THE The Dallas Mavericks were known for chasing big names in free agency in the 2000s and 2010s, even though those players were well past their prime. Marc Cubanthe eternal desire to surround Dirk Nowitzki Along with the best possible talent, he also wanted names that would help fill the American Airlines center.
Players like Jalen Brunson and Devin Harris began their careers in Dallas before going on to All-Star games elsewhere, but these are the players who made their names elsewhere but had brief stints in Dallas in honor of Kemb Walkerthe recent retirement of, who had a legendary month with the Mavs.
Here are 10 former NBA All-Stars who played for the Dallas Mavericks.
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To start the list, we go back to 1991. Alex English was one of the most prolific scorers of the 1980s, leading the league in total points twice and appearing in eight consecutive All-Star Games from 1982 to 1989 with the Blue Bombers. Denver NuggetsHis last stint as an NBA player was with the Mavs in the 1990-91 season, where he played 79 games and averaged 9.7 PPG.
Amar’e Stoudemire revolutionized high-screen and roll play with Steve Nash on the Phoenix Suns, but injuries marred his final years in the desert and his time with the The New York KnicksThe Knicks reacquired him in 2015 and he signed with the Mavs for the remainder of the season, appearing in 28 total games, including the playoffs, and averaging 10.3 PPG. He would play for the Miami Heat the following season and would retire shortly after.
It’s a bit of a cheat here because Bogut was never an All-Star, but he was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2010, which is arguably more impressive. Golden State Warriors Bogut was traded to the Mavericks to free up salary cap space to sign Kevin Durant in the 2016 offseason, a move that would allow them to win two championships. Bogut played only 26 games in Dallas, averaging 3.0 PPG and 8.4 RPG before being traded to the 76ers in the Nerlens Noel deal. He played for the Cavaliers and Lakers before returning to the Warriors and calling it quits.
Chris Kaman participated in the 2010 All-Star Game as a member of the team. Los Angeles Clippers but joined the Mavericks for the 2012-13 season, one of the craziest roster builds in franchise history (more on that team soon). Kaman played 66 games for Dallas, averaging 10.5 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game.
David Lee has made two All-Star appearances in his career, once for the Knicks in 2010 and again for the Warriors in 2013. He was traded from the Warriors to the Boston Celtics during the 2015 offseason, but Boston bought out his contract after the trade deadline. He signed with the Mavs after clearing waivers and played 25 games in Dallas, averaging 8.5 points per game.
Elton Brand, another member of that oddball 2012-13 team, was a prolific 20-point and 10-point player upon his arrival in the NBA, making two All-Star games for the Clippers in 2002 and 2006. The Mavs turned Brand’s wheels and he responded by averaging 7.2 points per game and 6 rebounds per game in 72 games. Other fun names on that team include O.J. Mayo, Darren Collison, Eddy Curry, Derek Fisher, Troy Murphy and Chris Douglas-Roberts.
Isaiah Thomas is in the running for the strangest NBA career. After being selected with the last pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings, he used solid performances to sign a big contract with the Phoenix Suns, but was their third point guard alongside Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. He played just 46 games before landing in Boston in a trade and became a superstar, culminating in a 28.9 points-per-game season in 2016-17. He finished fifth in MVP voting that year, but would never be the same player again after a hip injury.
Thomas has played for eight different franchises since being traded from Boston to Kyrie Irvingincluding a game in Dallas, playing 13 minutes and scoring 6 points.
Jameer Nelson was a key part of the 2009 Orlando Magic that reached the NBA Finals and played in the All-Star Game that season. He signed with Dallas in the 2014 offseason, leading the Mavs to one of the league’s best offenses, but was sent to Boston after just 23 games in the Rajon Rondo It’s safe to say it didn’t work out for either side, as Rondo’s tenure in Dallas was a disaster and Nelson bounced around the league in the final years of his career.
Sam Cassell played for eight different teams during his career, including a brief 16-game stretch in the 1996-97 season. The Mavericks acquired Cassell, Michael Finleyand AC Green from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jason KiddTony Dumas and Loren Meyer. After less than two months in Dallas, they sent Cassell back once again, this time to the New Jersey Nets along with Eric Montross and Jim Jackson for a package that included Shawn Bradley and Robert Pack. He averaged 12.3 points per game and 3.6 assists per game during his short stint with the Mavs, but went on to make the 2004 All-Star Game as a member of the team. Minnesota Timberwolves.
Tim Hardaway Sr.The recent headlines surrounding the Mavericks were about his dissatisfaction with the way they were playing basketball since his son was on the team and he wanted Hardaway Jr. to take more pictures. Now that his son has been traded to Detroit, it’s unlikely we’ll hear his anger toward Dallas again. But did you know he played 54 games for the Mavs in the 2001-02 season?
Far from his prime, Hardaway was averaging 9.6 points per game and 3.7 assists per game before a trade to Denver netted him Nick Van Exel, Avery Johnson and Raef LaFrentz.
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