On paper – and we know from those high-school algebra courses that things on paper don’t always translate to real-life application – the Mavericks have turned a late first-round draft pick into a proven commodity with the trade for Christian Wood.
The 6-10 center seems to be exactly the kind of player who should fit perfectly with Luka Dončić. Again, on paper.
And all the Mavericks sacrificed was the No. 26 overall draft pick, one that likely would have had trouble cracking Jason Kidd’s playing rotation next season, and four role players, none of whom played meaningful minutes in the playoff run.
Seems like a slam-dunk, right?
Which brings up the conversation of some of the Mavericks’ most lopsided trades in franchise history. These don’t always happen because the other side is led by dunderheads. Sometimes, the trade partner needs salary relief or has other reasoning for doing a trade that seems uneven. In Houston’s case, the Rockets are in a major rebuild and Wood’s minutes were needed for younger players.
Plus, he would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer and the Rockets would have risked losing him for nothing in return.
The Mavericks have been on both sides of these deals, so here’s a quick rundown of 10 of the most memorable trades that seemed one-sided at the time and how they played out for the teams involved.
Got Dirk Nowitzki for Robert Traylor: Looking back, the Mavericks took a major risk not drafting Nowitzki at No. 6, which was the pick they owned in the 1998 draft. Instead, they leveraged the pick to get Pat Garrity and the ninth pick from Milwaukee for Traylor. Somebody picking seventh (Sacramento, Jason Williams) or eighth (Philadelphia, Larry Hughes) could have sabotaged the whole thing. Nearly a quarter-century later, this remains the poster child for inequitable trades. Traylor averaged 4.8 points and was out of the league after seven seasons. Dirk is headed for the hall of fame after 21 seasons with the Mavs.
Got Derek Harper and Roy Tarpley for Richard Washington and Jerome Whitehead. The Mavericks sent two journeymen center/forwards to Cleveland for Bill Robinzine and two draft picks, which were the big prizes in this deal. With the picks, the Mavericks got Harper in 1983 and Tarpley in 1986. Two years after that, they were in the Western Conference finals. Despite Tarpley’s woes, this was a slam-dunk, even if the Cavaliers felt pretty good about it when it happened.
Got Shawn Marion for Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George, Antoine Wright. Stackhouse was at the end of the line and was a bit player the rest of his career. Marion came to Dallas and fit in perfectly on a team that would win the championship two seasons after his arrival. One of the underrated one-sided deals in Maverick history.
Got Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr. for draft picks, DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and Dennis Smith Jr. The Mavericks were getting an all-star in Porzingis. They were giving up decent players, but nothing they felt like they couldn’t live without. What they miscalculated was Porzingis’ penchant for being injured. He was never available as much as they needed him. And the fit with Luka wasn’t the best. That they turned Porzingis into Spencer Dinwiddie three years later salvaged this deal.
Got Rajon Rondo for Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright and Jameer Nelson. The Mavericks thought they were getting All-Star Rondo and all they got was all-wrong Rondo. He didn’t fit with Rick Carlisle or the system and was gone after half a season. Dwight Powell remains, but Crowder has been playing for championships in what seems like every season since.
Got Antoine Walker for Raef LaFrentz and a first-round pick. The draft choice became Delonte West, so when this trade was done, it was a no-brainer for the Mavericks. They were getting a triple-double threat every night. But he had one of his worst NBA seasons in Dallas and the stench from his shooting can still be smelled in some areas of American Airlines Center. On the bright side, he helped facilitate the tread in 2004 for Jason Terry, so it wasn’t a total loss.
Got Lamar Odom for a first-round pick. Maverick fans would rather forget this one. Odom’s versatile talent set was tantalizing. The drama in his personal life? Not so much. The Mavericks only gave up one pick and a trade exception. The pick ended up being Mitch McGary. It still was a resounding swing and a miss.
Got Tyson Chandler for Erick Dampier and Eduardo Najera. It didn’t seem lopsided at the time. Chandler was an injury-prone center who had to rebuild his career. No better way than to step into a championship situation and help lead the way to the title.
Got Zaza Pachulia for a second round draft pick. This may not seem that lopsided, but the pick was protected and never conveyed to Milwaukee, so essentially it was getting Pachulia for free. He wasn’t great, but averaged 9.4 rebounds in 2015-16 and not many have topped that as Mavericks since.
Got Steve Nash for Pat Garrity and a first-round pick. At the time, it didn’t seem one-sided at all. And considering the pick ended up being Shawn Marion, it wasn’t. But it’s hard to argue that getting Nash wasn’t a major steal for a franchise that was just starting to make good on its rebuilding project.
Twitter: @ESefko
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