[1] During the off-season, the Mavericks signed free agent All-Star forward Alex English,[2][3][4] while acquiring his teammate All-Star guard Fat Lever from the Denver Nuggets,[5][6][7] and Rodney McCray from the Sacramento Kings.
[8][9][10] However, the Mavericks troubles would start early as Lever, and Roy Tarpley were both lost early in the season with season ending knee injuries.
[11] While on the injured list, Tarpley would again be suspended for substance abuse by the NBA.
Their struggles continued as they lost eight consecutive games near the end of the season, finishing sixth in the Midwest Division with a 28–54 record.
[13] Rolando Blackman led the team in scoring with 19.9 points per game, while Derek Harper averaged 19.7 points, 7.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and Herb Williams provided the team with 12.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.