Dallas Mavericks: What if Steve Nash never left in 2004?

Looking back at Steve Nash’s time with the Dallas Mavericks and beyond

Steve Nash came into the NBA as an undersized point guard out of a small college named Santa Clara University.  After two years in Phoenix, Steve Nash was traded to Dallas on draft night 1998. The Mavericks acquire Dirk Nowitzki on the same day. Dirk often says that without Nash, he probably would have ended up back in Europe shortly after coming to the NBA.

The two remain close. Nash tried to recruit Dirk to join his coaching staff in Brooklyn.

That friendship helped the Hall of Fame point guard burst onto the scene. Together with Dirk, they won the Maverick’s first playoff series in a decade in 2001. Nash went on to make the All-Star team in each of the next two seasons. He averaged 17.9 points and 7.7 assists in 2002.

In 2003, the Mavericks won 60 games and made the Western Conference Finals. They lost to the Spurs after a Dirk injury. The Mavericks had their own big three in Nowitzki, Nash, and Michael Finley.

Unfortunately for a multitude of reasons, the Mavs decided not to re-sign Nash the next year.

The legendary combination of Dirk and Nash never played again together. They both went on to win an MVP award. Dirk won a championship in 2011. Nash could never quite get over the hump.

Imagine if Nash never left Dallas. How lethal would two MVPs be on the same roster be? Nobody will ever know what would have happened, but here is what might have been if Steve Nash stayed with the Dallas Mavericks.

Next: Potential negative outcomes