https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45493117/how-rick-carlisle-impacts-tyrese-haliburton-indiana-pacers

HALIBURTON COULD HAVE been a Dallas Maverick.

The Mavericks had Haliburton as the No.1 player on their 2020 draft board, based in large part on Voulgaris' analytics models. 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.

"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."

The Mavericks never found a suitor, but Carlisle remained a fan of Haliburton's game from afar through the start of the point guard's career.

Going into training camp for the 2022-23 season, Carlisle told Haliburton he didn't want to call plays anymore. Carlisle was handing the offense over to Haliburton, who was 22 years old at the time. He remembered seeing his young point guard's eyes light up.

"I was surprised," Haliburton recalled after practice on Tuesday. "Because I know what the conversation around coach [Carlisle] was, especially from point guards."

31 comments

  1. I remember thinking it was crazy that Haliburton kept falling with each new pick after about 6/7

    Kings were lucky to get him and then stupid to trade him away

    Edit:

    Thought I’d add this. An article in 2020 talks about the Mavs trying to trade up to get Haliburton and why he fell

    > Haliburton, they (the Mavericks) were 100% trying to get him, starting at 8, they offered a, like you said, a boatload of stuff and future picks even to try and go get him. People are like, how did Haliburton fall so far?!… a lot of this was by design. The consistent theme that I kept hearing in the pre-draft process from agents was, “I hate the teams that are drafting in the top 10. I don’t want my guys with any of those franchises.” And so, they were very selective with who got medicals and they were openly telling teams, “don’t take my guy, please.” So I think, that is a big reason why Haliburton ended up going 12. He… he could have gone 6, I think, had he wanted to, but he was open to, you know, “let me sacrifice $7, 8 million because I think it’s going to end up working out in the long term with Sacramento”.

    [Source](https://kingsherald.com/draft-news/2020-nba-draft-tyrese-haliburton-sacramento-kings-lowe-post/)

  2. no one expected the falsetto prince to be such a good floor general
    hali was always nice, but no on knew that he had that dawg in him

  4. these stories always come out when a star player is picked outside the top 10

  5. Always these “we knew all along” reports of teams come out all of a sudden at the right time smh

  8. Every team? How tf did we not accept… Jalen Smith would have easily been available still

  10. what a bunch of complete and total BS – they f’ing did not have Haliburton #1 on their chart – no NBA team did, stop this making shit up now that they are up 2-1 in the finals.

  11. Haralabob is a pretty fascinating guy to talk to if you are a gambling or NBA analytics nerd. Sat right next to him a few years ago in a Series poker tourney for a few hours. I can totally see why Cuban became so enamored with him. 

  13. “said a source familiar with Haralabob’s innermost thoughts that have never been spoken aloud.”

  15. I don’t doubt the model loving him, I am not sure I totally believe the offers. I feel like I remember him having one of highest EPM seasons of a guard of all time and the analytics nerds being all about him. 

  16. Mark Cuban told something similar a while ago, he said he wasn’t surprised Carlisle first move as a pacer was to get Hali, cause the Mavs analytics guys were veeeeery high on Hali.

  17. Don’t give Haralabob anymore fucking little credit he has left as an evaluator.

  19. The same analytics models that had them draft Josh Green instead of Tyrese Maxey that year?

  20. It was definitely true.

    We had 18, 31, 37 and we’re willing to offer JB on top of that.

    But 2020 draft was considered a small year so no teams were willing to trade down.

  21. I remember Voulgaris saying he wanted to trade Brunson for a pick to take Matisse Thybulle the year before. The stats can’t win every time I suppose

  23. RIP Jonathan Tjarks who tried to tell everyone about him. I always remember him going on and on and about this kid from Iowa St. and thinking he sound okay. Turns out he knew his shit.

  25. Mavericks actually had Jokic number 1 on their boards.  But you know things got in the way 

  27. You are telling me the Lakers could have gotten Luka and Hali in the same trade!? Wow..

  28. The idea that the Mavs were looking at a fucking point guard when Luka was on the team is absurd.

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