4 Biggest Dallas Mavericks Trades

The Dallas Mavericks joined the NBA in 1980 as an expansion team. They have built a successful and prominent franchise over four decades, as they won a title in 2011 by defying the basketball odds and beating the heavily-favored Miami Heat in six games. That incredible title run was part of the top 5 NBA Finals upsets in history.

This remarkable franchise transformation should be credited to its owner Mark Cuban (who bought the team in 2000 for $285 million), for making the right moves in creating a team that will consistently compete in the stacked Western Conference. Part of these moves was acquiring players via trade. Here are the top-four players that Dallas has received via trade.

Dirk Nowitzki

The Milwaukee Bucks made a huge mistake during the 1998 NBA Draft when they dealt their ninth overall pick Dirk Nowitzki to the Dallas Mavericks for draft rights to the sixth overall pick Robert Traylor. The Mavericks easily won this draft night trade as the sweet-shooting seven-footer from Germany became one of the best players in league history.

Nowitzki remained with Dallas throughout his 21 seasons in the NBA and collected several accolades, including 2007 MVP, 2011 NBA Champion, 2011 NBA Finals MVP, 14-time NBA All-Star, and four-time All-NBA 1st Team member. The “German Wunderkind” averaged 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in his career.

Jason Kidd

Dallas needed a great point guard to achieve their title aspirations and get past their former NBA Finals tormentor, the Miami Heat. They had Devin Harris as their main floor general, but his fine play wasn’t enough to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy. This is why the team looked for the perfect playmaker to spearhead the offense.

In 2006, Dallas reached their first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history but was defeated by the Miami Heat in six games. There seemed to be a piece missing from the core players, led by a prime Nowitzki, so they orchestrated a blockbuster trade with the New Jersey Nets. The Mavericks swapped Devin Harris, Trenton Hassell, Keith Van Horn, Maurice Ager, DeSagana Diop, and two first-round picks for Jason Kidd, Malik Allen, and Antoine Wright.

It was a reunion for the Mavs and Kidd because the team initially drafted him as the second overall pick in 1994. This second and renewed stint with Dallas resulted in five straight playoff appearances and a title in 2011, where Kidd helped the Mark Cuban-headed team to get their revenge against Miami in six games. Kidd’s averages for the Mavericks during that stretch were 8.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8.2 assists.

Luka Doncic

Exactly 20 years after the Nowitzki draft night trade, Dallas made a similar move by trading their fifth overall pick Trae Young for the Atlanta Hawks’ third overall pick Luka Doncic. Many believed it was a fair and equal trade because of Young and Doncic’s impact on their teams. This trade is also listed on the Atlanta Hawks’ 4 biggest trades.

Atlanta and Dallas have agreed to a deal, league sources tell ESPN. They'll trade Nos. 3 and 5 picks, sending Luka Doncic to Dallas and Trae Young to Atlanta, sources said. Dallas will send Atlanta a future first.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 21, 2018

Doncic became the cornerstone and face of the franchise, as he won the Rookie of the Year award in 2019; he also made it to four NBA All-Star Games and secured three All-NBA 1st Team selections. In his first five seasons with the Mavericks, the 6-foot-7 guard racked up an average of 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and eight assists in 330 games.

Kyrie Irving

The latest blockbuster trade that the Mavericks pulled off was the acquisition of eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving during the 2023 trade deadline. Dallas sent Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, one first-round pick, and two second-round picks for Irving and Markieff Morris. Since arriving on the team, “Uncle Drew” played for 20 games and averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists.

The Dallas Mavericks have acquired eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving along with Markieff Morris from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks. pic.twitter.com/bmBZFXGJV4

— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) February 6, 2023

Despite failing to help Dallas make it to the postseason, Irving’s presence on the team promises to be a good sign for contending in the foreseeable future, especially after signing a three-year $126 million contract. Aside from his scoring ability that takes the pressure off Doncic, Irving brings his playoff and championship experience to the young team.

Free agent Kyrie Irving has agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract to return to the Dallas Mavericks, with a player option in third season, @TheAthletic @Stadium learned.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2023

Dallas Mavericks Biggest Trades