Editing Dallas Mavericks (section)

====2016–2019: Lottery return, the arrival of Luka Dončić and Dirk's final years====
The Mavericks did not make the playoffs during the 2016–17 season, despite efforts from their newest additions, [[Seth Curry]], [[Harrison Barnes]], [[Nerlens Noel]], and [[Yogi Ferrell]]. They began the season going 3–15 through their first 18 games, and could not bounce back, finishing at a 33–49 record despite fighting towards a winning record, even reaching a 28–36 record partway through the season. This season was the second time in 17 years they missed the playoffs, with the other being the 2012–2013 season. The season marked the first time the team finished with a losing record since the 1999–2000 season.

The Dallas Mavericks received the ninth pick in the [[2017 NBA draft]] and used it to select point guard [[Dennis Smith Jr.]] out of [[NC State Wolfpack men's basketball|North Carolina State]]. They began the 2017–18 season 3–15 through their first eighteen games as in the year prior and concluded it on a 2–12 slump to finish with a 24–58 record despite a solid rookie season from Smith Jr., who averaged 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists over 69 games, landing a spot on the [[NBA All-Rookie Team|All-Rookie Second Team]]. This season was the team's worst season since the 1997–98 season, in which they finished 20–62 and drafted Dirk Nowitzki afterward.

In the [[2018 NBA draft]], Dallas traded for [[Luka Dončić]], who was drafted third by the [[Atlanta Hawks]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2018 |title=Luka Doncic headed to Mavs, Trae Young to Hawks after teams swap picks |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23867178/2018-nba-draft-dallas-mavericks-acquire-luke-doncic-send-draft-rights-trae-young-atlanta-hawks |access-date=June 21, 2018 |publisher=ESPN |archive-date=November 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129063419/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23867178/2018-nba-draft-dallas-mavericks-acquire-luke-doncic-send-draft-rights-trae-young-atlanta-hawks |url-status=live}}</ref> Dallas traded their 2018 first-round pick, the fifth overall pick, and their 2019 first-round pick, the 10th overall pick. The two selections resulted in [[Trae Young]] and [[Cam Reddish]], respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2019/06/21/vote-with-the-luka-doncic-trae-young-trade-officially-complete-who-won-the-deal-between-the-mavs-and-hawks/ |title=Vote: With the Luka Doncic-Trae Young trade officially complete, who won the deal between the Mavs and Hawks? |date=June 21, 2019 |access-date=February 24, 2020 |archive-date=February 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224000606/https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2019/06/21/vote-with-the-luka-doncic-trae-young-trade-officially-complete-who-won-the-deal-between-the-mavs-and-hawks/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Head coach [[Rick Carlisle]] described Dončić as "a guy that we think is a franchise foundation piece."<ref>{{cite web |date=June 22, 2018 |title=Carlisle on Doncic: "We got a franchise foundation piece" |url=https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/699491/carlisle-on-doncic-we-got-a-franchise-foundation-piece/ |access-date=June 22, 2018 |archive-date=May 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518050413/https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/699491/carlisle-on-doncic-we-got-a-franchise-foundation-piece/ |url-status=live}}</ref> On July 6, 2018, long-time [[Los Angeles Clippers]] center [[DeAndre Jordan]] (who had been with the Clippers since {{nbay|2008|start}}), signed a one-year deal.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 6, 2018 |title=Mavericks sign free agent center DeAndre Jordan |url=https://www.mavs.com/mavericks-sign-free-agent-center-deandre-jordan/ |access-date=July 8, 2018 |work=Mavs.com |archive-date=November 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120041204/https://www.mavs.com/mavericks-sign-free-agent-center-deandre-jordan/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=July 1, 2018 |title=Reports: DeAndre Jordan Agrees To One-Year Deal With Mavericks |url=http://global.nba.com/news/reports-deandre-jordan-agrees-to-one-year-deal-with-mavericks |access-date=July 1, 2018 |publisher=National Basketball Association |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327103150/http://global.nba.com/news/reports-deandre-jordan-agrees-to-one-year-deal-with-mavericks/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Mavericks finished the season with a record of 33–49 and missed the playoffs despite Dončić winning Rookie of the Year.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 24, 2018 |title=A jubilant Luka Doncic wins the NBA Rookie of the Year award in a landslide |url=https://www.mavs.com/a-jubiliant-luka-doncic-wins-the-nba-rookie-of-the-year-award/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725131417/https://www.mavs.com/a-jubiliant-luka-doncic-wins-the-nba-rookie-of-the-year-award/ |archive-date=July 25, 2019 |access-date=July 25, 2019 |work=Mavs.com}}</ref> Nowitzki announced his retirement at season's end; his 21st season with the Mavericks marked the longest that any NBA player in history spent with a single franchise.