Report: Mavericks Wanted To Draft Tyrese Haliburton In 2020

According to Jamal Collier and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the Dallas Mavericks wanted to draft Tyrese Haliburton in 2020.

The Sacramento Kings selected Haliburton with the 12th overall pick. Haliburton was traded to the Indiana Pacers in February 2022, where he is now coached by former Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle. 

“The Mavericks had Haliburton as the No.1 player on their 2020 draft board, based in large part on Haralabos Voulgaris’ analytics models,” Collier and MacMahon wrote. “Sources told ESPN that the Mavericks dangled their two selections, No. 18 and No. 31, as well as their sometimes starter and sometimes sixth-man guard Jalen Brunson, to every team until Haliburton went off the board at No. 12 to the Sacramento Kings.”

Before the start of the 2025 NBA Finals, Carlisle confirmed this story. 

“We tried like hell to get him and move up, we just couldn’t do it,” Carlisle said. “When I tell you that Mark Cuban tried everything. When Mark puts his mind to something, he can usually figure something out.”

Haliburton, Carlisle and the Pacers are tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder at 2-2 in the NBA Finals. Haliburton has established himself as one of the top point guards in the NBA. 

The Mavericks made the NBA Finals last year, losing to the Boston Celtics in five games. Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers this year and Kyrie Irving tore his left ACL in March. 

Dallas is expected to draft Duke star Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick in this year’s draft. Flagg will join Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson in Dallas.