Remember These 10 Former All-Stars Who Played for the Dallas Mavericks?

There are many legends of the game who passed through Dallas at the tail end of their careers

Mar 22, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Amar'e Stoudemire (right) and forward Richard Jefferson against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Mavericks were notorious for chasing big names in free agency in the 2000s and 2010s, even if those players were well past their primes. In Mark Cuban's everlasting desire to surround Dirk Nowitzki with the best talent possible, he also wanted names who would help fill the American Airlines Center.

Players like Jalen Brunson and Devin Harris started their careers in Dallas before making All-Star games elsewhere, but this is about the players who made a name for themselves elsewhere but had brief stints in Dallas in honor of Kemba Walker's recent retirement, who had a legendary month with the Mavs.

Here are 10 former NBA All-Stars who played for the Dallas Mavericks.

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1. Alex English

Alex English looks to fire a shot. The Bucks' defense held the Denver star to 15 points Wednesday night 1989 Press Photo Alex English Looks To Fire A Shot / Jim Gehrz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

To start the list, we throw it back to 1991. Alex English was one of the most prolific scorers of the 1980s, leading the league in total points twice and making eight consecutive All-Star games from 1982 to 1989 with the Denver Nuggets. His last stop as an NBA player was with the Mavs in the 1990-91 season, where he played in 79 games and averaged 9.7 PPG.

2. Amar'e Stoudemire

Apr 24, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Amar'e Stoudemire (1) heads to the bench during the game against the Houston Rockets in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Amar'e Stoudemire revolutionized the game in the high screen-and-roll with Steve Nash on the Phoenix Suns but injuries plagued his last few years in the desert and his time with the New York Knicks. The Knicks bought him out in 2015 and he signed with the Mavs for the remainder of the season, appearing in 28 total games, including the playoffs, and averaged 10.3 PPG. He'd play for the Miami Heat the next season and would retire soon after.

3. Andrew Bogut

Jan 7, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut (6) blocks out Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) in the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Slightly cheating here as Bogut was never an All-Star, but he did make Third Team All-NBA in 2010, which is arguably more impressive. The Golden State Warriors dumped Bogut to the Mavericks to open cap space to sign Kevin Durant in the 2016 offseason, a move that would win them two championships. Bogut only played 26 games in Dallas, averaging 3.0 PPG and 8.4 RPG before being traded to the 76ers as part of the deal for Nerlens Noel. He'd play for the Cavaliers and Lakers before returning to the Warriors and calling it quits.

4. Chris Kaman

Apr 10, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Chris Kaman (35) and power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) warm up before the game against the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Kaman made the 2010 All-Star Game as a member of the LA Clippers but joined the Mavericks for the 2012-13 season, one of the wildest roster compositions in franchise history (more on that team soon). Kaman appeared in 66 games for Dallas, averaging 10.5 PPG and 5.6 RPG.

5. David Lee

Apr 6, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward David Lee (42) celebrates during the first half against the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

David Lee somehow made two All-Star games in his career, once for the Knicks in 2010 and again for the Warriors in 2013. He was traded from the Warriors to the Boston Celtics in the 2015 offseason, but Boston bought out his contract after the trade deadline. He signed with the Mavs after clearing waivers and played in 25 games in Dallas, averaging 8.5 PPG.

6. Elton Brand

Mar 10, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Dallas Mavericks power forward Elton Brand (42) drives to the basket past Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Chris Johnson (20) in the second half at Target Center. The Mavericks won 100-77. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Another member of that odd 2012-13 roster, Elton Brand was a walking 20 and 10 from the moment he entered the NBA, making two All-Star games for the Clippers in 2002 and 2006. The Mavs spun the tires on Brand and he responded by averaging 7.2 PPG and 6.0 RPG in 72 games. Some other fun names on that roster include O.J. Mayo, Darren Collison, Eddy Curry, Derek Fisher, Troy Murphy, and Chris Douglas-Roberts.

7. Isaiah Thomas

Dec 29, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Isaiah Thomas (31) warms up before the start of the game against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Isaiah Thomas is in the running for the strangest NBA career ever. After being selected with the final pick of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, he used solid performances there to sign a big deal with the Phoenix Suns but was their third point guard alongside Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. He only lasted 46 games before landing in Boston in a trade and blossomed into a superstar, culminating in a 28.9 PPG season in 2016-17. He finished 5th in the MVP voting that year but would never be the same player after a hip injury.
Thomas has played for eight different franchises since being traded away from Boston for Kyrie Irving, including all of one game in Dallas, playing 13 minutes and scoring 6 points.

8. Jameer Nelson

Nov 21, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jameer Nelson (14) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers center Jordan Hill (27) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jameer Nelson was a key component of the 2009 Orlando Magic that went to the NBA Finals and made the All-Star game that season. He signed with Dallas in the 2014 offseason, leading the Mavs to one of the best offenses in the league, but was sent to Boston after just 23 games in the Rajon Rondo trade. Safe to say that didn't work out for either side, as Rondo's tenure in Dallas was a disaster and Nelson bounced around the league for the last few years of his career.

9. Sam Cassell

Apr 6, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; Washington Wizards assistant coach Sam Cassell before a game against the New Jersey Nets the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Cassell played for eight different teams in his career, including a short 16-game stretch in the 1996-97 season. The Mavericks acquired Cassell, Michael Finley, and A.C. Green from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jason Kidd, Tony Dumas, and Loren Meyer. After less than two months in Dallas, they sent Cassell packing once again, this time to the New Jersey Nets with Eric Montross and Jim Jackson for a package that included Shawn Bradley and Robert Pack. He averaged 12.3 PPG and 3.6 APG in his short time with the Mavs but would go on to make the 2004 All-Star Game as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

10. Tim Hardaway Sr.

Jun 28, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks first round pick Tim Hardaway Jr (right) and father and former NBA player Tim Hardaway pose for a photo before the start of the game between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Tim Hardaway Sr.'s recent headlines regarding the Mavericks were about his displeasure with how they played basketball since his son was on the team and he wanted Hardaway Jr. to take more shots. Now that his son has been traded to Detroit, it's unlikely we hear his ire towards Dallas anymore. But did you know he actually played in 54 games for the Mavs in the 2001-02 season?
Well out of his prime, Hardaway averaged 9.6 PPG and 3,7 APG before a trade to Denver landed the Mavs Nick Van Exel, Avery Johnson, and Raef LaFrentz.

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