The Mavericks refusing to match the Suns' offer for Steve Nash was a big deal

TL;DR

Mark Cuban let Nash walk in 2004 despite Nash's prime years, and Nash immediately won back-to-back MVPs while revolutionizing NBA offense.

Key Points

• 1.Nash's departure from Dallas was entirely unexpected. The Mavericks' beat writer took vacation during 2004 free agency assuming nothing would happen — Nash loved Dallas, had promised Cuban he'd let him match any offer, and was seen as the heart of the Dirk-Nash-Finley big three.
• 2.Phoenix made an offer Cuban deemed too expensive for a 30-year-old. The Suns gave Nash a long-term, consensus-overpayment contract; the Mavericks' own medical team advised Cuban not to match it, citing Nash's history of playing through a fractured spine and concerns about longevity past age 36.
• 3.A three-way Shaq trade was discussed but never realistic. Dallas had accumulated assets including a lottery pick point guard, fueling speculation of a Nash-for-Shaq deal with the Lakers, but LA only wanted Dirk, and Nash refused to go to Los Angeles anyway.
• 4.Nash won back-to-back MVPs and took Phoenix from 29 wins to the Western Conference Finals in one season. His pace-and-space revolution made Cuban look foolish short-term, especially after the Suns eliminated Dallas in the 2005 conference semis with Nash brilliant throughout.
• 5.Cuban himself admits he made the wrong call, yet Dallas eventually won a title in 2011 without Nash. With the money saved, Cuban signed center Eric Dampier and Jason Terry; the Mavs later traded for Tyson Chandler, and a Dirk-led squad won the championship — while Nash never won a ring.