7 All-Stars Dallas Mavericks painfully passed on in NBA Draft

6. Terrell Brandon 1991 NBA Draft (11th overall)

Mavericks selection: Doug Smith (6th overall)

By 1991 it was clear that the franchise’s early run was ending. Rolando Blackman was 31 years and Derek Harper would soon be 30. Others like Brad Davis, Herb Williams, James Donaldson, Fat Lever, and Alex English were in their mid-30s as Dallas had just won 28 games and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years.

After missing on Randy White two years earlier, Dallas desperately needed to nail this selection. They took Doug Smith out of Missouri with the sixth overall pick, and he quickly cracked the rotation as the Mavericks looked to rebuild. Unfortunately, Smith never averaged more than 25 minutes per game, and he lasted just five years in the NBA. The 6’10 forward was out of the league before his 27th birthday.

Dallas Mavericks regret drafting Doug Smith over Terrell Brandon

There were still three future All-Stars on the board, including Brandon, when Dallas selected. The 5’11 point guard was taken 11th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers and was an All-Star in 1996 and 1997 as he helped the franchise reach the playoffs four times in six years.

By 1997, the Mavs playoff drought had reached seven years, and there were still three to go before Dirk Nowitzki got them back into contention in 2001.