For the second year in a row, the Dallas Mavericks are not in the playoffs. It’s a shame, considering that the year before last, Dallas made the NBA finals. The events since then are a tapestry of basketball drama. Alas, we cannot change the past. Many former Dallas Mavericks are suiting up to get their hands on the Larry O’Brien trophy this season. Of course, Luka Doncic’s Lakers will take on the Lakers in the first round, but the Don will find himself in street clothes after sustaining a hamstring injury that will rule him out indefinitely. Let’s take a look around the league, so we can all figure out who to root for this postseason.

Former Mavericks Gunning For The Larry O’Brien Trophy In 2026
Los Angeles Lakers

Luka Doncic (2018-2025)

Maxi Kleber (2017-2025)

Houston Rockets

Dorian Finney-Smith (2016-2023)

Denver Nuggets

Tim Hardaway Jr (2019-2024)

Tyus Jones (2026)

San Antonio Spurs

Harrison Barnes (2016-2019)

New York Knicks

Jalen Brunson (2018-2022)

Philadelphia 76ers

Quentin Grimes (2025)

The Sentimental Picks

It’s a sparse selection of former Dallas Mavericks to root for this year, but a good mix of sentimental favorites. Grimes and Jones will likely not draw much enthusiasm from Dallas fans. Both players stopped by for a cup of coffee, but they are talented players regardless. Harrison Barnes really failed to leave an impact in a forgettable Mavericks tenure. Cult heroes Kleber, Finney-Smith, and Hardaway Jr. are warranted a great deal of affection from Mavs fans.

Kleber, who was traded to the Lakers in a deal that also included Doncic, has seen limited playing time in LA. While his defense still holds up as above average, his once lethal 3-point shot has waned. It’s unlikely he will see much playing time this postseason. DFS finds himself in a very strange, albeit very good, Houston Rockets team. Led by Kevin Durant, Houston is expected to brush aside a Lakers team without Doncic or fellow star Austin Reaves. Finney-Smith will likely lack contribution to any title charge for the Rockets, but he’s good for morale.

The Favorites

Of the aforementioned trio, Hardaway Jr. is perhaps most likely to have a meaningful contribution. THJ is the kind of role player coaches die to have. Since arriving in Denver last offseason, he has only missed two games and has averaged 13.5 points per game. Playing in an incredible offence that hosts Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, bench players must preserve momentum and remain effective pieces when minutes overlap with the Nuggets’ star players. Hardaway Jr. does this brilliantly and will be an important man for one of the title favorites.

Aside from Doncic, the other fumbled star in this lineup is, of course, Brunson. The new king of hoops in NYC, Brunson, has taken the bull by the horns in the Big Apple. Choosing to step outside of Doncic’s shadow and become the main man for the Knicks was a phenomenal decision, and one that even the most diehard Mavs fan can’t criticize. A second-round pick in 2018, Brunson has capitalized on every opportunity presented to him and will be remembered as one of his generation’s premier players when it is all said and done. But it is not all said and done yet, and the Knicks look dangerous enough to put a new banner in the rafters in New York City.

Featured Image: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images