The Smoking Cuban
FanSided

Dallas Mavericks: Three moves we still wish were April Fool’s jokes

By Kohl Rast

SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 21: Head Coach Rick Carlisle of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 21, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 21: Head Coach Rick Carlisle of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 21, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – MARCH 23: NBA Legends Michael Finley and Steve Nash pose for a photo with Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks prior to a game against the Golden State Warriors on March 22, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – MARCH 23: NBA Legends Michael Finley and Steve Nash pose for a photo with Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks prior to a game against the Golden State Warriors on March 22, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Letting Steve Nash walk

If you ever ask Mark Cuban the biggest mistake he ever made as the Dallas Mavericks owner, his answer will either be the first point we talked about or his letting Steve Nash leave the Mavs for greener pastures. The biggest issue with the Steve Nash situation is that all the Mavs needed to do was give up a little more money.

The pairing of Dirk Nowitzki and Nash was one of the most exciting young duos in the NBA and there were signs that both were just going to get better together. With Dirk a force on offense that was nearly unguardable and Nash being possibly the best distributor in the league at that point, the two would have been near impossible to stop for opposing teams.

As soon as Nash left, he and Dirk combined for the next three MVP awards in the league. Nash led the Phoenix Suns to some of their winningest seasons in franchise history and certainly one of the most entertaining teams Phoenix has ever seen.

Contract disputes are a common reason for players to leave for new teams. This was not an abnormal occurrence when the Mavs decided that they did not want to pay Steve Nash the money that he wanted. What was weird was that they made a big effort to get Nash into a Mavs uniform and he and Dirk were best friends, yet the minute a few extra million dollars comes into play, things change.

The decision cost the Mavs a couple strong seasons that could have resulted in deep playoff runs and Cuban has been honest about the mistake he made that day. If only we could go back in time.

Next: The end of an era