Was Dallas Mavericks letting Jalen Brunson or Steve Nash walk in free agency worse?

Dallas Mavericks replaced Steve Nash with Jason Terry: No Jalen Brunson replacement

The Mavs went with a head-scratching strategy after Brunson’s departure in free agency. They traded a first-round pick for Christian Wood, but they did zero to improve their backcourt. Dallas had success going small with two ball handlers on the floor at all times. After JB left, the Mavs had just two playmakers on their roster.

The Mavericks did sign JaVale McGee to be their starting center, and they drafted Jaden Hardy in the second round, but largely, Dallas ran it back without their second-best player. They unsurprisingly struggled before getting desperate and trading for Kyrie Irving. The deal made their unbalanced roster go further toward offense and resulted in an epic collapse that saw Luka and company miss the playoffs.

The Mavs overhauled their roster in 2004 after Nash left in free agency. They traded sixth man Antawn Jamison for Jerry Stackhouse, Devin Harris, and Christian Laettner on draft night. In August, Dallas sent Antoine Walker and Tony Delk to Atlanta for Jason Terry, Alan Henderson, and a 2007 first-round draft pick. The Mavericks also brought in Erick Dampier and Calvin Booth in the offseason.

Dallas kept making moves throughout the season, including trading for Darrell Armstrong and Keith Van Horn. They were determined to improve their roster and make a run. The Mavs made the conference finals in 2003 before a first-round exit in 2004. Dallas got to the second round in 2005 where an old friend was waiting.

Score one for letting Jalen Brunson leave as the worse move. At least Dallas tried to improve their roster after Nash’s departure. The Dallas Mavericks did nothing to replace their starting guard leaving until it was far too late, and even then, they traded Spencer Dinwiddie for Kyrie, which again left them with just two ball-handlers on their roster.