[2] During the off-season, the Mavericks acquired All-Star point guard Tim Hardaway from the Miami Heat,[3][4][5][6] and signed free agents Adrian Griffin,[7][8] Johnny Newman,[9] and Danny Manning.
[10][11] The Mavericks continued to play solid basketball winning ten straight games between December and January, then post a 7-game winning streak also in January as they held a 35–14 record at the All-Star break.
[12] At mid-season, Hardaway was traded along with Juwan Howard, and second-year forward Donnell Harvey to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Nick Van Exel, Raef LaFrentz, Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Avery Johnson.
Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash were both selected for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while head coach Don Nelson was voted to coach the Western Conference; it was the first All-Star selection for both Nowitzki and Nash.
[31][32][33][34] Following the season, Greg Buckner signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers,[35][36] while Newman retired, and Manning was released to free agency, and signed with the Detroit Pistons midway through the next season.