Steve Nash, Part 1 « blog maverick

Steve Nash, Part 1

Jul 3rd 2004 3:52AM

“How could you let Steve Nash go?” It’s a question I’m going to hear for a long time. It’s a question Mavs
fans deserve an answer to. As best I can, I will try to go through all the logical, illogical, emotional and financial
scenarios that we explored in putting together the offer that we thought would keep Steve a Dallas Maverick for the
rest of his career.

In the beginning….

When I first got to the Mavs, Steve’s name was one that was often included in our trade proposals. At the time, he
was an often injured, unproven point guard of a team that hadn’t been to the playoffs in 10 years with a brand new,
long-term contract. As is often the case in the NBA, the best deals are the ones that you don’t do. During and
following the ‘99-’00 season, we explored several deals that included Steve. In every single case, no team wanted Steve
and his contract. It seems so stupid looking back. It also seems like it was only yesterday. It was almost 5 years
ago.

That’s the thing about the NBA, seasons don’t go by quickly, but the years do. One day a player is untradeable from
a perennial loser, the next day he is a star on a perennial playoff team…and vice versa.Fortunately, we
didn’t become a victim of our stupidity. The talent, work ethic and perseverance that Donnie and Nellie saw in
Steve blossomed.

Steve went from a player that was booed by Dallas fans as an overpaid failure, to a two-time all star loved by
everyone who knows him or watches him play. I felt the same way. Steve was more than just a player on our team for me
as well. We got to be friends. My first year, when we visited Vancouver and Phoenix, he made sure his friends became my
friends. They still are. How can you not have a great time with and love a guy whose best friends include a guy
named SmallBalls, and another guy who goes out with us wearing a shirt that says “I F**ked Your Boyfriend”?

Three years in a row we were part of a Mavs group that went to the All Star game together, and had a great time.
Although we didn’t really get a chance to socialize during this past season, Steve was one of the players I could phone
and use as a sounding board. Whether the team was going well or poorly, we could talk about anything and everything
that was happening with the team, knowing it would be honest and confidential. This past year was difficult for all of
us, and we talked more than usual, I know it helped me. I think it helped Steve as well

I guess this was all a way of saying that I wanted and expected Steve to be a Maverick for life. Making that
happen meant having to deal with contracts and agents, and that’s often where things get difficult.

With Steve in an option year of his contract, our first opportunity was to extend his contract. The process started
during the season when we asked his agent, Bill Duffy, if he would consider allowing Steve to accept an extension. We
said we would extend him out the full term that we were allowed 6 years. Financially, we would be able to increase
his salary by the 12pct base (This means we take 12pct times his last year salary, and then we can increase his salary
by that same amount each year). The upside to Steve would be the certainty of having the extension, and the protection
against a career ending or impacting injury during the season that might affect his value as a free agent.

Bill and Steve decided that it wasn’t in Steve’s best interest. That was understandable. It also meant that Steve
knew he was going to be a free agent. Coming off a year where we went to the Western Conference Finals, and he made the
All-Star team, it made sense.

At that point, we both decided separately, and agreed together, not to negotiate during the season. To me, that was
a good thing. Steve couldn’t officially become a free agent until he opted out, by getting the message to the media, it
would reduce the continuous barrage of questions from them. Hearing the same question over and over and over and over,
even though you give the same answer over and over and over is distracting, draining and a waste of everyone’s
time.

On top of the media, I don’t have the greatest relationship with his agent. I’m not a big fan of his and he knows
it. There have been multiple times where we have expressed an interest in players of his, and he has placed them other
places without even talking to us first. I’m not sure how or why we got to this point, but last summer was a perfect
example. We asked him about Olowakandi, and he told us he didn’t think he would be available for the mid-level
exception. Next thing you know, he signs for the mid-level exception with the TWolves. That’s his choice, but I don’t
think he even presented the Mavs as an option to Mike.

Bottom line, I felt that my relationship with his agent could create tension, and I didn’t want that during the
season. To the credit of Steve andDuffy, it didn’t.

Which brings us to July 1st the first day of Free Agency.

Steve and his girlfriend had spent the summer traveling overseas. We exchanged a few emails, and he let us know that
he would be back June 30th.

We asked Steve’s agent to get us information on how much money he was looking for. Not unexpectedly, rather than
giving us “his price”, he faxed us a presentation that really set the tone for what we were up against. These
presentations, which agents love to do, would get laughed at in any normal business environment. They show all kinds of
numbers and stats reflecting a player’s performance. What makes them unusable from our perspective is, as you would
expect from a player’s agent, it only shows the numbers that reflect the player’s performance positively. It’s not an
honest assessment at all. What makes these presentations dangerous is that they always onlyinclude salary
comparisonsthat only include players whose salaries are at the top of the pay scale. The performance
comparisons included Chauncey Billups, Sam Cassell, Jason Williams, Gary Peyton, Tony Parker and Rafer Alston among
other point guards, but the salary “comps” only included those point guards who were maxed out or very close Jason
Kidd, Baron Davis, Mike Bibby, etc. What makes these things dangerous is that the agents show them to the players and
use them to set the players’ contract expectations.

It’s easy to find stats that make Steve Nash look good. There are a ton of them. It’s easy to see the intangibles
that make Steve Nash valuable. What is difficult is to make honest assessments about where the team is and where it is
going and how Steve or any player fits into a championship.

On the intangibles side, Steve is a great guy to have in the locker room. He gets along with everyone. He isn’t
going to give a locker room speech. He isn’t going to get in anyone’s face. He isn’t going to get into other people’s
business. He is definitely what I would call a quiet leader. He leads by example. He is the kind of guy anyone in any
business would want to go to war with. He gives 120 pct and all of his teammates see that.

So on the intangible side, Steve is incredibly valuable.

It’s also that kamikaze spirit and approach to the game that is Steve’s greatest weakness. The most improbable stat
from Steve Nash is how few games he has missed in the last few years. I have seen the pain he goes through before,
during and after games, yet he still manages to trot out there and play at an incredibly high level. To protect Steve,
Nellie has tried to limit Steve’s minutes to 33 to 35 per game, with the goal of getting that number lower and lower
every year. It’s why we drafted Devin Harris. It’s why we would draft a point guard at all. We have Marquis Daniels as
our backup point. Yet we still felt that we needed to have another point guard on the roster. We wanted to have someone
who could come in and play this year, plus be trained by Steve as our point guard of the future. This would allow us to
use Steve more effectively and reduce his chance of injury. Our feeling was that we were fortunate that Steve had been
so injury free. That it was only a matter of time before his style of play caught up with him. Between Marquis and
Devin, we felt like we had taken the steps to not only protect Steve for this year, by not having to overplay him, but
also we could extend his career because of the reduced minutes. We were going to have 3 point guards on the roster, all
of whom we felt would be contributors.

With all that said, the issue still came down to how to determine what you pay any player. We had made the
commitment to pay 3 point guards. But how much should I offer Steve?

Figuring that out is far more emotion and art than science. It’s Donnie and Nellie’s job to pick which players we go
after. It’s my job to figure out how much to pay them.

In the pre-luxury tax days it was easier. If you made a mistake and overpaid someone, it wasn’t difficult to move
him. Teams would take chances. I will trade your mistake for mine, and we can see what happens. Now, if a team is at
risk of going over the tax threshold or the cap, they won’t make that move. Not only does the cost double for tax
teams, but for non-tax teams, taking just a little bit more salary back than you gave up can mean the difference
between being under the tax threshold and collecting millions, or being over the tax threshold and forfeiting your
share of the tax money and paying a tax on top of that.

Not to get too far off topic, but the crazy thing is, no one in the NBA ever expected that the luxury tax would ever
be activated. The league wouldn’t say it directly, but every capologist or GM in the league would tell you that the TV
contract was going up in value every year. That meant the tax would be very unlikely to kick in. That is until the TV
revenue stopped going up and in fact went down and the tax kicked in with a vengeance. Now that we have had two
years of the tax and are looking at a 3rd, the amount of flexibility to move players with big contracts has fallen
considerably, even for last year guys. Yes, deals can be done, but it is far more difficult. If you sign a player to a
long term, high dollar contract, the expectation has to be that you will not be able to trade that person…ever. He will
play out his contract. If at some point in that contract, the player no longer plays at the level he was at when the
contract was signed, you have a huge problem.

The problem is not just how much money you have to pay. The bigger problem is that you start chewing up roster spots
and you lose the ability to add players. For better or worse, because we “went for it” in making trades, hoping that
the deals could get us to a championship, we have ended up with several players who don’t get much playing time with
us, yet have contracts that are difficult if not impossible to trade. You can only have so many of those before you
have zero roster spots available and you have to trade players who really do contribute in order to package them with
less desirable contracts and free up spots that can be used to add draft picks or players signed with the mid-level or
some other exception.

Lastly, there were two significant business variables that played a big part in how I decided what to offer Steve,
or any other free agent for that matter. The first is that the Collective Bargaining Agreement is coming up for renewal
by the end of this year. I have no doubt that there will be changes. If the changes are conservative financially, which
I can guess that they will be, then high dollar players with older contracts will be even more difficult, if not
impossible to trade. The 2nd element was that the national NBA TV contract expires in 4 years. We saw TV revenue
decline with our last TV deal, and given the climate that exists in the TV biztoday, until something changes, a
reasonable businessperson would have to expect that there is a material chance that the dollar value of the next deal
could be less and possibly even drastically less. If I’m wrong and the contract goes up, great. That’s gravy, and when
it does I’m happy to give it to the players. On the flipside, if it doesn’t, and the league’s largest source of revenue
declines or even disappears teams are still on the hook for those salaries. In what is probably the ultimate
stupidity of any business I have been involved with, we sign contracts that are guaranteed for periodswhen none
of our revenue sources are.

If you look at the Mavs’ contracts, only our rookies and soon Marquis Daniels have contractsthat extend beyond
the TV contract, and in each there is an opt out. In the event there is a draconian change in how we do business in the
NBA, I should be ok. Ifthebusiness of the NBA excels I have a boatload of cap room to reward Dirk, Marquis
and the team and add new players.

Which brings me back to Steve. I had fears in terms of his durability. I had roster fears. I had the business fears
cited above. I had to come up with a number. So I did the only natural thing, I tried to figure out what the other guys
might pay him.

Every summer at this time, agents go to the media, or have their friends do it, and talk about how much in demand a
player is. Every agent wants it in the media that every team wants his guy. There is always far more smoke than fire.
The key is separating one from the other. Agents are a good source of information. There are quite a few that are
straight up, just looking for a good deal for their guys. They will share information with you about their guys, and
that in turn gives a good feel about what each team may or may not do. After making my calls and Donnie making his
calls to friends and family around the league, we pretty much knew that the only team with a real interest in Steve was
Phoenix. The Suns were out there telling everyone they were going after Kobe Bryant, but I just couldn’t see that
happening. Mr. Colangelo had gone through a lot with his team a few years ago and I couldn’t see him dealing with the
off-court uncertainty attached to Kobe. So I needed to try to figure out what the Suns might offer.

The Suns had just taken on new owners, so I didn’t know if they came in flush with cash, or would be conservative.
So that didn’t help me. What I felt strongly about is that the Suns would want to add more than one player with their
cap room. They were doing everything possible to maximize their cap space available, beyond what would be considered a
max out amount, so that cemented that perspective. Looking at their roster, they probably were looking for a center to
go along with their interest in Steve.

To gain the most flexibility with that cap room, after signing Steve,they would need to retain more cap space
than the mid-level exception. The big problem is that although teams are out there saying how much cap room they have,
they don’t really know how much cap room they have. The league doesn’t give us the cap number until we can start
signing free agents.

Worse still, we can’t even really calculate or give a good guess on what the cap is. Roughly speaking the cap is
League Revenues times .48, divided by 29. League Revenues have very specific inclusions and exclusions, and also
include an 8pct fluff factor that has to be adjusted each year. So we can guess the cap, but we don’t know the cap.
What we do know is salaries that each team is paying.

So I tried to figure out what the Suns could offer Steve. I knew that with salaries and cap hold, they had just
under 30mm committed for the year. So if the cap would come in at a very generous 45mm dollars, they would have 15.5mm
dollars in cap. For every dollar the cap came in less, their cap room would be reduced. We also knew that the mid-level
exception would be around 5mm dollars (it’s based on average salaries, not revenues). So if they wanted to sign a 2nd
player other than Steve, and they wanted to be able to offer more than the mid level of 5mm, that would use at least
5.1mm in cap room. So best case, the Suns would be able to offer 10.4mm to Steve in the first year.

That is the best case. The cap would have to come in at the high end, and they would have to be able to sign the
player they want, at pennies over the mid-level exception (kind of what Seattle did to us with Calvin Booth). I then
guessed and this was completely a guess that the Suns would want some cushion to sign the 2nd player and to protect
themselves in case the cap came in lower than expected. So I guessed they would reserve 6mm dollars to get the 2nd
player they wanted, and they would put the cap estimate at 44mm. That would reduce the dollars available to 44mm cap
minus 35.5 committed (current salaries, 1 cap hold and 6mm for their 2nd player). That would mean a first year number
of 8.5mm dollars.

If you start with 8.5mm and take it out from there with the annual increase allowed of 850k, that means for a 4 year
deal the total is 39mm, for a 5 year deal the total would be 51mm. I talked to Donnie, I called some people around the
league and asked what they knew and if my logic was sound and my numbers seemed reasonable, low or high. Without
exception, all thought it was reasonable and there was no way the Suns went higher dollars or longer than 5 years. I
knew there was a lot more guessing than fact involved. There was more emotion than facts, but that is the way it
works.As I went to bed on the night of June 30th, I thought that the 5 yr/51mm deal was the best the Suns
wouldconsider offering.

The morning of July 1, as I got ready to go to Steve’s, I had determined that I would offer Steve 9mm dollars a year
for 4 years, with a 5th year with half guaranteed, but he could get the 5th year fully guaranteed by playing enough
games and minutes the year before. I was guessing we would end up doing 60 games and 20 minutes per game to get there.
I thought it was very fair.

There was risk of Steve getting hurt. His contract being unmovable.I was going past the length of the TV deal
and into the new CBA. Butthis was for Steve Nash. I would have preferred to stick to 4 years, but Duffy had been
telling some people that he wanted more than 4 years and I thought this might be an ego point for the agent, so I
offered the 5th year with the terms.

Donnie wanted me to offer 10mm a year for 4 years straight up. Both were fair offers. Both had lots of risk. I knew
that I was going to let Steve see if he could get another offer, and I knew that Steve would give me the chance to
match, and I would ifI thought it was reasonable.

That morning we all met at Steve’s house. Some small chitchat and stories. It was emotional for me and Donnie and
Steve. But we were here for business and we got started talking about the deal.

I told Steve directly thatI wanted to be fair, and that I wanted to pay him more than any other team. I said
that I didn’t want to negotiate against ourselves and play games. That if another team came in and paid him a max-like
deal, what I called an extreme deal, outside the norm, then he would have to take it. There has only been 1 player ever
over the age of 30 to get a max out deal or anything close and if Steve was the 2nd, more power to him. I would be
happy for him. Then I gave him our offer.

He seemed very, very receptive to it. In fact, when Donnie and I left, we both felt very, very good about it. They
were supposed to call us back over the next couple days because Steve wanted to go out of town.

In a normal business situation, this is not how I would handle it. IfI were negotiating a big deal and
offering to buy something for this much money, it would be make your decision now. If I walk out the door, the offer
walks with me. That would not have beenright in this case.

As Steve’s friend, if Duffy can get a team to pay him max out like dollars, Steve deserves to get it.

About dinner time that night I got a call. Donnie said I had to call Steve. I did. To make a long story short, Steve
said he got an incredible offer from the Suns. He wouldn’t tell me the exact numbers, but every time I said a number,
he said it was more. He said they flew down a whole group of people, including Amare Stoudemire to recruit him. He was
calling because he felt like he owed me the opportunity to match it. I was stunned. I told him to give me a little bit
of time to think it over and I would call him back. He was fine with that.

I called Donnie and told him the range of numbers that I had given Steve, and that the offer was higher. I think
Donnie was as stunned as I was. Based on the ranges I had thrown out to Steve, this might not have been a max out deal,
but it sure sounded like it was close. There was no way I was going to match it. The amounts were higher and the length
was longer than I was willing to go for all the reasons I wrote about.

I really don’t know how long it was before I called back. It was amazing all the things that were going through my
head. I felt sick to my stomach. I also knew that there was no way that the Suns had called Duffy that morning and
arranged to have all those people come to town and meet with Steve.Duffy had set this thing up and knew exactly
what was going to happen. In hindsight, I should have known when Duffy barely said anything during our meeting with
Steve that something was up.I missed it. Not that it would have changed the outcome.

When I called back to talk to Steve, upset at having to tell him we couldn’t match, and that we wished him well,
Duffy answeredthe phone. I confirmed some of the numbers that Steve had given me and the term. I told him that I
didn’t think we could match the Suns offer. I then asked him if we could work out a sign and trade. He said he would
ask the Suns, he put down the phone for a minute and came back and told me that they wouldn’t consider a sign and
trade.

He obviously wasn’t my favoriteperson at the time,and I asked him when this Suns meeting got setup. He
told me they had called that morning. I said there was no way, and he said, no wait, they called late last night. There
was nothing more to our conversation than that. That said it all. I wonder how much he told the Suns we were offering
Steve.

I then asked Duffy to put Steve on the phone. I wished Steve the best. I truly was happy for him as a friend and I
told him so.He had additional financial security. It wasn’t easy for me. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for
anyone associated with, or fans of, the Mavs. It was Steve’s choice to leave for money. It was my choice not to pay him
the money.

Now you have a better understanding of what went through my head as all of this happened. It may make sense; it may
not. Let me assure you it was not easy at all. As I read through this again, I’m sure I will add and change it to
reflect things that come to mind.

I feel better having written all of this,knowing that although Mavs and Nashie fans might not like the result,
might not agree with my approach, might think I’m an idiot, buthopefully will know that I know this was an
important decision that impacted all of us, and I thought each and every one of deserved to know what went on.

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427 Comments

well I think I can speak for many people when I say that I was shocked when i heard that Nash had signed with Phoenix. Especially because it was announced just a few hours after free agency started.
This is definatly a hard loss for the Mavericks, not just for the team, but for the relationships(like you were talking about).
It will be interesting though to hear your input on what more has happened since I never seem to trust the news or ESPN when it comes to the Mavericks. Just keep us updated!

Comment by Emily — July 3, 2004 @ 4:12 pm
Mark - Thanks for doing this, especially in such a timely fashion. All of us Mavs fanatics are wondering how it all went down, and I look forward to reading your side of the story.

DPG

Comment by David Gonzalez — July 3, 2004 @ 4:16 pm
So with Nash gone, and Dirk off-limits, can we expect alot of changes to the Mavs this off-season to try and get the Big Fella?

Comment by Joey — July 3, 2004 @ 4:29 pm
Mark, I really appreciate getting your side of the story, but I think the move was a bad one. I realize that the tension between you and the agent made things difficult, but that is a necessary evil of the game at the pro level. Nash made the Mavs what they are with his incredible play and ball distribution. The second mistake made was signing Marquis Daniels to a six year deal. He had a great rookie campaign, and no one expected him to. I think that he seemed so good because no one expected him to be dangerous. Now, people will be gunning for him, and with his selfish style of play, I don’t think he will respond well. Nash is indispensible, and I wish he would come back to Dallas. It’s going to be hard to see Nash torch Daniels or some rookie PG four times next season. I have very little faith in the PG play of the Mavericks next year. Daniels seems like a “me first” guy, and the rookie is just a rookie. I hope it works out well.

Comment by Bobby — July 3, 2004 @ 4:32 pm
This was a tough one.

I can’t really fault either party in this situation - Steve went for the dollars (and was able to return to an area of the country he obviously loves) and the Mavericks made what was most likely the soundest long-term business decision.

That said, I feel confident that the Mavericks aren’t done yet. As a day one season ticket holder, I’m willing to give them a while to reassess and take further action.

If we roll into October with the current roster, though, I won’t be a happy camper.

Comment by David — July 3, 2004 @ 4:48 pm
I am worried about next season. The mavs need another pg (troy hudson, derek fisher, carlos arroyo–too expensive and no money to spend other than the lle. any sign-in-trade deal will most likely limit the mavs options at getting a decent center). All I can say is, if this team is in rebuilding mode, why not truly rebuild. Finley’s contract is one of the worst contracts in the league. Find a way to move his contract, because it limits offseason flexibility. Nash was vertainly more valuable to this organization than Finley. If the concern is paying players too much at a certain age, shouldn’t Finley’s contract be moved? The injuries have piled up over the last couple of seasons, and Fin vanishes in the playoffs.

I will have faith in Cuban, but it is extremely difficult to see HOW the mavs will be competitive with this current roster. Losing Jamison and Nash, when it should have been Walker, Finley, and someone else (you pick; there are plenty of bench guys to choose from).

Comment by jeremy w — July 3, 2004 @ 4:51 pm
Mark,

We all liked Steve Nash but the bottom line is that he never measured up in the playoffs. You offered him a deal that is on par with that of Bibby’s, a guy that put up 24 ppg on him and 36 in the deciding game, and he chose to walk.

I am ready for the Devin Harris era. Watching him on Channel 11 last night score and then immediately pick up full court defensively excited me.

Bottom line, GREAT MOVE. It was going to take losing a Nash to send a message to our team that the honeymoon is over. Dirk, Quis, Devin, and Josh will take us places we have never gone before. Add Shaq to that group, which I know you can and will, and people will get over Steve Nash.

Thanks Mark, you are the best owner out there. Money don’t grow on trees and Nash is not worth what he is getting.

Comment by Miles Gilman — July 3, 2004 @ 4:59 pm
So Do you really think theres any chance in hell to land shaq now without Dirk? Even with dirk it looks like mavs are stuck with the 2 big stiffs.

Comment by oo — July 3, 2004 @ 5:17 pm
for posting this. It is hard losing a favorite player but your blog post is a pretty cool way to let us fans know what is up.

Comment by Jordon Cooper — July 3, 2004 @ 5:21 pm
Courage, Mark - you did the right thing, and you know it. Alot of second guessing and knee-jerking will follow, but the fact is, you made a fair, indeed generous, offer to a player who had expressed a desire to stay in Dallas. Your duty is to the team, not Steve, nor his agent, and you made an offer that should have satisfied all parties. There will almost always be someone with a checkbook that’s on meltdown, waiting to overpay.

While you’re going to hear a bunch of nonsense asking about loyalty to your players, the decision wasn’t yours - it was Steve’s. No-one can dispute that your offer to Steve was fair, not only to Steve, but the team finances and long term outlook. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him sign a contract to drink it…

And lest anyone think I’m, a Cuban cheerleader… heh, let me disabuse you of THAT notion. But he made the only responsible decision that could be made in the teams interest.

Venger

Comment by Venger — July 3, 2004 @ 5:21 pm
Mark, Is there any chance that Phoenix would be interested in a Sign-and-Trade for Steve where we can receive a trade exception? I realize that they would have no incentive to do so without the Mavs tipping them with something…money, taking a bad contract etc.

Is anybody looking into this possibility? A large TE enables grander schemes.!

Comment by Langhugh — July 3, 2004 @ 5:32 pm
Hey Mark,

I’m a Lakers fan, and a Shaq fan.. I don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors in LA, but I do know that Shaq isn’t very happy now and trying to build around Kobe is just plain stupid.. Please pickup Shaq and let him get you a ring, so that everyone in the Lakers organization will realize the HUGE mistake they made.

Comment by john — July 3, 2004 @ 5:34 pm
I miss Nash, but I have faith in you. I am looking forward to a young new defensive minded backcourt of Daniels and Harris!

Lets bring in the New Aristotle!

Comment by THE WEST COAST MAVS FAN — July 3, 2004 @ 5:43 pm
(1) The NBA is a buiness. (2)We still need to wait for part two to see if Steve’s agent came back to Mavs to ask for a counter offer (3)You can’t blame The Mavs Org…They have the second highest payroll in the NBA…Out of the top 5 payrolls…they had the best season…In fact there payroll was 56% higher than that of the Lakers… (4)Somehow I don’t think that many teams would have matched the Mav’s offer. But, that is just my opinion. (5) Steve Nash is not a sustainable player. His skills will diminish over the next three seasons surely. (6) There are a lot of players out there…and the elimination of Steve Nash will clear cap room to go after them. Carlos Boozer worth 40+ million, Steve Nash, pass…. (6) Its a long summer….A lot of deals to made….A lot of deals to be passed on…and so on… let’s not focus all our energy speculating on Shaq…what about Kenyon Martin?, Robert Traylor?, Brian Cardinal?, Marcus Camby?, Quentin Richardson? Derek Fisher?…. (7) San Antonio Spurs are the Wal-Mart of the League….The Mavs are the Target….Let’s see where the Wegman’s (Lakers) and the other supercenters end up…So..don’t expect a Shaq trade until next season…

Comment by Slw1234 — July 3, 2004 @ 5:48 pm
This is the worst thing that could have happened.
There is nothing good whatsoever that can come from this.
Basketball-wise there is no reason not to max Nash out, at least for 4 years. Since at this point today the Mavericks already know that they are going to be over the salary cap in 2008 anyway and that there’s really only a theoretical possibility that they will be under the cap in 2009 and 2010 since they will have to sign and resign players.
That means the talent is lost… You will not get anything from this move in the next 5 years. You don’t gain flexibility because you’re far over the cap anyway.

If you don’t think Nash can help in the playoffs you still could have traded him for Bosh and a filler or Kurt Thomas and a bad contract or Joe Johnson and a spare or Chandler and some other dude.

So as a fan you should either be sad and/or mad that your owner just gave away a big amount of talent because of money-reasons (since it’s not your money), or you can accept and be fine with him wanting to save some money.
But you should be aware of the fact that this is a huge setbag with no positive effect except that it lowers the bar and your owner saved 130 mio dollars that he can now use to build schools in 3rd world countries.

But think this through before you say it’s a good move for the Mavericks.

Comment by Martin M — July 3, 2004 @ 5:51 pm
Just don’t go for Shaq. He couldn’t keep up with Ben Wallace, and I don’t see how he’d run with the Mav’s. just my opinion…. hate to see Steve Nash go, though. He almost inspired me to buy one of your Mav’s warmup jackets (the wife didn’t like the $80 price tag though!)

Comment by Seth Werkheiser — July 3, 2004 @ 5:54 pm
Having lived all my life in the Philadelphia area I had grown up a Philadelphia sports fan. However, back in 2000 a friend of mine introduced me to the Mavericks and I quickly became an obsessed fan. With a crazy owner, the Nelson family, a 7′ German, and a rockstar point guard, it was more important to me to actually like the organization I was going to follow than simply follow the home team or jump on the particular year’s projected favorite bandwagon.

Steve Nash became my favorite player of all time. In no way did I think he was the best of all time, but he was my favorite, even finding his defensive faults endearing. When I checked the sports news on Thursday and saw that he so quickly agreed with the Suns, it was like someone shot my dog right in front of me.

The funny thing is I immediately cursed out Steve rather than you. From the reports that I’ve read, you offered him a reasonable deal that would have made him very wealthy…he chose to be even more wealthy over the relationships he had formed and career he had built with the Mavericks.

Many people have said that after overpaying other players in the past you picked a weird time to become frugal, but then again they’d be complaining a couple years down the road about his contract and the team as a whole would be in a bad situation. Just don’t turn around and sign Bradley to a 5 year $100 million deal now.

In a weird little aside, while Steve was still a Maverick I couldn’t even stop myself from trading him away in the virtual world of video games. As the seasons progressed I just kept staring at his Max contract and declining play.

Despite my favorite player having left, I am still a Mavs fan. Dirk, of course, still amazes me and I am intrigued by Pavel Podkolzine, D.J. M’Benga and am very optimistic of what Devin Harris, Marquis Daniels, and Jon Steffanson can do to fill the void. While they may not yet be as electric and polished as Nash, they are still interesting characters and may benefit the team more since their games are a little more rounded (defensively) than Nash. I only hope that Nash’s exit doesn’t create some rift between Dirk and the organization.

So, in conclusion, keep making smart decisions to put the team in the right direction, but try to keep it as cool as possible ; ) bringing in likeable players rather than just some slug employees. Make sure the team is still the Mavericks not just some basketball team from Dallas. Looking to the future, I wonder if there is any way you could get video highlights of the Summer League Games (Chinese National Team…beyond) online somewhere (dallasmavericks.com or here). You can edit out the rookie mistakes and make us all believe we’re a lock for the championship.

End Ramblin’.
Keep on Keepin’ On.
Etc…

JtK

Comment by Jason Kocher — July 3, 2004 @ 5:55 pm
will be putting too much stock in an unproven Marquis Daniels. It scares the hell out of me reading that Mark thinks this guy is a point guard. Point guards can’t be greedy with the ball. Point guards need to be able to spot up and hit outside jumpers. Point guard is absolutely not what Maruqis is. At all. Shooting guard is not what he his either. When defenses start keying on him a bit more now that he’s a ‘known’ commidity, let’s see how Marquis flourishes. I honeslty hope he does, but 6 years for Maruqis and no years for Nash does not make me a happy camper. I hope I’m wrong about this next March and April……

The most sad thing is that the Mav’s uptempo style that was soooo entertaining (even in losses sometimes) won’t be the same without Steve.

Comment by phil barton — July 3, 2004 @ 5:59 pm
That’s the word I use describing Nash. His gutty play inspired me and my son. Lack of true atheletic ability (for an NBA pro) with tons of heart and effort. Never will it be duplicated on the current Mavs team. Not like Nash. NFFL!

Comment by phil barton — July 3, 2004 @ 6:01 pm
wanted to extend his career…then why only affer him a 4 year deal? i can understand why you didnt want to match a $65 million contract. but i really honestly believe that if you had offered him a reasonable 5 year contract, he owuld have stayed…even if it was less money. at 30, he needs the years more than the money. from what ive read and heard from reliable sources…it sounds to me like you were trying to take advantage of his friendship with dirk and fin. you thought he would take the smaller contract because of his friends. i think that is wrong on every level. frankly, i hope he smokes you 4 times next season. i wish dirk well in his career…he seems like a good guy. but frankly, you and the mavs can kiss my a**. you are gonna regret not giving him the damn money. you said a couple weeks ago that you wouldnt mind paying shaq the $30 million a year he iwll be making for the next two seasons. steve wanted about that same amount over 5 years!! not to mention that shaq is older and has a serious attitude problem. ive always been a fan of yours…but you screwed this one up royally.

Comment by not happy — July 3, 2004 @ 6:06 pm
I correct my self..those are current salaries i mentioned above…it’s not such a terrible move…the Mav’s are already better…

Comment by Slw1234 — July 3, 2004 @ 6:11 pm
are pretty much gone. dont get me wrong, i love dirk and fin. but steve was what kept this team together. for one the mavs style of play. every one knows that the point guard sets the tone of the game. no one can ever duplicate what steve did for this team. and i think it will be interesting to see how dirk performs without steve there with him. the two of them were the next stockton and malone. and you broke them up. i hope steve and the suns kill you next year. although i do feel badly for dirk.

Comment by a nash fan — July 3, 2004 @ 6:12 pm
I think Steve Nash was too offensive minded for his position. I hate when I’m running the floor and the PG decides to shoot instead of passing me the ball or somebody else available. Since Nash is a good shooter this behavior was always overlooked. Whoever is the new PG just have to play defense and pass the ball to Dirk or Finley and the Mavs will be OK

Comment by Rafael Pena — July 3, 2004 @ 6:22 pm
I had to read that a couple of times for it to make sense and sink in, but I see your point of view.

Just don’t go near Fish (I’m a Laker fan *awaits torrents of abuse*)

Comment by Kanes — July 3, 2004 @ 6:35 pm
Bottom line: you made the right call for the Mavs and Steve did what was right for him. It’s not personal, it’s just business.

Comment by MFFF — July 3, 2004 @ 6:36 pm
I love Steve Nash. He helped put Dallas on the map in terms of teams to watch and respect. But, business is business. In an ideal world, all our favorite players would stay with one team forever. Steve had to think about his future and the Mavs had to think about theirs. Marquis Daniels showed his grit in the playoffs. He’s got size, quickness and poise. Let him fill in for Nash. The Mavs need guys who can play DEFENSE! We all know they can score at will.

For those who accuse Mark of “screwing up”, think about what needs to be done for the FUTURE of the team. Nash is almost past his prime. You need tough defenders. You need fresh legs to ensure longevity in the playoffs. People are quick to poo poo a decision when it involves moving a superstar. How many of you thought Detroit would win the NBA Finals? This league is about defense and role players. The Mavs were CRAP before Mark Cuban. The guy turned the entire organization around…so, give him more credit than “you screwed this one up royally”. I have confidence in Mark’s decision.

Comment by Kam Stocks — July 3, 2004 @ 6:39 pm
Can anyone of you explain to me how this was the right call?
How was this a good decision for the Mavs?
I’m talking about the basketball team not Cuban.

Comment by Martin M — July 3, 2004 @ 6:48 pm
It’s easy for us to question why Nash would leave. Your (Mark) comments regarding your decision make perfect sense. We all loved to see Nash play. But let’s keep in mind that this is a business and the players will always be looking out for themselves (rightfully so).
Cuban has spoiled us. We used to puke at the Mavs before Cuban took over. He has brought us a winner again. And now we EXPECT championships year after year. There will be other player opportunities for us and I have faith in the organization that Mavs bball will continue to be exciting to watch.

Comment by Don Buehrer — July 3, 2004 @ 7:01 pm
shocking, i thought my buddy was full of sh*t when he told me. i’m saddened by the whole thing, there i was debating whether or not dirk would be pissed that steve was going to get traded to the lake show, and nasty goes and one ups you cubes. i’m just sad.

Comment by Mac Redmon — July 3, 2004 @ 7:06 pm
1) Were there counter offers? From the fans point of view, It seems like we made an extremely tepid initial offer to Steve, Phoenix offered a lot more, and we immediately folded. Maybe that’s not what happened, but that’s what it looked like. Our offer was almost a little grudging. You could have thrown Steve another year and a million more a year and still have had a very reasonably contract.

2) How does Shaq fit into all of this? Are we really supposed to believe that you and Donnie were working in a vacuum on this one? That the Devin Harris signing had nothing at all to do with Shaq or your suspicions we might lose Nash one way or another? I just have trouble swallowing the explanation that you just wanted two backup point guards to reduce the load for Steve. It just doesn’t wash. It has been widely reported that possible Shaq scenarios may have involved Harris or Nash. Maybe those reports are crap, as they often are, but they have the ring of truth.

Comment by Austin Clemens — July 3, 2004 @ 7:32 pm
This team is garbage now. We need to start over by going through the draft and reconstructing this team from the ground up.

Comment by Rick Mavis — July 3, 2004 @ 7:41 pm
Let’s get some facts straight here:

If Steve Nash has lived comftorably with a five million dollar salary, Steve Nash could’ve lived fine with a ten million dollar salary. With 12 million dollars, I guess he’ll live better. I have no sypmathy for Nash, none whatsover. It was emotional, that’s how Duffy described it for Nash, but it couldn’t have been that hard. He can wipe his tears with his money as far as I’m concerned and get the hell out of Dallas and we all can move the hell along. He signed too quickly, probably because Phoenix said it’s now or we’re going to Dampier.

“it’s nice to go to a team that really, really wanted me.” Nash said something to that effect. really really wanted him. Really? Because from all accounts, Phoenix really REALLY wanted Kobe Bryant. And it was Donnie Nelson at his doorstep at 11:01 PM on June 30, not Jerry Colegenadoikgandkowhatever, his nine hundred man army and the fancy power point presentation or whatever it was that “impressed him” about their “presentation.” It was Donnie on the news looking like he had been hit by a truck, it was Nellie on the mic sounding shocked and it was Donnie again on Galloway and Co. sounding as if Nash had died in his very own arms he was so upset. I don’t know what else the Mavs could’ve done to have made Steve feel “wanted.” Maybe that’s where you went wrong Mark, you forgot to send flowers, take out billboards and full page ads in the newspaper. I guess Nash just wasn’t impressed with your courtship. Where was the cookie bouquet, Mark?

And I guess the Mavs underestimated that Steve would be that type of player. The type of player who would read so much into the bells and whistles of a negotiation, into the courtship of his services. He didn’t strike me as the type, with his laid back hair, style and attitude, that would judge his destination on the togetherness of a presentation and the amount of money being offered to him. Not saying you could offer him fifty grand at a Burger King and expect him to sign with jubliation, but he never gave the impression as a “money first” type of guy to the public. That’s almost as odd as picturing Dirk show up to games next year in his throwback jersey, 89k diamond money sign necklace and a shaved head. But if Kobe taught us anything last summer, we don’t know these atheletes as people. We know what they want us to know. Steve let me down. Let all us down.

In short, no Mr. Cuban, most us Mavs fans don’t blame you for not agreeing to Nash’s terms. From an outsider’s point of view, it seems you did give him a fair deal, but Phoenix went an extra mile. It sounds like you guys over estimated Nash’s loyalty to the club while Phoenix prepared for it. There had to be a contingency plan, I won’t panic yet. Dirk was, is and will continue to be our best player, and he’s still here.

BTW: How is Dirk?

Comment by Kellen — July 3, 2004 @ 8:27 pm
thanks for telling the story, as a fan, it’s much appreciated. it’s too bad, that it ended like this. Duffy’s a dick.

Comment by Dave — July 3, 2004 @ 8:31 pm
Very nice post Kellen. Drop by…

http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/lmf

…some time - the Lone Mavs Fan Forum, the longest running hideout for Mavs fans on the internet (from back when Mavs fans needed to hide). Smart fellers like you are always welcome…

Venger

Comment by Venger — July 3, 2004 @ 8:42 pm
now that i have read the whole story i am very proud of you. not that what i think really matters, but it seems like you did everything you could to keep Steve, but in the end sometimes you have to let things you love go when the finances are not right.
ok, i know i didn’t make much sense, but I’m sure somebody gets it.
you can only be a good owner if you can let your friends go when you know the move isn’t good for you or for the team in the long run.

Comment by Emily — July 3, 2004 @ 8:58 pm
Cuban, 1/2 way through the year when Nash is out injured nobody will care about what you did and you will look like a genious yet again. Good for Nash for getting all of that money. That’s why the Sun’s are horrible. He didn’t make the Mavs. I still think it was a mistake to get rid of Van Exel.

Comment by David — July 3, 2004 @ 9:21 pm
I really have no idea what kind of cap space the Mavs have, but an earlier post brought up different free agents on the market. I was surprised to see Brian Cardinal’s name listed with Kenyon, Richardson, Camby, etc. But when I saw Cardinal’s name, I immediately thought itd be exciting to see him as a Mav. There is no tougher player in the history of basketball. He is a fan favorite everywhere he’s been going back to his Purdue days, he works very hard, and he is quiet. He is just what the Mavs need, not another offensive minded player. Fans would love him from the first time he dived over Mark sitting in his courtside seat. Good call slw1234.

Comment by Billy Buckles — July 3, 2004 @ 9:22 pm
Mark, as a Laker fan, I could only hope to know 1/10th of this much of the inside story of a huge franchise changing development like this. Props to you. I also think you made the right decision long term for the Mavs.

Comment by TIME — July 3, 2004 @ 9:29 pm
I, too, have been walking around sick to my stomach over this move. Steve was my favorite player on the Mavs and this just sunk me here. I think that everyone did the right thing, so I think I’ll blame Duffy. I know he did the best financially for his client, but Steve will never see a championship ring in Phoenix, but he really might have here. I believe that Steve will regret this decision in later years and I hate that for him. I wish him the best also.

Thanks for posting, Mark. It’s good to know you care about the fans enough to let us in on things when you can.

Comment by Jim — July 3, 2004 @ 9:41 pm
Daniels is a STUD; Daniels is much younger; Daniels plays raw at both ends of the court; Daniels has “triple double threat every time on the court” written all over him; Daniels plays multiple positions; Daniels and Howard are a HUGE headache for the opposition; Daniels’ potential is nearly limitless; must I go on? At least Cubes and I realize this. Get on the Marquis bandwagon NOW, he’s about to blow up.

Plus, Harris looks unbelievably quick on tape, and the Mavs have had great success with rookies in the past. If they can parlay Antoine and change for a younger big guy (Chicago’s Chandler is almost too perfect, and also, isn’t Chicago ‘Toine’s hometown?) and let Nellie and Co. work their magic, the Mavs are still money. Chicago’s got just as many bad contracts to play mix and match with.

I say the move was savvy and deft. I loved the Nash Era as much as anyone, but really, it’s not the end of the world. They weren’t getting any better with Nash. Getting Shaq doesn’t come with a championship guarantee anymore. With Daniels, Howard, etc., you never know.

I don’t understand how everyone played the “Without Nash you lose the Mavs’ identity” card, but yet were all gung ho about SHAQ?!?!? Talk about a change of game plan.

Bravo, Cubes! Bring on the future!

Comment by Mitch — July 3, 2004 @ 9:51 pm
M F F L nuf’ said

Comment by THE WEST COAST MAVS FAN — July 3, 2004 @ 10:17 pm
It’s hard to believe that Mark actually used the horrible old sports cliche of “120 pct.”

Comment by M N — July 3, 2004 @ 10:22 pm
Marquis Daniels is not a stud. I am not saying that he’s a flop, but I want to see how he stacks up against the competition once they expect him to be a real threat. I don’t think he’ll get much better. I also don’t see him meshing well with the team. I have seen other players, particularly some of the big three, look upset after Daniels got a little too greedy with the ball and caused some bad things to happen. This guy had a few great, high-scoring games this year, but he’s still unproven. I would love to see Steve Nash get a counter-offer with a little more money and a few more years. I suppose at this point it’s just a pipe-dream. Oh well. I can;t say that I have faith, but I am eager to be proven wrong.

Comment by Bobby — July 3, 2004 @ 10:40 pm
Personally I think the Suns will Rue the day they signed the contract. Had the Mavs matched it, they’d have another Bradley, Finley or La Frentz deal on their hands.

Comment by Dan C. — July 3, 2004 @ 11:03 pm
Mark- thanks for posting that. it was an unbelievable read. I could never imagine Al Davis, Jerry, Steinbrenner or any other owner taking the time to tell his fans why he made a business decision. What an amazing tale. Duffy sounds like a horrible man to deal with. I think you made the right choice. Hopefully you can bring in Derek Fisher to tutor Devin Harris. A lineup of Fisher, Daniels, Finley, Dirk and Shaq with Stackhouse on the bench sounds just about right. (trading Howard, Walker, Laettner, and Fortson to LA).

Comment by k-man — July 3, 2004 @ 11:13 pm
The circumstances suck, but if you makes you feel any better Cubes, that was by far your best blog entry yet!

It had to be hard for everybody, including Steve, but I also now wonder how much of this decision was his and how much of it was his agent’s. I’m still mad at Steve for accpeting the money over the franchise. For accepting the money over us, his fans, and over his best friend, Dirk.

Thank you for posting that and clarifying some things. Granted, I’m sure when Steve and Duffy tell the stories, it goes a lot differently. A lot of owners make moves that hurt the fans personally and don’t ever give them the explanation they desire. It’s good to know you understand that we chose to follow your team and choose to spend our time and money that could be used elsewhere. So when somebody as important as a Steve Nash ups and leaves, we need to know why. Otherwise, all you get is conspiracy theories.

Comment by Kellen — July 3, 2004 @ 11:37 pm
i have no problems with this deal… nash is a very likeable guy and he has tons of heart, and hes a joy to watch but he isnt worth the money the suns offered… would i have liked to have seen him in dallas? absolutely… is this the end of the world? hell no… as much as i liked steve and as good as he was, he was overated, as proven by what the suns gave him… anyway now is not really the time to cry over spilled milk… i really look forward to seeing what the mavs will be doing in the off season… there are a lot of quality free agents out there and with nellie’s style of coaching we dont need a point guard as bad as other teams do… that being said i really hope you will pick up derek fisher to fill the void at point… more than anything i hope that you will get van exel back… with all this talk of steve people seem to forget that the year we went to the western conference finals steve had a number of subpar games… the only player who delivered every night in the clutch was van exel… i was really mad when you traded him, but given what he said about wanting to come back to a texas team midway through the season my anger turned to hope that he would be able to come back… please bring him back… if it wasnt for him i doubt the mavs would have gotten to the western conference finals… the team was good that year but nobody showed up every night like nick did… give the guy another chance to take us back to the wcf

Comment by edward — July 3, 2004 @ 11:43 pm
p.s.
i hope the deal goes through and we trade pavel to the lakers… i know he probably looked good to scouts but i saw sean bradley in college and he looked like kareem

Comment by edward — July 3, 2004 @ 11:45 pm
Search “Bill Duffy” in google and you will find this quote of his:
“If you take shortcuts, cheat people or are dishonest, you will not achieve success. We’re seeing it all the time right now. Look at WorldCom ro Enron. The Bible says to build on sand or on rock and I’ve chosen to build on rock.”

What a joke.

Comment by dave — July 3, 2004 @ 11:58 pm
Mark,

I have great respect for you because you took the time to write all of that out for us. You didn’t have to tell us your thoughts and feelings through all this, but I feel better hearing SOMETHING from you on this matter.

I’m still a little lost and hurt feeling right now and yes, I am still in the mindset of “Mark Cuban is an IDIOT”, I won’t deny it.

As a Nash lover, I am incredibly (you have no idea how incredibly) sad that he’s gone. I even think I’m still a little in a state of denial about it. But I am glad he got such an amazing deal. I think the Suns are amazing for stepping up and proving how much they wanted him. I wish him the absolute best.

As a Mav fan, I’m worried. Worried about…what next? No “big man” still, no proven PG. The loss of a VITAL piece of the team, with nothing to show for it.

The last two summers have seemed like such step BACKS for us, not step forwards. It seems unfair after waiting so long and then being so close, that now it seems we are going to have to wait even more.

But I guess we’ll see come the start of the season what happens, won’t we? Until then, I’ll be here…hurt and worried.

Comment by JM — July 4, 2004 @ 12:12 am
This is just incredible. I mean there is more info in this one article then I have read in the papers for 1 year. I truly thank you for being so open to the fans. I love it when I am listening to the radio and Mark calls in and sets the radio guys straight as they like to throw out nonsense all the time.

Back to the article I think it is great that it wasnt matched. When Steve is eligible to be traded it is likely no one in the league would take on his contract without dumping a rather ugly one back on Phoenix.

If Nash was placed on waivers with that kind of contract it is likely not a team in the league would pick it up. That is how you know you overpaid a guy.

Phoenix in my mind did the same thing with Nash that the Rangers did with Arod. They bid against themselves. It didnt work out real well for the Rangers, we will see what happens in Phoenix.

The one thing that is kind of upsetting is Nash taking a few shots about going somewhere he will be appreciated. Obviously appreciation means dollars in his pocket. If you do the math with the LT and you can correct me if I am wrong but Cuban was committed to paying 90 million out of his pocket over 5 season to keep nash (assuming the half guarantee in the 5th season). Phoenix had no LT issues to worry about so the only commitment there owner had to make was 65 mil. So Mark in my mind appreciated Nsh 25 mil more then Phoenix its just that all the extra money wouldnt go into Nash’s pocket.

I really am looking forward to seeing Devin play many minutes and go through a learning curve. Hinrich played 35 minutes a game in 76 games last season (more total minutes played then Nash for regular season). Hinrich is arguably a lower pedigree player then Harris.

If Harris can get anywhere near the minutes Hinrich got you may see an improvement like this.

Hinrichs November numbers
24 minutes 6.8 PPG 3.8 APG 3 TO’s per game

Hinrichs April
40 minutes 15.3 PPG 9.7 APG 2.6 TO’s PG

That would be best case scenario for Harris but unlike Hinrich, Harris has the supporting cast to keep his team in playoff contention while he learns. If Mavs hang in there for the first couple of months with Harris starting they could really get on a roll around feb mar of next seson.

My main concern so far with the subtractions is we have lost our 2 most effecient scorers in Jamison and Nash. If Dirk gets back to being as effecient as he was a couple of years ago nearly 1.5 points per shot from the 1.28 last season then it will make up for it. If we somehow keep Stackhouse he also is a very effecient scorer 1.26 PPS his 2 healthy Washignton seasons. Some call him volume but he isnt he shoots low % but makes up for it at the line. Walker rings in a 1.02 PPS that is the definition of volume.

I guess I will stop the rambling now.

Comment by Chris Williams — July 4, 2004 @ 12:13 am
Some of this sounds like a Boston Red Sox board, it’s only the first of July!!!There are still a lot of things that can be done to move people around, and it’s Steve Nash. I really like energy guys that lay it all on the floor but they just dont last that long, and Nash is bound to break down. There are still a lot of point guards out there too, and no one else in the west is doing anything. The Spurs will get two veterans that no one else wants. The Lakers are gonna join the AND1 tour with Kobe, Payton, and George on the floor at the same time without a leader like Shaq, it’s a train wreck waiting to happen. The Kings are getting really old and broken down, Bibby carries that team.

Comment by Andy — July 4, 2004 @ 12:13 am
and thanks for being the only reason i pay attention to the nba. mark cuban u are awesome.

Comment by Andy — July 4, 2004 @ 12:15 am
Mark if you’re reading this I believe you made the right decision. Nash is awesome but those dollars don’t make sense. One side of me says Nash should be happy with $50 million (!!) but then if Phoenix wants to pay him that much he should take it. Personally I’m glad to finally see the Mavs lose a guy because they were outbid. The Suns paid the price to get the guy they wanted and one thing I know for sure they are going to be fun to watch.

Comment by Jason — July 4, 2004 @ 12:15 am
Doing a search on Duffy it shows he is the one who made probably one of the biggest mistakes I can remember by an agent in the NBA. He is the one who forgot to file the paperwork for Anthony Carter to remain in Miami with the Heat for 4.1 mil. I think Carter ended up getting 1.5 mil after Duffy made the mistake.

A side note on Duffy it says he was a Santa Clara hoops star. Didnt Nash go to Santa Clara? Is that the main reason he is his agent?

Comment by Chris Williams — July 4, 2004 @ 12:23 am
It made me sick to my stomach when I first heard. I love Steve Nash and what he did for the Mavericks, but I don’t blame you one bit for not matching that contract. His back is a ticking time bomb. Now I can only hope Dirk can step up and be a real leader on this team, and that Devin Harris can get his act together quickly. It takes a lot of balls to post what you just did, especially so quickly. Thanks.

Comment by D Brown — July 4, 2004 @ 12:36 am
It was tough to hear that he was leaving, but I thought initially that not taking on the contract was the right thing for the team in the long run, and your post makes that even clearer. Steve was my favorite Mav, and I still wish him well, but you did right by all of us fans by not putting one guy above the whole team.

Comment by E Daniel — July 4, 2004 @ 12:45 am
Mark,

Thanks for taking the time and sharing what you went through. A lot of us feel you made a fair and reasonable offer. Looks like the only ‘bad guy’ in the deal is Duffy.

Personally, I am MORE relieved that Marquis is signed long term than bummed that Nash is gone.

Looking forward to 2004-05 and some Defense in Big D.

MFFL!

greg

Comment by greg — July 4, 2004 @ 12:46 am
It’s awesome to read the real story of things, right from the horse’s mouth. Even if I weren’t an NBA fan or a Mavs fan (after my Kings of course) I would read this stuff endlessly.

Keep it up! Sorry you had to lose a great player.

Comment by Rob Meyer — July 4, 2004 @ 12:51 am
MC,
Thanks for the post. No other owner in ANY SPORT ANYWHERE would answer his fans like Mark has or does. As much as losing Nash hurts us fans imagine what Mark is going through. Mark, your reasons sound solid but I still think this decision is going to be one the Mavs regret. Give Steve his money. Call him up as a friend. Offer something close. The ink is not dry yet. We all know deep down that once Nash is gone so too may be our championship dreams. Losing Nick last year was hard enough. Sign Nash. We can deal with 2009 then! IT STILL ISN’T TOO LATE. IF ANYONE CAN DO IT YOU CAN! Go Mavs

Comment by Omar S — July 4, 2004 @ 1:01 am
Cubes–from everything i read about duffy he is the dirtbag that you have intimated. it is too bad that agents can not be straight up. you handled things the right and honorable way.

Comment by geoff dennis — July 4, 2004 @ 1:13 am
Tough luck on losing the service of Steve Nash, and thank you for educating us on what happened behind the scenes. It really looks like you got screwed by Nash’s agent. Unfortunately, professional sports is a business and these slimey agents have become an integral part of the business, and many of their tactics remind me of a scummy lawyer or car salesman. I think you made the right choice in not matching the Suns offer, you still have a young talent to fill his shoes, so I guess it’s time to move on and make plans for a successful 2004-2005 season.

Best of luck,

Xeifrank

Comment by Xeifrank — July 4, 2004 @ 1:19 am
Mark,
I have been obsessing over this Nash deal as he,Dirk and Finley have been the heart and soul of the Mavericks thus far. My favorite memory of all is being in Reunion when we came back and beat Utah. I will never forget the energy in that arena. Steve was a huge part of our success. Having said that, I feel like Steve has made a wrong turn in his career. Yes he got more money with Phoenix, but you weren’t offering chump change and there is no way that he will have the true fans there he had in Dallas. When he said “they really wanted me”..He might as well have said “they showed me the money” He was not thinking of the fans, the city or his teammates or else there would have been no comparison and he would still be a very rich Mav.

Your explanation to the fans and the loyalty that has been shown to Steve make the Mavs the special team it is. We will win a championship to prove it. I only wish Steve could be a part of that success as well.

Comment by Lyn — July 4, 2004 @ 1:20 am
Cuban. Cuban. Cuban. What are you doing to your team. You are setting yourself up for a subpar season next year….and many more in the future. First you trade away the talented Jamison for a bunch of scrubs. You failed to sign Nash because you were too cheap to offer him a real star’s salary. Then you sign a 38 million dollar deal to an unproven player in Marquis. This may be about 12 million less than what you offered Nash. But come on, your a business man. You can obviously see that the intangible value that Nash offers to your team (filling seats with fans, making the playoffs etc) easily can make up that monetary difference. In the end you wasted 38 million dollars when you could have taken that money to sign a proven player in Nash. Maverick fans will hate you for a long time.

Comment by tommy — July 4, 2004 @ 1:41 am
I consider myself the biggest Steve Nash fan and one of the biggest Mavs fans so of course, this terrible news has impacted me a ton. My first reaction was to be mad at Steve, then I read things in the news and it made me mad at Mark because they twisted the story to make it sound like he just gave up. Now I am just completely pissed at Duffy. Thanks, Mark for definitely clearing this up. I’d like to think that Steve didn’t do it for the money and that he was just completely brainwashed by Duf. I’m not sure if it has anything to do with it but the 5 person group that Phoenix brought included Amare Stoudemire who is also a client of Bill’s; isn’t that a conflict of interest?
I am in complete denial over this and have gotten literally heart sick over all of this. I can’t imagine either being at or watching games without seeing the shaggy haired number 13 licking his hands before making his perfect free throws. I thought he didn’t care about money but I guess business is business. However, the blame is all on Bill. Maybe there’s some way to get him back or change his mind FAST before the papers are signed? Sounds like he’s pretty determined and would be swayed away because of his anti-Cuban agent.
Mark, I know you did all you could do but I’m still disappointed, as I know many are. Thanks again for getting the true story out and please do anything in your power(if there is anything) to get Nash back.. I know that’s completely fanatical but you can’t blame a Mavs fan for believing..

Comment by Christine — July 4, 2004 @ 1:47 am
Mark,
After hearing what the Suns offered, and that you didn’t match, I had a feeling that it came down to the 5 years, instead of 4.
I reasoned that all of our contracts expire, save the ones signed this summer, after 4 years; and that this would enable the Mavs to finally get under the cap and sign some players without having to make trades. It makes perfect sense. Nash’s 5th year would have messed up that plan. You’ve done everything you could to try to improve the team while over the cap. I’m sure you will continue to do that over the next 4 years. At that point if no title has been won, then that plan will have been tried enough. It will be time to get under the cap. The beauty of this is, which some people may not be seeing, that we will still be able to resign Dirk, Howard, Shawn, and all of our free agents, AFTER we have signed other free agents.
On top of that, I seriously question if Steve was worth that contract. After reading your comments above, I question it even more. I have loved having Steve. Bless his heart, he physically just can’t play defense it seems, after having worked so hard at the offensive end. The problem is, he gives up so much on defense that it negates a lot of what he does on offense. He also doesn’t rebound much. He is probably the best, most efficient, offensive PG in the league. However, there are a lot of PGs in the league that can light it up. Almost all of them play much better D than does Steve. And we all know that defense is winning titles in today’s NBA.
Then there is his age and fragility to factor into it. Think about it. How suddenly ineffective would Steve Nash be if slowed down a notch by injury or age, considering the pace at which he plays? His style doesn’t last until 40 like Stockton’s did.
The same people who are criticizing not matching the offer, would also be the ones criticizing having matched it in 3 or 4 years, if it didn’t work out.
The only risk, as I see it, is that it could end up that the Mavs would have had the best shot at the title in the next 2 years, if not for a little more experience at the PG position. After that, I think that Harris would have been the starter anyway. People need to realize that you are trying your best to give the Mavs the best shot at a championship. This means that you have to consider the present and the future. I know you’d trade a few down years for a ring next year, but there are no guarantees. If we had Shaq in the bag already, then it might have been different. Pay Steve whatever, make a 4 year run, and to hell with what happens after that. This wasn’t the situation, of course. People need to realize that you are going for the title. Maybe the Suns are just trying to fill seats. They won’t win a title by overpaying like that, when they still need more pieces to make a run. You’ll get the last laugh over Duffy, Mark. Don’t worry. You’ll get the trophy, and his clients (Nash, Oliwakandi, etc.) will be watching on TV. Of course, you’ll feel bad that Steve made the wrong choice, but you’ll be laughing at Duffy.
Bottom line… I admire you for having the fortitude to do the smart thing when your heart was telling you something different. Don’t feel bad. There was nothing else you could do.

Comment by Lee — July 4, 2004 @ 1:57 am
Thanks for this post. Posting this constitutes excellent fan service. I’m sick that Nash is gone. I’m glad to know the details of how it happened.

Comment by g in Texas — July 4, 2004 @ 1:58 am
Mark, I think you definitely made the right call on the Nash deal. The Suns’ offer was just way too much for a 30 yr. old PG with Steve’s defensive deficiencies. I looks to me like Steve let his emotions make the decision for him, and I believe he will regret it. He’s going to be an aging point guard on a young and learning team. There is one thing I’ve been wondering about though. Was Steve eligible for a no-trade clause and was this possibly an issue?

Comment by CB4 — July 4, 2004 @ 2:00 am
If you want us to believe that what you are saying is more than just spin, explain why what you wrote to ESPN on Friday is so different from what you now claim. On the Dan Patrick show Friday they read an email comment from you that flatly contradicts your claim that you wanted to do a sign and trade. According to your written statement, you scoffed at the possibility of a S and T, and wrote to the effect that, “A sign and trade was not an option we looked at. Who would the Suns trade? Howard Eisley? No, thanks!” Are you giving us the straight story, or just what you think sounds good at the time?

Comment by Dan @ UT — July 4, 2004 @ 2:05 am
I want Steve Nash back! Blaming the agent is just old and lame. It makes you sound like you need to start taking viagra. Geez, the evil Bill Duffy worked to get the biggest contract that he could get for his client. That’s outrageous! Not!

In the last few weeks you’ve traded the league’s top sixth man in Antawn and a future first-round draft pick for a center from Russia who averaged 2.6 points in Italy and has a pituitary gland condition that requires surgery. Well, at least we have Bradley and Antoine. They’re going to take us to the finals. Wake up Cuban and hire a real GM who knows how to handle personnel issues.

Comment by Dan @ UT — July 4, 2004 @ 2:14 am
Mark, first of all, I just used to be an NBA fan, but once I saw what you did with this team and also the style of playing the MAVS have I just started to watch more and more MAVS games, without even noticing I was becoming the biggest MAVS fan. Thank you for everything you have done so far for the NBA and especially for the MAVS.

Don’t second guess yourself, you made the right decision, this way this team can continue to produce now and in the future. Because we will always have a group of young but experienced good guys, right now Dirk and Finley have to produce and in two to three years, once some teams decline like the Spurs because they loose Duncan we will still have a good group, with Daniels, Howard and some other people.

Right now it might not seem like the best deal, but in some time, you will realize that making that deal would have only hurt the team.

Once this Free-agent singing started I was just hoping the MAVS could keep NASH, because he was my second favorite player and I always seemed that he was the engine of the team, but don’t worry someone else is going to pick their game up and the MAVS will make it happen again with teamwork.

Thanks again for everything Mark, you are the best owner in pro sports

Comment by Stephan — July 4, 2004 @ 2:19 am
Really great that you wrote this - a birdseye view of how it works. It’s too bad you lost Nash, but I can see being uncomfortable with the risk of a six year contract.

Comment by SomeCallMeTim — July 4, 2004 @ 2:28 am
I knnw everyone keep saying Steve will keep his word to the Suns, but no one will blame him for staying if the Mavs can meet him halfway, right? Especially if the truth comes out about what scum his agent is…
Any shot at that happening? I have hope that you won’t let fans down on this one, Mark. I’m sick about the whole thing. Steve said he wanted to stay in Dallas and end his career playing with Dirk. I can’t imagine them playing against each other. That’s a depressing thought.

Come on - Raef was worth almost $10M/year for SEVEN, but Steve isn’t worth $13M/year for five years? That’s insulting! Please make this right while you can. And maybe Steve will realize how badly his agent screwed this up…

Comment by KC — July 4, 2004 @ 2:31 am
Mark, I agree that it was a smart move, but it is tough to see Nash go.

Bottom line: the ones who are complaining today are the same ones that would be complaining a year if you had signed Nash to a HUGE contract and then next year we all notice that he is tied up for 5 more years in a big contract, and then he is getting injured much more frequently, and is a shell of his former self, and we are watching all these young point guards like Harris excel on other teams.

Go for youth, especially at the PG position these days.

Now for the real test: let’s see how you can clear out some of these other contracts and build a team around Dirk.

And one more thing… please play Najera more at crunch time. Look at his +/-, and then he sits the bench the entire playoffs? He plays great defense and hussles more than anybody in the NBA, and can change momentum in the Mavs favor all by himself. Howard too. Let’s focus on the guys that hussle for the ball at all costs and change momentum.

Comment by Greg B — July 4, 2004 @ 2:40 am
Thanks Mark for taking the time to give the fans your side of the story. I was heart broken when I found out, Nash was the reason I became a Mavs fan. But I really don’t blame either party, I will watch the suns play if it comes on TV here and I will sill be at the AAC screaming my head off for my team.

Until the 14th I will be wishfully hoping that something makes Nash change his mind, no one will blame him if he does.

Comment by crystal — July 4, 2004 @ 2:46 am
Mark,

I was very upset with you at first, to be very honest. After reading your explanation, I feel like in the end, your decision is best for our team. I’ve read so many articles on Duffy and if I was a player, I would never consider hiring an agent with his lack of morals. He is Nash’s biggest problem. I think that all he cares about is how much money ends up in his own pocket. I’ve always wondered why Nash would have an agent with morals so different from his own. It’s such an odd mix.

We are not left nothing. We still have a great team and Harris is going to be a special player. As our teams sets right now, our defense has already improved dramatically from last season. People can say what they want, but I believe that we are going to surprise the critics this season.

You know what you’re doing and so does your staff. We didn’t get this far to just go backwards and we haven’t done that yet. We will still make the playoffs and will go farther than the Suns.

I am really interested to see what you do with Walker. We have a great trade potential there.
Whatever you do, I will be at the games to support the Mavs. It’s not about who’s number is on the back of the jersey. It’s about what’s on the front…. The Mavs.
Players will come and go, but a true Mavs fan loves them team regardless.

And hey… sign that Congo dude. He’s really good. Not so for Pavel. I don’t care for him as much.

I’d also like to see a vet point guard come in to help the young guys. Like Fisher, Van Exel or Avery. That would help out a lot. I really like Fisher. He’s a team and lockeroom leader.

I just hope that Nellie runs the offense through Dirk like it should be. Dirk is only going to get better and he should have more shots than he did last season.

Thanks Mark.
MFFL

Well, I for one do not feel like we

Comment by Shawn — July 4, 2004 @ 2:58 am
Im a Sixers fan so I dont really have an emotional atatchment to the Mavericks team. What I do have is the ability to look at this situation from a more objective point of view.
Mark when it comes down to it I think you did the right thing. It’s true that Nash has undoubtedly been a stand out player in Dallas along with the rest of the Big 3, but where has it taken you. The Mavs can no longer be satisfied with a playoff apearnce. Look at Detriot, over the past year they built a championship team, its time for you to take the final step.
Restructuring is not a bad thing. Sure you lost the man running your show, and yea maybe Finley would have been a better choice. But the way I see it you have Dirk, your franchise. I think we both know that he is a top 5 player and MVP worthy. Then you have Harris, Howard, and Daniels all of whom are deserving of minutes.
Im not too clear on the numbers but it seems to me that you now have some money to play with. So make something happen. Go out and sign a big man who will finally solidify your inside, or go out and find a wing like Tayshaun Prince who will D up, heck even find a way to trade for the Diesel. I hope you find a way to change the team not into something totally new but just different enough to take home the Chip and I hope my Sixers will spend the cash like you and do the same thing.

Comment by Gianpablo — July 4, 2004 @ 3:24 am
John Stockton played until he 40 & was always valuable. Last year Sam Casell had his best year when he was 34. I don’t think you need to worry about age & Steve Nash so much because he has such great skills. I don’t think you can compare him to Gary Payton at 35 whose game really deteriorated because he is not the shooter that Steve Nash is or ball handler. Besides Steve Nash is so much better mentally and as far as playing with heart.

I especially think it is a bad move because you can sight long term concerns, but WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT 2 or 3 YEARS?!?!? You know he will be pretty much at the top of his game, and the Mavs are so close (DESPITE WHAT MANY PEOPLE THINK) among the Western Conference teams to make it to the Finals. After the draft, Mark wrote we have the big 3 and future big 3. No team could compare with the Mavs talent in the permiter/ swingmen dept.

Comment by Sammy — July 4, 2004 @ 4:16 am
Good work. Teams have to continue to look toward tomorrow, even if it compromises a little bit of today. I think all of us would rather nurture talent that will win 40+ games next year and gain experience than win a guaranteed 50-odd games and not really have improved on any level other than rebounding(obviously the 2003-04 squad). Just think back to the Mavericks moves after their heartbreak to the Lakers in the Finals in the late eighties and how they went for vets, and how injuries dragged the team into the depths of mediocrity….it’s good to see you understand NBA Darwinism; and why teams like the Miami Heat were exciting this year and will be for more to come and why the Lakers are doomed for an indefinite number of seasons now in all likelihood.

Comment by Glen — July 4, 2004 @ 4:33 am
One can not blame Nash first of all…

Consider he was worried about being traded to LA. His Family lives in PHX. HE has a house in PHX. PHX is an up and coming team, and NAsh has a chance to be a part of it. He was offered 6 years and a lot of cash.

And have any of you seen the area of scottsdale he is going to live in now…compared with dallas it is about 100 times more beautiful, and I have lived both places…

As far as the mavs, this does not hurt them IMO. In fact it can help them. And in the long term picture signing matching the PHX offer would have hurt them for sure.

I love the Mavs, but Nash never played well in the playoffs. Bibby killed him. Bibby, not to mention what even quicker and younger players like parker may have done to him. He was a liabilityon defense. And under pressure it is sad to say that he made some bad choices.

He is 30, going on 40 years old. He got worse as the season went on, his shooting was always poor in the playoffs. Daniels is not a PG, but that does not mean Dallas can not get another gaurd in a trade or through free agency and end up being better off with daniels, the rookie and someone they end up signing…

Dallas has MANY options availible to them. Hopefully they will look to limit finleys playing time as well. IMO he has become a bad defender who simply shoot fade aay 21 foot jumpers. He does not rebound, does not play good defense, does not pass. In fact he takes FAR too many jumpers while being double teamed…jumpers that seem to hit the back of the iron more often than not.

Finleys best skill is now spotting up for the three. He would be best coming off the bench IMO, and being dealt along with his salary if possible. More than likely the best thing with finley will be just to limit his playing time, use him as a spark off the bench and let his contract run out.

Dirk is the player the have to keep IMO. He is NOT as bad on defense as everyone makes him out to be. He improves on offense AND defense and reboundng and passing EVERY year. He is young. He is versitile.

Perhaps the mavs can get dampier somehow. Perhaps they can even get van exel back. Who knows. But a healthy daniels, dirk, najera, the rookie PG and howard are the most important parts of the team IMO…

they can use the rest of their roster to trade for lanky perimiter defenders, shot blockers, passing guards, offensive rebounders or even shaq…but the next year looks very promising to me. Nash, while an exciting player and seemingly a good guy never did much in the playoffs, the mavs have a lot of flexibility and youth to craft a a good balanced team for next year….

And even if they dont get shaq, remember shaq did not win last year, and that was with kobe, payton and malone…

The mavs can easily form a young, quick and versitile team with their current players, coahces and owner…

cant wait until next year…

Comment by dirks_tooth — July 4, 2004 @ 5:00 am
What I don’t quite understand Mark…

You say that signing a 30 year old Nash to a large contract would jeopordize the future of the Mavs, so you didn’t do it, right? But what the hell do you think Shaqs 30+ million contract will do?

Shaq is even older and given his incredible girth, doubtfully will hold up longer than Nash would. And Shaq isn’t any more of short term gurantee of sucess than Nash is. And now that Nash is gone, Mavs are probably less intriguing to him now anyway, since he wont have a veteran point guard to throw him the rock.

You screwed up. You put yourself into this corner advertisting yourself as the big spender and doing just that, except when it came to Nash. Stevie should be rightfully pissed when you didn’t show him the money.

MFFL…err…NFFL

Go Suns!

Comment by The Ghost Of Maverick Future — July 4, 2004 @ 5:07 am
I must say, I’m not even a Mavericks fan but I found that read fascinating. Thanks for the insight into the process of being an NBA owner. That’s the kind of stuff I love to hear about but you never do in the mainstream sports press. It takes a lot of guts and love of both the game and your team to explain things when truthfully you don’t have to and no other owner does. I have a lot of respect for you Mr. Cuban.

Comment by Mark Washington — July 4, 2004 @ 5:08 am
Thanks Mark, thanks for your words. I was weeping all through reading your explanation. We fans may never know what’s happened behind a business. But that’s the NBA style.

That bad day is the start of my summer vacation, but from the morning what I’d heard was only bad news. Czech was beated by Greece and lost the chance to the final of Euro Cup. Then, I went down to the hell. For me, Big 3 was almost the whole of Mavs in a way, because I met Mavs in the time of Big 3. But now, it’s over, they are no more. I’m an emotional person so I can’t swallow tears when seeing Mavs’ big Ws or Ls. This time, either. I shivered and wept. Couldn’t believe it real happened.

I once thought if you would like to trade Nash for Shaq, I’d rather he leave Dallas. But for the high price Phoenix offered, I couldn’t help doubting if Nash real hoped to come back. I know it was a business and real a good one, and wish Nash best in Phoenix. But he made a decision so soon! Maybe he knew he wouldn’t be back.

I hated you didn’t offer enough, I hated Phoenix offered too much, also, I hated Nash required and accepted so much. But all’s over. I just need roar out my feelings. I real real hated Phoenix. It’s left nothing for Mavs, it’s left only Mavs. I don’t know whether and when Harris will do as well as Nash did in Nellie’s system. Hope our famous offense won’t go down.

I don’t dream any of Shaq trade. Nothing is impossible. What we have for now may be the most important and steady. Perhaps no Shaq, perhaps we’ll rely on the this roster.

Once again, best wishes for our past Mav Steve Nash except when he plays Dallas - I hate to add the “except”. Thanks Steve for all he did for Mavs. Root for my beloved Mavericks.

Comment by Xiao Xiao — July 4, 2004 @ 5:15 am
I think it took a great deal of guts for this to be posted. What other owner, executive, leader lets people see the thought process behind a deal that ended badly, a negotiation that failed an ended employee relationship. The power here for me is not just the NBA side of this but an excellent example of the analysis behind a business decision.

I liked Nash’s play when he was with Phoenix the first time but he was a nobody when he came to Dallas nowhere near as prominent as he is now. As with any employee in any company he got training, he gained insight and grew in value as an employee. Everyone is more than likely in a similar situation we have the option that there is someone somewhere who will pay us more (if not then we have little value for our company and the end is near). The question is what we do with it. Do you bargain yourself off and try to “max your deal” or believe that the value of the team, the relationship, the contribution, the dream is worth it all. What are your goals for being there?

In the end Steve Nash felt that he had gotten all he could from the Mavs, that he had given them his effort and that he owed them nothing in terms of loyalty or from the relationship. It was time to move on to the highest bidder.

Argue the numbers all you want, the Mavs felt (implicitly, I think) that they had made him better and he should consider their relationship in the deal. Surely friendship is something more than just to be talked about. Perhaps he did, giving him the benefit of the doubt, but he felt that it was not worth the difference. He took the better “offer”. Sometimes it works out sometimes it doesn’t. In my opinion the lack of loyalty tells you a great deal about the guys you go to battle with. I know he gave 120%, I think is the quote, but that does not seem to be what was in his heart since if you truly believe in the team you probably do not make this move. I doubt it is that black and white but it does have some impact.

I would have to say personally that I do not agree with his choice. But respect his decision. You never really know anyone until gut check time and I guess we all got to know Steve Nash a little better. I just believe it is important to think about it from a real perspective. Do you owe people who have fought with you, served with you, worked with you and cared for you anything? How you answer that question determines in the end how you view Steve Nash and this move.

Regardless of all that thanks for posting this and it reminds me of that scene in Hoosiers when Hackman says “this is your team …” The guys on the team right now are the ones that want to be there and want to be part of it. Win or lose they are the ones you will go to battle with and you can count on. If someone can move this easily, this quickly I have to question their loyalty and if they never truly let you know how serious they were about their willingness to move on, their friendship. I don’t change friends because it is in my best interests economically nor do I change jobs for the same reason.

Comment by Kurt Rosencrants — July 4, 2004 @ 6:15 am
Such a compelling account of what goes on behind the scenes. In recent years, the typical public perception is that you’re a financial Superman who is immune to the luxury tax krptonite, but it appears that at least indirectly, it has limited what you could do as far as moving long-term contracts.

I honestly believe you’ve made the right decision that will benefit both the Mavs and Nash in the long run. Nash will receive what market forces allow him to receiveand you’ll have some flexibility for the future. A few years down the line, the Suns might be looking for the proverbial Back button to the deal.

Anyway, thanks again for giving us the insight on what goes on behind the scenes. Hope you will be doing a reset of this on Rome’s show soon.

Comment by Will — July 4, 2004 @ 6:25 am
Mark, thanks for the insightful post, as always. Keep it up.

Comment by Mike — July 4, 2004 @ 8:36 am
With NBA talent thinner than it’s ever been, how can old school standards tell us who’s overpaid and who’s not?

Nash, at 30, is putting up nice numbers, and will for a coupla years at least, could be an invaluable tutor and object lesson for the youngsters in whom you need to invest, and, as you said yourself, would be protected from too many minutes by the presence of those youngsters.

I think you should consider as a counter-offer a matching contract. With all that young talent, he’s not going to break down, and he’s a solid performer who’ll also be insurance in case all that young talent doesn’t pan out as you hope. Yes, it’s a lot to pay for a player who you’re hoping won’t play many minutes a game, but with talent at this kind of a premium, that’s the nature of the game.

Yes, he’s not Jason Kidd or Kobe who also make max, but people have to realize that’s the fact of an artificial ceiling on market forces when demand is high and supply low. In this situation, super-exceptional players get undervalued and merely exceptional players get overvalued. Deal with it.

Yes, he’ll be hard to move, but keeping him for 5 years doesn’t seem to me to be such a bad thing. Sam I Am had a great year at age 34, without the protection that your youngsters can offer to Nash. If one of them blossoms, Nash is the team guy who’ll be the spark off the bench. That youngster can then be traded at the right time for lottery picks (which Nash can tutor) on other young talent, and by then Nash’s deal will be up. 5 years is not that long a deal for a 30 year-old.

He’s also a prerequisiste if you’re still hoping to get Shaq on board without losing Dirk. Signing him for what you think is a high number is less important, since it just becomes a drop in the bucket compared to what you need to throw to match Shaq’s numbers.

The Lakers don’t have a lot of dance partners right now, and might be willing to listen. Nash means they can throw Payton and filler to the Warriors for Dampier in a S&T.

Yes, there are money concerns, but Nash isn’t Bradley. Pure waste this is not. In fact, it seems so un-Cubanlike that I suspect there must be more to this story than we’re being told.

Comment by Max — July 4, 2004 @ 10:50 am
the sac defense?????

Comment by roofustheemperor@yahoo.com — July 4, 2004 @ 11:06 am
Mark, I am a big critic of most of the decisions you make. In fact most of my comments are deleted because they are so harsh.
This isnt. Part of me wants to say, will you win a title with Steve Nash? Sure in the next couple of years. But do we sacrifice another ten years of being hamstrung all for one title?
No. You made the right choice. Now go get Dampier and Derek Fisher.

Comment by dan — July 4, 2004 @ 11:06 am
…but i wish more owners in sports specifically and execs generally had the same sense of accountability shown with article/blog.

hate or love the him..you have to respect a guy like mark cuban.

-G.

Comment by mrgreenpants — July 4, 2004 @ 11:27 am
1. We wanted to offer Steve a contract that would allow him to end his career a Dallas Maverick. A Maverick for life.

2. A few years from now I wanted to make sure that we didn’t have such a bloated contract if we needed a trade.

These two conflict. I think the whole thing suggest conflict. Duffy is a dick, but I think Nash was worried he might be in a sign and trade if he signed with us and getting the guard in the draft (Harris) was a tell-tale sign that the writing for Steve was on the wall. I don’t by this ’sparing minutes’ thing with a first round draft pick who you traded away a 6 th man of the year for, for a second. Thanks for all the info, but the story has some conflicting holes to fill. I still think we are going to regret this summer more than the Van Exel one a year ago.

Comment by phil barton — July 4, 2004 @ 11:42 am
Twice other teams have overpaid for Mavericks players in FA. Calvin Booth didn’t work out for Seattle as they had hoped. I don’t think Nash is going to work for Phoenix at the level and length they are paying him. I love Nashie as a player and the class that he exhibited on and off the court. He was an ambassador for the Mavs.

But, he was an OBVIOUS liability at defense. And his gung-ho style, while fun to watch, will eventually catch up to him and force him to miss time due to injuries. Karl Malone and Michael Finley both missed time this year after being pretty reliable in the past, it happens to all players as they age.

I think Cuban made the right decision. After all of the bloated contracts of the past, including Bradley, Finley, Eschmeyer, and all of the contracts we took in trade, I am glad Cuban finally decided to stop the bleeding with Nash. It just has to stop somehwere. The Mavs are going to have to exercise better financial constraint in the future with uncertain TV revenues as Mark said in the blog.

That being said, I love Devin Harris. He *might* be a better overall PG than Steve in time. He certainly has the athleticism to play defense and break down guys off the dribble. I look forward to seeing him play this year. I don’t know if Travis Best and Delk are adequate PG’s, and I don’t think Daniels is a true PG either. I would like to see the Mavs try to sign Arroyo or Fisher to start while Harris gets his feet under him, but I also realize they may want more than the LLE we can offer.

I still love our team this year. Finley is back as the highest percentage shooter on the team, Dirk is a great player who just needs to work on defense, Daniels is an emerging stud at SG, Howard is an athletic, talented SF, and Harris is a smooth PG. I believe Podkolzine was a great pick at #21, in a couple of years he could turn out to be a solid player.

As always, we need a legitimate center to round out the team. Hopefully we can work a sign and trade with Dampier, and he plays up to his contract numbers of last year. We have Walker, Stack, and Laettner to offer, which might entice GS since otherwise they will get nothing for Dampier anyway. Whatever happens, I remain a Mav fan for life.

Go Mavs!

Comment by Robert — July 4, 2004 @ 11:46 am
yeah, who gave that silly contract to howard eisley anyway???
oh, wait …

Comment by tony — July 4, 2004 @ 12:35 pm
Bottom line:
Steve wanted to secure his financial future ( he knows he’s just a pawn in the biz and noone really cares) and Mark has not lost sight of the small thing called LONG TERM (some of the blog readers have).

re: bobby “It’s going to be hard to see Nash torch Daniels or some rookie PG four times next season.” What Steve Nash have you been watching lately? He has never torched anyone and he is not gonna start now. The only reason he looked so good in Dallas is because Dirk, Fin and Walker got more attention. Steve is damaged goods. Every time he plays he looks like he’s about to die. And a non-vocal (He isn’t going to give a locker room speech. He isn’t going to get in anyone’s face. He isn’t going to get into other people’s business.) PG should not be in the NBA. Every PG(xcept Steve) in the NBA barks at his players all game. And you wanted this guy to be an example for the young PGs the Mavs have. Please

This was a great move Mark and I know you really wanted to do this years ago.. it all starts with a great PG (or Shaq)

Comment by Branko — July 4, 2004 @ 12:35 pm
Mr. Cuban, I appreciate you giving your side of this in such a detailed report. I hope Dallas fans (which I am one) realize how fortunate they are to have access to this insight.

It’s also nice to know you’ve learned from giving Finley the max contract to not let emotion get in the way of business. Mavs fans may not believe it, but I’m betting you could trade Bradley 10 times before you could get any takers for Fin and his contract. On a side note, is it possible to insert a subliminal message in Fin’s locker DVD player? One that says: “Take the d@mn ball to the hoop!”…

For those of you b!tching and moaning about Nash showing no loyalty and only caring about money, I think you’re off base. I bet Nash wanted to stay in Dallas with Dirk and company but knew if he signed here he’d be shipped to L.A. and have to deal with Kobe and his selfishness along with the rest of the L.A. circus. Would you current Nash bashers then b!tch about the Mavs’ lack of loyalty to Steve? Besides, it’s not like he’s going the Cardinals, ala Emmitt Smith, with no chance to win.

Off topic: Please fire Humble Billy… Thanks, Chuck.

Comment by Chuck — July 4, 2004 @ 12:38 pm
I appreciate your lengthy explanation to the fans. We were all wondering what happened. I kept saying there is so much more to it than we know from published reports.
I admit feeling suckerpunched when I saw the news, but on reflection on the team you/we have, it’s not the devastating blow it originally appeared. Remembering Marquis Daniels’ awe-inspiring play by the end of the season brings confidence. And I remember Stephenson’s play in pre-season. He was amazing, aggressive and a shotmaker. I hope he get the opportunity to show his stuff on the court this year. I’ll miss Stevie. I have a philosophy of never buying player’s jerseys because you never know when they’ll be off the team and you’re stuck with outdated stuff, but for him a made an exception (and Howard). Oh well. I’ll wear it to the Pheonix games.

Comment by Natalie — July 4, 2004 @ 12:43 pm
Steve Nash is a good guy & an above average point guard, but he IMO he is not a max $ player, not even close to a max $ player. I actually think the Mav’s offer was overly generous. If Phoenix wants to pay him that kind of money, good luck to them. We’ll see how that contributes to their long term on-court success.

If anyone out there doesn’t understand the basketball difference between Shaq & Steve Nash, well I don’t know what to say other than the Clippers are always looking for good management.

Thanks Mark for posting this - you did the right thing.

Comment by Brian — July 4, 2004 @ 12:49 pm
A great post to read, it really shows us what goes on behind the scenes. I really think that the Suns are going to regret the contract they gave Steve in 4 years’ time. His style of play will wear him down. For Mavs fans, as important as Steve has been, and was, the bottom line is that people in charge have to make realistic contracts. We hear about so many overrated (not Steve’s case, of course) and overpriced players, and the best choice is to avoid falling into those holes. Right now, Phoenix looks to have the upper-hand, but we’ll see how it all turns out in a few years from now.
On the other hand, I really see Daniels developping into a reliable PG. He’ll just have to grow faster than it was initially expected, but I believe he’ll be up to the task.

Comment by Joao Pedro — July 4, 2004 @ 12:55 pm
brent barry might make a nice fit… the highest offer he has on the table right now is 4 year / 24 million from the rockets
in 2003-2004 he averaged 10.8 ppg, 5.8 apg, 3.5 rbpg and he had a .504% fg% and .452% 3ptfg%

Comment by edward — July 4, 2004 @ 1:37 pm
Funny how people are quick to say Marquis Daniels is a scrub. Not that he’s anywhere near Kobe (in terms of talent), but do you remember Kobe Bryant’s first two years in the league? The potential was there, but he needed time to develop. Few players come into the league and make an impact right away. Daniels was one of the bright spots in the playoffs this past season. He needs to learn how to play within Nellie’s system.

As for Phoenix…they haven’t had the “upper hand” since Barkley, Thunder Dan and KJ took them to the Finals in 1993. Even then, they got spanked by MJ and company. Nash is a great addition, but he’s the x-factor, not the franchise player.

I don’t think Shaq would fit in with the Mavs run-and-gun. He doesn’t get up the court fast enough…as we all witnessed when Detroit stymied L.A. with fast break baskets. Dallas needs some tough defenders and a big man who can run the floor.

Comment by Kam Stocks — July 4, 2004 @ 1:43 pm
The Mavs made the correct move here. Mark my words, in two years….Nash will be broken down, untradeable, and being paid a boatload of money to nurse injuries on the bench. While I dont agree with giving Daniels $38 million, drafting Harris