Trade Verdicts
NBA Trade Verdict

Mavericks Win

Dallas acquired Steve Nash from Phoenix for Bubba Wells, Martin Müürsepp, the draft rights to Pat Garrity, and a 1999 first-round pick that became Shawn Marion.

June 24, 1998 Dallas Mavericks / Phoenix Suns Record confidence: High

Dallas Mavericks Received

Phoenix Suns Received

Dallas Mavericks

A-

Phoenix Suns

B-

Trade Analysis

Dallas Bought a Point Guard Before His Prime

Steve Nash was coming off two quiet seasons in Phoenix when Dallas traded for him on draft night in 1998. The Mavericks were betting on skill development and fit rather than established stardom. Nash joined fellow young cornerstone Dirk Nowitzki and scorer Michael Finley, giving Dallas a three-player offensive foundation that would pull the franchise out of a decade of losing.

Phoenix's First-Round Pick Became Shawn Marion

The deal was not Nash for spare parts. The future first-round pick landed at No. 9 in 1999 and became Shawn Marion, a four-time All-Star and elite two-way forward for the Suns. Marion's rebounding, defense, transition scoring, and positional versatility made him a central part of Phoenix's next contender. That outcome is the reason Phoenix earns a solid grade despite trading a future Hall of Fame point guard.

Nash Helped Transform Dallas Before His MVP Years

Nash did not win his MVP awards until he returned to Phoenix as a free agent in 2004, but his Dallas tenure was still highly valuable. He became an All-Star, helped the Mavericks establish one of the league's best offenses, and reached the 2003 Western Conference finals. The trade should be judged by those six Dallas seasons, not dismissed because his absolute peak came later.

The Secondary Players Did Not Decide the Deal

Phoenix also received Bubba Wells, Martin Müürsepp, and the draft rights to Pat Garrity. None became a lasting Suns cornerstone. Garrity was quickly used in the separate trade that brought Orlando's draft rights to Phoenix, while Wells and Müürsepp had limited NBA impact. The lasting comparison is Nash's Dallas run against the Marion pick.

Nash's 2004 Return Is a Separate Front-Office Decision

Phoenix deserves credit for signing Nash in free agency and building a revolutionary offense around him, but that later decision does not retroactively turn the 1998 trade into a Suns win. Dallas acquired and developed Nash, received six productive seasons, then chose not to match Phoenix's contract. The free-agent loss is a Mavericks mistake separate from the value of the original acquisition.

Why Dallas Wins a Strong Two-Sided Trade

The grades—Dallas A-minus and Phoenix B-minus—recognize that both teams found a star. Dallas receives the higher mark because it acquired the deal's best player and used him to transform the franchise from lottery regular to contender. Phoenix's pick became an excellent cornerstone, but the secondary package did not close the gap completely. The correct verdict is Mavericks Win, narrowly.

Final Verdict

Dallas won the 1998 trade by acquiring a future Hall of Fame point guard before his prime and turning him into an All-Star centerpiece of a conference-finals team. Phoenix received outstanding value when the first-round pick became Shawn Marion, making this a strong trade for both franchises rather than a robbery. Dallas remains A-minus, Phoenix remains B-minus, and the verdict changes to Mavericks Win.

For Hardcore NBA Heads

The Trade That Gave Both Teams a Future Star

Few transactions produce a player as important as Nash for one side and a player as important as Marion for the other. That balance makes the deal historically unusual, but balanced value does not require an Even verdict when one team still acquired the better and more franchise-changing player.

Dallas Was Building a Core in One Draft Week

The Nash acquisition came as Dallas was also securing Nowitzki's draft rights. Neither player was yet a finished star. Together with Finley, they gave the Mavericks shooting, passing, and offensive intelligence that changed the franchise's identity. The trade's value is inseparable from that developmental environment: Dallas acquired a player whose skills amplified the young core around him.

Nash's Dallas Peak Was Already All-Star Caliber

By the early 2000s, Nash had become one of the league's most efficient and creative point guards. Dallas won 53, 57, and 60 games in his final three seasons, including the 2003 conference-finals run. His later MVP seasons in Phoenix were greater, but the Mavericks had already received elite regular-season production and meaningful playoff success from the trade.

Marion Made Phoenix's Return Substantial

Marion was not merely a good pick attached to a bad package. He became a rare defender who could guard across positions, rebound like a power forward, run the floor, and score without dominating the ball. He was central to the Suns teams that later paired him with Nash. Phoenix's B-minus reflects a genuine franchise cornerstone, not consolation value.

The Irony of Nash and Marion Reuniting Elsewhere

Nash later returned to Phoenix, while Marion eventually joined Dallas and helped the Mavericks win the 2011 championship. Those later crossings make the trade feel circular, but they should not blur the original accounting. In 1998, Dallas received Nash's six-year rise; Phoenix received the pick that became Marion. Later free-agent and trade decisions belong to later evaluations.

A Near Win-Win Still Has a Direction

Both franchises improved their futures, which is why neither deserves a poor grade. The directional edge comes from scarcity. A lead creator who organizes elite offense is harder to acquire than even an outstanding two-way forward. Dallas obtained that creator for six seasons and reached the conference finals with him, giving the Mavericks the narrow win.

Final Verdict

This was one of the better two-sided trades in league history, but Dallas still finished ahead. Nash became the lead guard of the franchise's revival, while Marion made Phoenix's return highly credible. Mavericks Win by a modest margin: Dallas A-minus, Phoenix B-minus.

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