The lone NBA championship to come from the north side of the Lone Star State was a historic one when Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks spoiled the first season of the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh Miami Heat Big Three. While Nowitzki was the face of the franchise during that run, those 2011 Mavericks were loaded with pieces that complemented the German superstar perfectly.
Though they were underdogs, their connectivity and chemistry were able to neutralize and take down Miami's juggernaut superstar trio. Mind you, a lot of those pieces came in via trade, which shows the importance of making the right moves to construct a championship roster.
With that said, let's dive into the history books and look at the savvy moves Mark Cuban and the Mavericks front office needed to pull off that culminated in their 2011 NBA championship. Here are the 10 best trades in Dallas Mavericks franchise history.
10. 1984 4th overall pick (which turned into Sam Perkins)
Dallas Mavericks receive: 1984 4th overall pick (which became Sam Perkins)
Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Mike Bratz
Let's dive deep into the archives first for No. 10. This deal helped established the Mavericks as a legitimate playoff contender during their first few years in the NBA. During their expansion year in 1980, Dallas pulled off a trade that netted them the Cleveland Cavaliers' 1984 first round pick. In return, they sent Mike Bratz to Cleveland. That trade ended up becoming a fleece as the Mavs used it to select UNC standout Sam Perkins with the fourth overall pick.
Perkins was a big man way ahead of his time with his ability to step out beyond the arc and drain threes. He went on to have a stellar stint in Dallas with averages of 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds in six seasons. He helped the squad make multiple postseason appearances, including a Western Conference Finals stint in 1989.
9. Kristaps Porzingis
Dallas Mavericks receive: Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, and Trey Burke
New York Knicks receive: Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and two first-round picks
This was a massive deal that landed Dallas the supposed running mate for Luka Doncic. Of course, as it turned out, this deal didn't particularly turn out the way the Mavs had hoped. The Mavericks eventually traded Porzingis to the Washington Wizards three years later. But given the pieces involved, they still won this deal.
Dennis Smith Jr. didn't work out as well for New York. Porzingis had a couple of productive campaigns and helped the Mavericks make the postseason. Tim Hardaway Jr. is still part of the team and a vital piece and microwave scorer off the bench. Plus, let's not forget, the players they got from the Porzingis deal to Washington netted them the assets they currently have on their roster.
Spencer Dinwiddie was included in the deal that eventually landed them Kyrie Irving, who just signed a two-year deal to stay in Dallas this offseason. Meanwhile, Davis Bertans was used in a salary dump trade that still netted them the No. 12 pick in Derek Lively Jr. Dumping Bertans allowed them to acquire Richaun Holmes, who should be a solid piece up front for the Mavs this upcoming season.
8. 1981 9th overall pick (which became Rolando Blackman)
Dallas Mavericks receive: Rolando Blackman
Denver Nuggets receive: Kiki Vandeweghe
“Confidence, baby, confidence!” Those were Rolando Blackman's famous words during the 1987 All-Star game after he made a pair of clutch freethrows that sent the contest into overtime, where the West ended up winning.
Blackman became a Maverick as a result of Dallas trading for the Denver Nuggets' 1981 first round draft pick. The Mavericks took Kiki Vandeweghe as their first ever draft pick when they debuted in 1980. But Vandeweghe refused to suit up for the Mavs and they ended up trading him to Denver for the pick, where they ended up taking Blackman.
Blackman went on to become one of the best Mavericks in franchise history. He played 11 seasons in Dallas, where he made four All-Star selections and helped lead the team to six postseason appearances, including one in the Western Conference Finals. There's no knowing how that era would have turned out had Vandeweghe not thrown a fit to begin his career. Nonetheless, Blackman was an instrumental part in kickstarting and making the Mavericks franchise successful through its early seasons.
7. Shawn Marion
Dallas Mavericks receive: Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai, and cash
Toronto Raptors receive: Hedo Turkoglu, Devin George, and Antoine Wright
Memphis Grizzlies receive: Jerry Stackhouse, second round pick
Orlando Magic receive: Trade exception
There is a lot to unpack in this complex four-team deal that landed Shawn Marion in Dallas via sign-and-trade. But to put it simply, the best player the Mavs had to trade to acquire an All-Star caliber wing like Marion was an aging Jerry Stackhouse. This deal was an absolute bargain for Dallas.
Marion just came off a half season in Toronto after spending the past year with the Miami Heat. The multi-faceted wing was already over 30 years old when he arrived in Dallas, so he was already no longer in his prime.
Still, he played a vital role for the Mavericks, especially during their magical run to the 2011 title. Though the Mavs used a scheme to neutralize LeBron James, Marion was the primary defensive assignment on the Heat superstar. James had the worst playoff series of his career against Dallas, where he averaged just 17.8 points in the six-gamer — including an eight-point performance in Game 4. Marion was a huge reason why James had such a disappointing Finals in his first season in South Beach.
6. Jason Terry
Dallas Mavericks receive: Jason Terry, Alan Henderson, and a first round pick
Atlanta Hawks receive: Antoine Walker and Tony Delk
The Mavericks were still reeling from the departure of beloved point guard Steve Nash in the summer of 2004. Dallas was looking for a Nash replacement and they eventually landed on acquiring Jason Terry from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Antoine Walker.
Terry was by no means the MVP-caliber player that Nash was. Their play styles as guards are probably on the opposite side of the spectrum. Terry is a score-first type of player, while Nash has a pass-first, get-my-teammates involved mentality. Nonetheless, Terry instantly became a fan favorite due to his infectious and fun persona on the court. For the most part, Terry was there with Nowitzki throughout all the heartbreaks the Mavs went through in the late 2000's — from losing the NBA Finals in 2006, to getting embarrassed by the “We Believe” Golden State Warriors in 2007, and then getting bounced once again in the first round in 2010 as a 55-win No. 2 seed.
Prior to the beginning of the 2010-11 season, despite one playoff heartbreak after another, Terry boldly had the Larry O'Brien trophy tattooed on his bicep. That marked a sign of things to come. As history wrote out, Dallas went on to have one of the most magical runs to the NBA Finals and eventually took down the mighty Miami Heat in six games. Terry played a huge role in the Finals and saved his best for last in the title-clinching Game 6, where he scored 27 points as the Mavs won their first championship in franchise history.
5. Jason Kidd
Dallas Mavericks receive: Jason Kidd, Malik Allen, and Antoine Wright
New Jersey Nets receive: Devin Harris, Keith Van Horn, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, DeSagana Diop, and two first round picks
Jason Kidd is yet another member of the 2011 Dallas Mavericks that was brought in via trade. The Mavericks brought back Kidd, whom they drafted in 1994 and traded in just his third season with the team due to issues with the coach, near the trade deadline of the 2007-08 season. With how things turned out, it's safe to say Kidd's second go-round in Dallas was much better.
To acquire Kidd, the Mavs traded a budding star in Devin Harris, who had already become a fan favorite in Dallas through his first four years in the league. Though already past his prime, Kidd became the steady hand the Mavs needed at point guard. It took a few heartbreakers and let downs for the Mavericks to get to the mountaintop, but in 2011, everything came together.
Kidd was already 37 years old when Dallas made their 2011 championship run. But he was still very effective in his role as the primary playmaker and a spot up three-point shooter on offense. Defensively, Kidd was still as sound as they came. He even defended LeBron James at times during the Finals series against the Heat.
4. Tyson Chandler
Dallas Mavericks receive: Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca
Charlotte Bobcats receive: Erick Dampier, Eduardo Najera, and Matt Carol
This was the trade that further solidified the Mavericks' title hopes. Tyson Chandler was the defensive anchor that Dallas needed up front to truly become championship contenders. His arrival turned the Mavs into a top-8 defense in the NBA and his defensive prowess complemented Dirk Nowitzki's offensive stardom. During the 2010-11 season, Chandler earned All-Defensive Second Team Honors with averages of 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds.
The center was an instrumental part in helping Dallas get to the NBA Finals. His imposing presence inside the paint deterred a lot of shots for the Heat as he anchored a defensive strategy that stymied LeBron James throughout the championship round. His offensive rebounding also played a key role in the Finals. In Game 4, Chandler had 16 rebounds, nine of which came on the offensive glass, to go along with 13 points to help the Mavericks swing the series around and eventually win in six games.
Unfortunately, Dallas did not choose to bring back Chandler, who became a free agent in the offseason. Mark Cuban opted to go for financial flexibility over the chance to repeat as champions. The Mavs never sniffed another postseason run as magical as the 2011 season was and that was in large part due to missing the impeccable defensive services of someone like Chandler. Though he did return in 2014-15, this just wasn't the same Mavs team anymore.
3. Steve Nash
Dallas Mavericks receive: Steve Nash
Phoenix Suns receive: Pat Garrity, Martin Müürsepp, Bubba Wells, and a first-round pick (that turned out to be Shawn Marion)
Playing behind Jason Kidd in Phoenix, Steve Nash wasn't getting much playing time during his first couple of years in the NBA. Then Mavericks Assistant GM Donnie Nelson, who previously served as an assistant coach with the Suns and was reportedly very influential in them drafting Nash, saw this and wanted to bring the Canadian to Dallas. So, he made the move and it paid off tremendously as Nash quickly became a rising star with the Mavericks. With the 6-foot-3 guard manning the point, the Mavs became one of the most exciting and enigmatic offenses in the league.
Nash helped lead the Mavericks to their first postseason appearance in over a decade in 2001. He became an All-Star and earned All-NBA honors in 2002 and 2003 as the Mavs turned into legitimate contenders with the Nowitzki-Nash pairing leading the way. Together with Michael Finley, the Mavericks won 60 games in the 2002-03 season and made the Western Conference Finals in that same campaign.
It's just unfortunate that Dallas fans never witnessed what a prime Nash and Nowitzki pairing would have looked like. Mark Cuban let Nash walk in the summer of 2004 and the former Maverick immediately blossomed into one of the brightest stars in Phoenix, where he captured back-to-back MVP trophies in 2005 and 2006. Cuban still regrets splitting Nash and Nowitzki up, as this likely would have resulted in Nash winning an NBA championship in Dallas.
2. Luka Doncic
Dallas Mavericks receive: Luka Doncic
Atlanta Hawks receive: Trae Young and 2019 protected first round pick (which turned into Cam Reddish)
It may seem a little premature to already put the Luka Doncic trade this high up on this list, but this is undoubtedly a top-two trade the Mavericks have ever pulled off. On draft in 2018, the Mavs traded up to get the chance to draft Doncic, who instantly became the face of the franchise the moment he stepped foot on American Airlines Center.
Doncic emphatically won Rookie of the Year in 2018. Since his sophomore season, the Slovenian has been an All-Star and an All-NBA First Team member. That's actually nuts when you think about it. Doncic has led Dallas to three postseason appearances, including a Western Conference Finals stint in 2022, which included a drubbing of the No. 1 seeded Phoenix Suns in Game 7 on the road.
Unfortunately, they failed to build on that successful playoff run as the Mavs missed the postseason entirely in 2023. Nonetheless, Doncic still had a magnificent campaign where he averaged 32.4 points per game on nearly 50 percent field goal shooting. Dallas is looking to bounce back from its disappointing season as it looks to further integrate Kyrie Irving, whom they acquired at the deadline last year, and establish his chemistry with Doncic. While it remains to be seen how Doncic's Mavericks career will pan out, this is still one of the best trades in Mavs history.
1. Dirk Nowitzki
Dallas Mavericks receive: Dirk Nowitzki
Milwaukee Bucks receive: Robert Traylor
This is a no-brainer. Arguably one of the biggest heists in NBA Draft history happened in 1998. This wasn't really just a straight up deal, as it also involved the Phoenix Suns. In fact, this trade also saw Dallas landing Steve Nash, which makes it even more ridiculously lopsided towards the Mavericks' favor. So, to break it down, the Mavs took Robert Traylor at No. 6 and the Bucks selected Dirk Nowitzki at No. 9 and Pat Garrity at No. 19. Dallas traded Traylor for Nowitzki and Garrity, then flipped the latter along with other players to Phoenix for Nash.
Fast-forward to over two decades later, Nowitzki, who was recently inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, only became the greatest international player of all time. Despite plenty of playoff heartbreaks, he put together one of the most memorable playoff runs in the modern era and spearheaded Dallas to its first ever NBA championship in 2011.
Luka Doncic could eventually surpass Nowitzki as the greatest Maverick ever. But as much as he's accomplished already, Doncic still has a ton of ground to cover to do that. As it stands, the title of Best Dallas Maverick of all time is still firmly and safely Dirk Nowitzki's. And it all started with one of greatest trade steals of all time.
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