16 Players the Dallas Mavericks gave up on way too soon

10. Devin Harris

The Mavericks traded Antwan Jamison for Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner, and the fifth overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft where they selected Devin Harris.

The 6’3 guard immediately entered the rotation and continuously improved over his three and a half seasons in Dallas before he was traded to the Nets in 2008 as part of the package for Jason Kidd. The Mavericks gave up a significant haul, but J-Kidd was the starting point guard on the 2011 championship squad and made two more All-Star appearances while back in Dallas.

Harris immediately jumped into the starting five in New Jersey and averaged 21.3 points, 6.9 assists, and 1.7 steals in 2009 where he made his first and only All-Star appearance. Fans were quick to jump all over Mark Cuban and the Mavericks that it was a bad trade, but the complaints went away when Dallas won the championship.

Devin Harris was primarily a starter and key contributor for five years before coming back to the Mavs as a free agent in 2013. The 6’3 guard became a fan favorite for his cutting ability and chemistry with backup point guard J.J. Barea. Harris played the majority of his final six seasons with the Mavericks before retiring in 2019.

The Dallas Mavericks missed out on Harris’ prime, but it was a necessary evil in acquiring Jason Kidd from the New Jersey Nets.