16 Players the Mavericks never should have gambled on

11. Danny Manning

Manning was the number one overall pick in the 1988 draft. He helped the Kansas Jayhawks win an NCAA title in his senior season and immediately hit the ground running in the NBA. He averaged 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 block in 36.5 minutes per game as a rookie.

Manning would make two All-Star appearances in his prime but was hampered by injuries. The 6’10 forward bounced around the league as he declined, but wound up in Dallas in 2001. The Mavericks had just knocked out his Utah Jazz in the opening round of the playoffs, and Manning was eager to provide bench depth for a roster featuring a young Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Michael Finley.

Things did not go as planned for the 35-year-old. He was in and out of the rotation and wound up averaging 4.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game over 41 contests in his lone season in Dallas. The Mavs waived him in June 2002, and Manning played one final year with the Detroit Pistons before retiring.

Danny Manning moved into the world of coaching after his retirement and has been in the college ranks since 2006. Things did not go as planned in Dallas, but there is no knocking his resume. Manning was a two-time All-Star and former Sixth Man of the Year. The veteran just did not fit with the Mavericks at that stage of his career.