1988–89 Dallas Mavericks season

[1] After reaching the Conference Finals last year, the Mavericks got off to a fast start winning 9 of their first 12 games,[2][3][4] but after a 17–9 start, they went on a 7-game losing streak in January, and held a 24–21 record at the All-Star break.

[5] In January, sixth man Roy Tarpley was suspended indefinitely for violating the league's anti-drug policy; Tarpley was also out with a knee injury, only playing just 19 games.

[6][7][8][9] At mid-season, the team traded All-Star forward Mark Aguirre, who had several incidents with the team during the regular season, to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for former All-Star forward Adrian Dantley,[10][11][12][13][14] and dealt Detlef Schrempf to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Herb Williams.

[15][16][17][18] Aguirre would win a championship with the Pistons, as they defeated the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in four straight games in the NBA Finals.

[24][25][26][27] The Mavericks finished the season in fourth place in the Midwest Division with a 38–44 record; it was the first time since 1983 that the team did not make the playoffs.