Ranking 15 worst Mavericks starters of the Dirk Nowitzki era

8. Christian Laettner

Laettner spent less than six months in a Mavericks uniform. He was acquired in a five-player deal that sent Cedric Ceballos to Detroit in August of 2000 and was traded to Washington in February of 2001.

In his brief stay, Dallas was well on their way to breaking a decade-long playoff drought, but Laettner struggled to get consistent minutes. He was the Pistons' starting center in 2000, but Shawn Bradley’s superior rebounding and rim protection made him the Mavericks preferred option next to Dirk Nowitzki.

Laettner averaged 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 17.5 minutes per game over 53 appearances. He made 35 starts where his minutes and production improved slightly. It was clear that Christian Laettner was not a fit in Dallas next to Dirk Nowitzki, so Dallas traded him to Washington in an eight-player deal that brought Juwan Howard to the Mavericks.

The Mavs reacquired Christian Laettner for two months during the 2004 offseason. He came back from Washington in the Antawn Jamison deal before getting traded to the Bay Area for Erick Dampier.

Laettner was a member of the 1992 Dream Team that won the Olympic gold medal and remains one of the most famous college basketball players of all time, but he disappointed in the NBA. His stints with the Dallas Mavericks were forgettable and his 53 games earned him a place as one of the worst starters of the Dirk Nowitzki era.