As the Indiana Pacers have taken a 2-1 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, point guard Tyrese Haliburton has led the way with head coach Rick Carlisle.
However, this pairing reportedly could have happened much sooner and further South. According to a report from ESPN.com’s Jamal Collier and Tim MacMahon, Carlisle and the Dallas Mavericks desperately wanted to trade for Haliburton in the 2020 NBA Draft, when Carlisle was still the head coach.
Collier and MacMahon reported that the Mavericks “had Haliburton as the No.1 player on their 2020 draft board.” They added the following on Dallas’ efforts to land the guard from Iowa State:
“Sources told ESPN that the Mavericks dangled their two selections, No. 18 and No. 31, as well as their sometimes starter and sometimes sixth-man guard Jalen Brunson, to every team until Haliburton went off the board at No. 12 to the Sacramento Kings.”
Clearly, the Mavericks were going all-out, even offering up a future superstar in Brunson. Carlisle also discussed the trade.
"We tried like hell to get him and move up, we just couldn't do it," Carlisle said before the start of the Finals. "When I tell you that Mark Cuban tried everything. When Mark puts his mind to something, he can usually figure something out."
Sadly for the Mavericks, Cuban did not figure it out, and the idea of Haliburton and Luka Doncic playing together exists only has a hypothetical in a Dallas fan’s mind. At least Carlisle eventually got his wish.