Dallas Acquired Shooter Dennis Scott and Cash for Two Veterans
On September 24, 1997, the Mavericks traded point guard Derek Harper and forward Ed O’Bannon to Orlando for shooting forward Dennis Scott and cash. The NBA league ledger and both team transaction registers agree on those four assets, with money coming to Dallas rather than Orlando. Scott had been a leading three-point shooter for the Magic’s mid-1990s playoff teams but was entering a different phase of his career. Dallas was changing its roster rapidly under Don Nelson and hoped to add outside offense. Orlando wanted experienced point guard help and another young frontcourt prospect while reshuffling after Shaquille O’Neal had already left. The move was neither a pick swap nor a one-for-one Scott trade.
Scott Scored in Dallas and Became a Later Trade Asset
Scott gave Dallas a useful outside scorer during 1997-98, averaging 13.6 points in 52 Mavericks games before another trade. On February 18, 1998, Dallas sent him to Phoenix for Cedric Ceballos, extending the value chain beyond his direct Mavericks appearances. Scott was no longer the high-volume Orlando shooter who once led the league in made three-pointers, but he supplied real shooting and a contract that could be exchanged again. The Mavericks’ inherited B- grade reflects the partial-season offense and flexibility, not an extended Dallas playoff contribution. His subsequent Suns statistics and Ceballos’s eventual Dallas career must be separated from the September deal to avoid counting a later transaction as if it were built into the original terms. The cash was additional consideration, with its precise amount unspecified in the canonical account.
Orlando Took Harper’s Experience and Quickly Waived O’Bannon
Harper was a veteran point guard with long Dallas tenure and playoff experience; Orlando hoped he could organize the offense while younger players developed. O’Bannon had been a former first-round prospect but failed to secure a role and was waived by the Magic on October 26, 1997, barely one month after the transaction. That limits the practical basketball return from the younger forward. Orlando’s inherited B- grade matches Dallas, even though its direct roster payoff differed: Harper could provide veteran ball handling while O’Bannon did not remain in the NBA rotation. Scott’s Dallas scoring and subsequent resale value give the Mavericks the narrow edge in the inherited verdict. Both sides exchanged veterans for fit rather than building a franchise around these players.
Final Verdict
Slight Mavericks Edge with equal B- grades. Dallas obtained Dennis Scott and cash; Scott scored 13.6 points in 52 Mavericks games and was later traded for Cedric Ceballos. Orlando received Derek Harper and Ed O’Bannon, but waived O’Bannon within a month of acquiring him.