11 Players the Dallas Mavericks held onto for too long

8. Fat Lever

The Mavs gave up two first-round draft picks to acquire Lever in 1990. He was coming off his second All-Star appearance, but Dallas had Derek Harper and Rolando Blackman starting in the backcourt. They planned to bring Lever off the bench, but things did not go as planned in that sixth-man role.

The 6’3 guard played just four games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. His playing time dipped, and Lever struggled to hit shots during his brief time on the floor. He was limited to 31 games the following season, but his production increased. Knee troubles resumed and it cost him the entire 1992-93 campaign. In his first three years in Dallas, Lever played a total of 36 games.

He finally got healthy for the 1993-94 season, but the 33-year-old was past his prime. Fat Lever averaged 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.0 steals in 24.0 minutes per game. He played in 81 contests, including making 54 starts, in what would be his final NBA season.

The Dallas Mavericks held on too long after giving up two first-round picks for the two-time All-Star. Could they have moved him after the rough first season and recouped a first-rounder? Instead, they waited three full years to get one season of strong backup point guard production from Fat Lever.