamal Mashburn to the Miami Heat for Sasha Danilovic, Martin Muursepp and Kurt Thomas – Feb. 14, 1997
Once part of the “Three J’s” in Dallas, Jamal Mashburn was considered a critical piece to the Mavericks’ rebuilding effort. Mashburn averaged 24.1 points per game during the 1994-95 season, his second in the NBA. Mashburn had lost some explosiveness due to a knee surgery that kept him out of 64 games during the following season.
Coach and general manager Don Nelson was far too impatient to wait around for Mashburn to round back into form and sent his talents to South Beach in February 1997. The Mavericks received shooting guard Sasha Danilovic, forward Kurt Thomas and foreign project Martin Muursepp from the Miami Heat. Thomas is the only one out of the three to carve out an NBA career. Thomas went on to spurn Dallas for the New York Knicks in free agency in a move that angered the Mavericks brass.
Mashburn was able to regain his form and enjoyed an 11-year career in which he averaged 19.1 points per game for the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Hornets franchise.
2. Mavericks trade Jim Jackson, Sam Cassell, Chris Gatling, George McCloud and Eric Montross to the New Jersey Nets for Shawn Bradley, Ed O’Bannon, Robert Pack and Khalid Reeves – Feb. 17, 1997
Only three days after the disastrous Jamal Mashburn trade, the Mavericks moved Jim Jackson, Sam Cassell, Chris Gatling and George McCloud to the New Jersey Nets for Shawn Bradley, Ed O’Bannon, Robert Pack and Khalid Reeves. The Mavericks had completely reshaped their roster but did nothing to improve their team.
Jim Jackson was a proficient scorer who went on to average at least 10 points per game for seven additional seasons. Sam Cassell was an excellent point guard who averaged 15.9 points and six assists per game from 1993-2006. Cassell made the All-Star team in 2003-04 and won three NBA titles during his career.
Robert Pack was solid when he was on the court but he never played in more than 30 games in any of his three full seasons in Dallas. Khalid Reeves was an average backup for two seasons and Ed O’Bannon was out of the league entirely the following year.
The Mavericks did acquire one player in the deal that stuck around and his name was Shawn Bradley. Bradley spent eight seasons in Dallas, only averaging more than 10 points per game twice and he failed to average double-digits in scoring in each of his last seven seasons with the Mavericks.
1. Mavericks trade Jason Kidd, Tony Dumas and Loren Meyer to the Phoenix Suns for Sam Cassell, Michael Finley, A.C. Green and a second-round draft pick in 1998 – Dec. 26, 1996
Jim Cleamons was the Mavericks coach during the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons. Cleamons was set on implementing the triangle offense in Dallas despite the fact he had one of the best young running point guards in the NBA. Cleamons and Kidd clashed and the Mavericks chose to move Jason Kidd to the Phoenix Suns. Had the trade not been for Jason Kidd, the return would have been adequate. The Mavericks received Michael Finley, Sam Cassell and A.C. Green from the Suns. Finley and Cassell carved out terrific NBA careers, but Jason Kidd retired as one of the best point guards to ever play the game. Jim Cleamons was fired the next season and left the Mavericks with a winning percentage of .286.
Jason Kidd had two stints as a Dallas Maverick. He was drafted second overall by the Mavericks in 1994 and was traded to the Phoenix Suns in December 1996. Kidd returned to Big D in February 2008 as part of a trade with the New Jersey Nets. (Flickr.com photo by Keith Allison)
Best
5. Mavericks trade Devin Harris, Maurice Ager, DeSagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, Keith Van Horn and first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010 to the New Jersey Nets for Jason Kidd, Malik Allen and Antoine Wright – Feb. 19, 2008
The Mavericks made amends for trading away their future Hall of Fame point guard 11 years earlier. Dallas traded starting point guard Devin Harris, along with Trenton Hassell, Keith Van Horn, Maurice Ager, DeSagana Diop and two first-round draft picks to the New Jersey Nets to bring Kidd back to the city where his career began. Dallas also received Malik Allen and Antoine Wright in the deal.
While nobody will admit it now, this trade was widely ridiculed in Dallas by media members who considered Harris a future All-Star and thought Kidd’s best years were behind him. Kidd proved the naysayers wrong and clicked with Dirk Nowitzki right away. The two veterans knew were hungry and knew what it took to win. Kidd cemented his legacy along with Dirk Nowitzki in 2011 as the Mavericks won their first NBA championship.
The Mavericks game up very little to acquire Jason Terry, a player who was so critical to the success of the Mavericks’ two NBA Finals appearances. (Photo Credit/Keith Allison/Flickr.com)
4. Mavericks trade Tony Delk and Antoine Walker to the Atlanta Hawks for Jason Terry, Alan Henderson and a future first-round draft pick – Aug. 4, 2004
The Mavericks had just lost Steve Nash in free agency to the Phoenix Suns and found themselves with a number of assets that did not work well together. Dallas was able to package volume shooting forward Antoine Walker and point guard Tony Delk to the Atlanta Hawks for Jason Terry, Alan Henderson and a future first-round draft pick.
Terry was initially put in a tough position in Dallas. The Mavericks were starting rookie point guard Devin Harris, but Don Nelson quickly grew frustrated as Harris made the mistakes you expect from a rookie at that position. Terry was asked to move from shooting guard to play the point guard position at times.
Terry has the ability to play point guard but is a natural shooting guard. Terry eventually won over Mavericks fans with his infectious smile and clutch shooting. Although talented enough to start, Terry was always eager to put the team first and came off the bench for the Mavs as his career progressed. The Jet found his niche coming off the bench, winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 2008-09. Terry’s shining moment came in the NBA Finals as he outplayed LeBron James in Games 5 and 6, scoring an average of 19.8 points on 19-of-28 shooting to help the Mavericks clinch their first NBA championship.
3. Mavericks trade the rights to Kiki Vandeweghe and a first-round draft pick in 1986 to the Denver Nuggets for first-round draft picks in 1981 and 1985 – Dec. 3, 1980
Kiki Vandeweghe was the first-ever draft pick for the Dallas Mavericks franchise, taken No. 11 overall in 1980. Vandeweghe publicly stated he had no intentions of playing for Dallas and never wavered from this stance. The Mavericks were forced to trade Vandeweghe and he was moved to the Denver Nuggets for two first-round picks. Vandeweghe was despised in Dallas for his actions, but Mavericks fans should send him a thank-you card as the first draft pick obtained for Vandeweghe became Rolando Blackman.
Rolando Blackman became one of the best Mavericks off all-time. Blackman was a three-time All-Star who ranks second in points to only Dirk Nowitzki. Blackman was a smart player with a deadly jumper and enjoyed an 11-year career in Dallas.
Tyson Chandler proved to be everything the Mavericks were missing at the center position. His emotion and leadership helped fuel the Mavericks 2011 championship. (Photo Credit/Keith Allison/Flickr.com)
2. Mavericks trade Matt Carroll, Erick Dampier, Eduardo Najera and cash to the Charlotte Bobcats for Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca – July 13, 2010
The Mavericks’ trade for Tyson Chandler did not cause much of a reaction in Dallas when it was announced. The Texas Rangers were suddenly contending for the American League West title and the Dallas Cowboys were not far away from another 8-8 season. Chandler had injury issues the year before and the Mavericks only had to give up Erick Dampier, Eduardo Najera, Matt Carroll, and cash to the Charlotte Bobcats for Chandler’s services.
Little did anyone know the Mavericks trade for Tyson Chandler would change NBA history. Chandler was healthy and became the greatest center the Mavericks franchise had ever seen. Chandler was the perfect complement for Dirk Nowitzki and was the inspirational leader of the eventual 2011 champions. Mark Cuban is still second-guessed for letting Chandler leave in free agency the following summer but the Mavericks deserve credit for pulling off this heist.
The 1998 draft day trade for Dirk Nowitzki changed the course of the Mavericks franchise (Photo Credit/Vernon Hadnot/D210 TV)
1. Mavericks trade the rights to Robert Traylor to the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to Dirk Nowitzki and Pat Garrity – June 24, 1998
Don Nelson and his son Donnie were at the forefront of the international talent pool. Dirk Nowitzki had wowed scouts at a Nike Hoop Summit game in March 1998 by dropping 33 points and 14 rebounds on many of the top American high-school seniors. Although he was 19 at the time and rather raw, the Mavericks saw the immense upside in the young German native.
The Mavericks swung a draft-day trade with the Milwaukee Bucks that would change the course of the Mavericks franchise. The Mavericks selected Robert “Tractor” Traylor with the No. 6 overall pick in the 1998 draft and traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks for Dirk Nowitzki, who was the ninth overall pick. The Mavericks also received Pat Garrity’s draft rights (No. 19 overall). This is important as he was included in a trade to land point guard Steve Nash.
Dirk struggled his rookie season as he acclimated to the NBA and life in the United States. By his second season Dirk was averaging 17.5 points per game and it was clear that Don Nelson hit on something special. Dirk became an 11-time All-Star, NBA MVP (2006-07) and Finals MVP (2010-11). Dirk ended the 2013 season ranked No.17 overall in points scored in NBA history. Nowitzki is one of the best shooting big men of all time and easily the best Mavericks player in franchise history.