Since joining the NBA as an expansion team in 1980, the Dallas Mavericks have grown from scrappy newcomers into a franchise with a championship banner and a roster of legends. From the sharpshooting big man who defined an era to a young phenom carrying the torch today, the Mavs have had no shortage of stars. Here’s our ranking of the eight greatest Dallas Mavericks of all time. Fair warning: the top spot isn’t up for debate, but everything else is. Sound off with your own order below.
8. Michael Finley
A smooth, do-it-all wing, Finley was one of the faces of the franchise during the transition years around Mark Cuban’s purchase of the team. Across nine seasons in Dallas he averaged nearly 20 points a game as a two-way force, earning back-to-back All-Star nods and even leading the league in minutes played. He helped bridge the gap from the lean 1990s to the contending era that followed.
7. Jason Kidd
A Hall of Fame point guard with multiple stints in Dallas, Kidd is a Mavs legend for one enormous reason: he was the floor general of the 2011 championship team. Even in the twilight of his career, his leadership, playmaking, and defense proved invaluable during that title run. Add in his brilliant early-career years in Dallas as one of the league’s best young playmakers — and now his run coaching the team — and few figures are more woven into Mavericks history.
6. Jason Terry
“The Jet” was the soul of the 2011 championship team. A Sixth Man of the Year who delivered when it mattered most, Terry saved his best for the NBA Finals — famously burying a clutch three over LeBron James in Game 5 and pouring in big-time scoring throughout the series against Miami. He believed so fully in that team that he tattooed the championship trophy on his arm before the playoffs even began. A true Dallas legend.
5. Mark Aguirre
The very first draft pick in franchise history, Aguirre was one of the most prolific scorers of his generation and the best small forward ever to suit up for Dallas. Over eight seasons he averaged nearly 25 points a game, made three All-Star teams, and helped lead the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals in 1988. His number 24 hangs in the rafters as a tribute to the franchise’s original star.
4. Rolando Blackman
The first true star in Mavericks history, “Ro” was a four-time All-Star and a model of consistency and class. He held the franchise scoring record until Dirk Nowitzki came along, and remarkably never fouled out of a single game across his 11 seasons in Dallas. Alongside Aguirre, he led those exciting late-’80s teams to the doorstep of the Finals. His retired number 22 marks him as a foundational figure.
3. Derek Harper
One of the most underrated players in franchise history, Harper was a tenacious two-way point guard who spent 12 seasons across two stints in Dallas. A two-time All-Defensive selection, he finished his Mavericks career as the franchise’s all-time leader in assists and steals. His number 12 is retired, a fitting honor for a player who embodied the toughness of those 1980s Mavs teams.
2. Luka Dončić
For a stretch, it felt like Luka might one day claim the top spot. The Slovenian sensation put up historic numbers almost from the moment he arrived, winning Rookie of the Year and earning All-NBA First Team honors year after year. He holds the franchise record for triple-doubles and multiple single-season scoring marks, and he dragged Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024. His Mavericks tenure ended shockingly and abruptly with a stunning 2025 trade, leaving fans to wonder what might have been — but his individual brilliance in Dallas was undeniable, and it cements him as one of the two greatest players in team history.
1. Dirk Nowitzki
There was never any doubt. Dirk Nowitzki is the greatest Maverick of all time, and it isn’t close. The German revolutionized basketball as a seven-footer with a feathery shooting touch, paving the way for a whole generation of versatile big men. He spent all 21 years of his career in Dallas — a rare and beloved loyalty — racking up 14 All-Star appearances, 12 All-NBA selections, and the 2007 MVP award.
But his defining moment came in 2011, when he led the Mavericks past LeBron James and the Miami Heat to the franchise’s first and only NBA championship, earning Finals MVP with a playoff run for the ages. He’s the highest-scoring foreign-born player in NBA history, a Hall of Famer, and the face that put the Mavericks on the map for good. Dirk isn’t just the greatest Maverick — he’s one of the greatest to ever play the game.
The next generation
No Mavs list is complete without a nod to the future. Cooper Flagg’s historic Rookie of the Year campaign has fans dreaming that the next name on this list is already in the building. Give it a few years, and this ranking might need an update.
The debate is yours
Dirk at the top is settled, but everything below is fair game. Is Luka really No. 2? Where does Kidd rank against the ’80s legends? And did we leave off a favorite like Steve Nash or Sam Perkins? Drop your own top eight in the comments — the argument is half the fun.
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