Cuban Reveals Mavs "Did Everything We Could" To Land All-Star Guard

Well, at least Rick Carlisle got his man, even if Mark Cuban didn't. The Dallas Mavericks owner has revealed that, with then-head coach Carlisle still in town, the Mavs tried their darndest to land future All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton in the 2020 NBA Draft. 

Mark Cuban: “We did everything we could to trade up for Tyrese Haliburton… Rick [Carlisle] was our coach at the time. He goes to Indiana, what’s the first deal he does?”

Pat Beverley: “Him and Luka together would’ve been different!”

(via @PatBevPod)pic.twitter.com/iryXyvPDhz

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 30, 2023

“We did everything we could to trade up for Tyrese Haliburton…" Cuban told Patrick Beverley on the PatBev Podcast. "Rick [Carlisle] was our coach at the time. He goes to Indiana, what’s the first deal he does?” laughed Cuban.

That 'first deal' was, of course, a major franchise-changing trade for both the Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings, as Carlisle received Haliburton for the Pacers, where he's become an All-Star and one of the best point guards in the NBA, while All-Star center Domantas Sabonis went the other way and helped lead the Kings to the playoffs for the first time in 16 years.

In 56 games last season in Indiana, Haliburton averaged a career-high 20.7 points and 10.4 assists (which, if he would have qualified, would have ranked 2nd in the NBA). Imagine, if the Mavs had gotten Haliburton three years ago, they wouldn't have had to mortgage their future for Kyrie Irving this year.

As for that 2020 Draft, Haliburton wound up going at No. 12 to the Kings while the Mavs stayed at No. 18 and selected Josh Green.

Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports