The 1996–97 NBA season was the Mavericks' 17th season in the National Basketball Association. The Mavericks had the ninth pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and selected Samaki Walker out of Louisville. In the offseason, the team signed free agents Chris Gatling and former Mavs guard Derek Harper, acquired Eric Montross from the Boston Celtics, and signed undrafted rookie guard Erick Strickland. With new head coach Jim Cleamons, the Mavericks struggles continued with a 4–10 start in November. With the team not showing any improvement, they traded All-Star guard Jason Kidd to the Phoenix Suns for second-year star Michael Finley, Sam Cassell and A.C. Green in late December. Gatling led the Mavericks with 19.1 points per game off the bench during the first half of the season, and was selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game. At midseason, he was traded along with Cassell, Montross, Jim Jackson and George McCloud to the New Jersey Nets for Shawn Bradley, Robert Pack, Khalid Reeves and second-year forward Ed O'Bannon, while Jamal Mashburn was dealt to the Miami Heat for second-year guard Sasha Danilovic, second-year forward Kurt Thomas, and rookie forward Martin Muursepp. In February, former Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson became the team's General Manager.