Mark Cuban was the majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks for over two decades and continues to run basketball operations for the franchise today. Some mistakes will be made when you've been in charge for so long and Cuban was asked about his decision to let Steve Nash leave in free agency in 2004 during an appearance on the Draymond Green Show.
“I still got the pad where I took the notes where Steve called me to give me that last chance, right? Where I wrote down ‘Mike Bibby money.’ No lie," Cuban said. "I’ve got it written down on that sheet of paper. Mike Bibby money is what he wanted which was like the max out at the time which sounds so insane right now, right?"
Cuban wasn't sure about giving Nash the deal he wanted due to injury concerns and admits it was the biggest mistake he ever made as Mavericks owner.
“But, it was more that Steve had only played 28, 29 minutes a game that previous year, and we were worried about the injuries," Cuban continued. "And so, that was it in a nutshell. And so, it wasn’t any disrespect to his game and honestly, I think that propelled Steve, right? The fact that we let him go and etc., etc. Two-time MVP, great guy, love him to death. We’re friends again. But yeah, it was a mistake. The biggest mistake I ever made with the Mavs.”
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Cuban and the Mavericks' loss was the Phoenix Suns' gain. Nash signed with them and would win back-to-back MVPs in 2005 and 2006. He emerged as the premier point guard in the league in Phoenix and Cuban was left ruing his decision to let the Canadian leave.
Nash and the Suns even eliminated the Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2005 to make matters worse. As the title kept eluding the team in the years that followed, Cuban would have felt even worse about that decision he made.
Fortunately for him, the Mavericks would eventually break through and win it all in 2011. Still, Cuban wonders what might have been had he not let Nash go.
Earlier in the episode, he stated he might have the same number of rings as Green does if he had kept Nash and Dirk Nowitzki together on the Mavericks. I am not sure Nash and Nowitzki would have won four championships but they might have been able to win two.
The Mavericks Almost Landed Kobe Bryant In 2007
Just a few years after letting Nash leave, Dallas attempted to pull off an audacious trade for one of the game's biggest names. Cuban shared that the Mavericks almost landed Kobe Bryant in 2007 after he had put in a trade request.
Cuban thought the deal was done, but then Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak convinced Bryant to stay. The Mavericks supposedly wouldn't have had to trade Nowitzki to acquire Kobe and it would have been one of the greatest trades ever had they pulled it off.
A team with Nowitzki and Bryant in their primes would have won multiple championships and it's a shame we never got to see them together. Kobe would eventually end up winning two championships with Pau Gasol, which would have stung Cuban, but that blow would be lessened by Dallas winning it all in 2011.
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