10 Retired Dallas Mavericks who would fit perfectly on today's team

9. Sam Perkins

The Dallas Mavericks' No. 4 pick in the 1984 NBA Draft could fill their present void at the power forward slot. Sam Perkins had taken turns at the four and five during his six-year stay in Dallas, and if the sweet-shooting big man played for the current team, he could start alongside Dereck Lively II to offer enough space on the floor for its star playmakers.

Considering that he never became a star like the draft classmates chosen before (Michael Jordan) and after (Charles Barkley) him, Perkins has become one of the Mavs' forgotten players. Still, he had an impressive run in Dallas, averaging double-figures in scoring and never recording less than 7.4 rebounds per game each season.

The University of North Carolina alum also served a key role in the franchise's playoff runs in the mid to late 1980s, starting in all 38 contests and scoring 14.9 points per game.

Perkins reached three Finals during his career, although none of those appearances came in a Mavs uniform. 

In 1991, he suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers, who lost to the Chicago Bulls in the Finals. Five years later, he returned to the championship stage with the Seattle SuperSonics, only to see his hopes of winning a ring get shut down again by the Bulls. Playing for the Indiana Pacers to cap off his career, he helped the Eastern Conference squad book a Finals trip, losing to the Lakers in six contests.