11 Players the Dallas Mavericks held onto for too long

9. Jerry Stackhouse

Stackhouse was already passed his prime when he arrived in Dallas. He was no longer the two-time All-Star averaging over 20 points per game. He was limited to 26 games in the 2003-04 season and struggled to find his form. The Mavs traded Antawn Jamison to the Wizards for Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner, and the fifth overall pick, which turned into Devin Harris during the 2004 offseason.

Stackhouse moved into a sixth-man role in Dallas. He quickly became a fan favorite, but his playing time and production dipped in each of his five years with the Mavericks. Injuries started to catch up to the 6’6 wing in his 30s. Stack averaged just 49.2 games per season and there was a clear decline. He played just ten games during his final season in Dallas, and it was beyond time to move on.

The Mavs sent Stackhouse to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2009 as part of a four-team deal that brought Shawn Marion to Dallas. The Matrix played a key role on their 2011 championship team, but the franchise had to trade three players and cash to acquire him.

Jerry Stackhouse played four more years in the NBA after leaving the Dallas Mavericks, but he averaged over 15 minutes per game just once and never played in more than 42 contests. The Mavs held on too long as Stack went from key sixth man to reserve playing fewer than 20 minutes per game.