Dallas received Erick Dampier; Evan Eschmeyer; draft rights to Steve Logan from Golden State Warriors and sent Christian Laettner; Eduardo Najera; draft rights to Luis Flores; draft rights to Mladen Sekularac; 76ers first-round pick (lottery protected) (pick not identified in source); 2007 first-round pick (top 7 protected) (#30-Petteri Koponen); cash in return.
Dallas acquired Erick Dampier, Evan Eschmeyer and the draft rights to Steve Logan from Golden State in the 2004 offseason. The Mavericks surrendered Christian Laettner, Eduardo Najera, two sets of draft rights, multiple future first-round assets and cash. The price reflected a clear roster need: Dallas wanted a starting center to anchor the interior next to Dirk Nowitzki during a championship window.
Dampier never became an All-Star in Dallas, but he did become the primary center on several 50-win teams and the 2006 Finals roster. His rebounding, size and interior defense filled a role the Mavericks had struggled to stabilize. Eschmeyer and Logan added essentially no value, so the Dallas case rests almost entirely on Dampier’s multi-year usefulness during a sustained contender run.
Golden State received a broad package, including Najera, draft rights and future first-round value. That package offered flexibility, but the realized player outcomes were mixed. Najera was useful, while several rights and picks did not become long-term Warriors cornerstones. The 2007 first ultimately landed at No. 30. Dallas paid heavily, yet it also received the one player who filled an immediate starting role for years.
Golden State's side involved two different first-round obligations, not a single guaranteed high selection. One was a lottery-protected pick originating with Philadelphia whose exact downstream selection isn't identified in the source record. Another was Dallas's top-seven-protected 2007 first, which ultimately corresponds to the No. 30 pick associated with Petteri Koponen. The Mavericks also moved draft rights to Luis Flores and Mladen Sekularac plus cash, whose unknown dollar amount shouldn't be treated as equivalent to player production. Those details make the price genuinely broad while limiting what can be asserted about each branch. Dampier's six seasons as a Dallas starting center are observable; awarding Golden State speculative careers for uncertain or rerouted rights would produce an equally misleading grade. The modest B against B- comparison reflects that asymmetry.
Slight Mavericks Edge — Dallas B, Golden State B-. The Mavericks gave up a large collection of players, rights, picks and cash, so this was not a bargain. Erick Dampier nevertheless started for multiple playoff teams and the 2006 Finals club, giving Dallas the exact type of interior stability it sought. Golden State accumulated useful assets but did not turn the package into a clearly better long-term result, leaving Dallas with a narrow edge.