1998: the night that brought Dirk and Nash
On draft night in 1998, Dallas gave up the No. 6 pick and walked away with the two pillars of the next decade.
Robert Traylor
No. 6 pick in the 1998 draft
June 1998: traded to Milwaukee, and became:
No. 9 pick. 21 seasons in Dallas, 2007 MVP and 2011 champion
Pat Garrity
No. 19 pick
The same night: traded to Phoenix with Martin Müürsepp, Bubba Wells and a 1999 first-round pick, and became:
Two-time All-Star with the Mavs (2002 and 2003)
From Dennis Smith Jr. to Kyrie Irving
The 2019 trade for Kristaps Porziņģis branched into four more deals and is still paying off: it produced Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II and Caleb Martin.
No. 9 pick in the 2017 draft
January 2019: traded to New York with DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and two first-round picks, and became:
February 2022: traded to Washington with a protected second-round pick, and became:
February 2023: traded to Brooklyn with Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks, and became:
Kyrie IrvingOn the roster
2024 Finals alongside Luka
Went out in the Luka Dončić trade in 2025
2023 draft: traded to Oklahoma City with the No. 10 pick (Cason Wallace), and became:
Dereck Lively IIOn the roster
No. 12 pick in the 2023 draft
July 2024: traded to Detroit with three second-round picks, and became:
February 2025: traded with a 2025 second-round pick, and became:
Caleb MartinOn the roster
Waived in December 2020
Went out in the Christian Wood trade in 2022
From Trae Young to Luka, Anthony Davis and Middleton
The most celebrated and the most debated trades in franchise history sit on the same branch.
Trae Young
No. 5 pick in the 2018 draft
June 2018: traded to Atlanta with a protected 2019 first-round pick, and became:
No. 3 pick. Five-time All-Star and the 2024 Finals
February 2025: traded to L.A. Lakers with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, and became:
February 2026: traded to Washington with Jaden Hardy, Dante Exum and D’Angelo Russell, in a three-team deal, and became:
Max ChristieOn the roster
2029 first-round pick
From the Lakers
Jason Kidd’s road back to Dallas
Kidd left in 1996, in the trade that brought Michael Finley. Twelve years later, a chain that began with Antawn Jamison brought him back, in time for the 2011 title.
June 2004: traded to Washington, and became:
Rights to the No. 5 pick in the 2004 draft
February 2008: traded to New Jersey with Trenton Hassell, Keith Van Horn, Maurice Ager, DeSagana Diop and two first-round picks, and became: