The Best Trade in the History of Your Dallas Mavericks

Yep, pretty much the easiest list I've ever put together. On June 24, 1998 the Dallas Mavericks drafted robust, rotund -- let's face it, fat -- Michigan forward Robert "Tractor" Traylor with the No. 6 pick in the draft. Three picks later the Milwaukee Bucks drafted a German teen named...

By Richie Whitt

February 24, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Yep, pretty much the easiest list I've ever put together.

On June 24, 1998 the Dallas Mavericks drafted robust, rotund -- let's face it, fat -- Michigan forward Robert "Tractor" Traylor with the No. 6 pick in the draft. Three picks later the Milwaukee Bucks drafted a German teen named Dirk Nowitzki, then immediately traded him and Pat Garrity to Dallas.

End result: Dallas acquired a first-ballot Hall of Famer and the best player in its franchise history in exchange for ...

a guy who in 2010 was named the Defensive Player of the Year -- in Puerto Rico's Baloncesto Superior Nacional.

Traylor scored 2,000 points in the NBA; Dirk is steaming toward 23,000.

There is no No. 2 on the list. Thank you, Don Nelson.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Dallas Observer has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.