They came to watch Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke wear Mavs uniforms for the first time and to at least wave at Kristaps Porzingis, who will be confined to business casual attire on the Dallas bench until next season.
But the American Airlines Center crowd at the Mavs' 99-93 win over Charlotte didn't know there were more welcoming parties to come _ in the form of Zach Randolph and Justin Jackson arriving from Sacramento _ or that they were witnessing the end of Harrison Barnes' time here in Dallas.
In fact, Barnes might have scored even while he was being traded. When the news was breaking, he scored seven of his 10 points in the third quarter before being removed to the bench.
Yes, the trading Mavs were at it again Wednesday. The team that Luka Doncic will one day lead to playoff glory (of some kind) looks nothing like the team that played here just a week ago.
Consider the fact that all of last week's starters but Doncic _ that would be DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr. and Barnes _ are gone. In their place for the rest of the season ... how many starters have they received in return?
Maybe one for the rest of this season (Hardaway) and the big one for the future (Porzingis) although I suppose Randolph, who was still playing 25 minutes a night for Sacramento and collecting his 14 points and 7 rebounds in year 17, could work his way into Rick Carlisle's starting five.
It had been suggested that the team would try to move Barnes and his salary ($25 million next season if he chooses to pick up the option) in order to have some flexibility this summer. That could mean going after Orlando center Nikola Vucevic in free-agency or it could end up meaning something else entirely. It's suddenly difficult to keep pace with the change that Mark Cuban's team is undergoing, but that can only be a good thing.
Since the Mavericks were crowned champs in 2011, 21 NBA teams have found a way to win a playoff series. Dallas isn't one of them.
Change was long overdue.
Cuban and Carlisle talked about putting a championship roster in place after dealing for Porzingis, and the fans are certainly on their side. Using the most scientific method available to man (a two-hour Twitter poll), I determined Wednesday night that 81 percent of fans believe the Mavs won the deal with New York, and 30 percent of that group believes Dallas "crushed" the Knicks.
I've got nothing but applause for the Mavs on the deal though I have to think the risks are being slightly ignored. Even before Porzingis suffered the torn ACL a year ago today _ the injury that will keep him sidelined until next season, the Mavs have made clear _ he was prone to ankle, knee and back ailments in New York.
After four pro seasons, Porzingis' game total will read like this: 72-66-48-0. I don't know if that should set off alarms, but isn't the entire history of 7-foot-3 basketballers a long injury list?
The Mavs believe (rightly so) that they are among the best at diagnosing, treating and avoiding injuries. A certain 7-footer remained awfully healthy for 20 Hall of Fame seasons before running into issues this year.
On the flip side, the Knicks have been reduced to punch-line status by dealing Porzingis for cap space, but that's New York's problem. If the Knicks have socked away so much money that they are able to actually land two All-Stars this summer, they could recover. For now, the former Mav Smith will get all the playing time and shots he can handle.
For the record, Mavs fans saw Burke play a total of four non-point producing minutes Wednesday night. But Hardaway got a nice workout, throwing up 16 shots for 12 points in 26 minutes. Doncic assisted on his first two baskets which comes as little surprise since the Mavs' teenage superstar recorded his third triple double (19 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) despite a rough shooting night (5-for-20).
By Thursday the Mavs will be done accumulating new teammates for Doncic, and chances are that after sending Barnes to Sacramento, their work is done.
For the fans, the potential greatness of this team is only a thing of speculation until No. 6 strides onto the court in October to join forces with his fellow European star.
Change isn't exactly arriving on the next bus, but it's surely on its way here.
