Tyrese Haliburton Was Reportedly No. 1 Player on Mavs' 2020 NBA Draft Board

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton's career could've taken a completely different trajectory if Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had his way in the 2020 NBA draft.

According to ESPN's Jamal Collier and Tim MacMahon, the Mavs "had Haliburton as the No. 1 player on their 2020 draft board" and sources said they "dangled their two selections, No. 18 and No. 31, as well as their sometimes starter and sometimes sixth-man guard Jalen Brunson, to every team until Haliburton went off the board at No. 12 to the Sacramento Kings."

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who was coaching the Mavs at that time, confirmed the report.

"We tried like hell to get him and move up, we just couldn't do it," Carlisle said before the start of the Finals. "When I tell you that Mark Cuban tried everything. When Mark puts his mind to something, he can usually figure something out."

Dallas instead used the No. 18 pick to select wing Josh Green and the No. 31 pick to select point guard Tyrell Terry, neither of whom is with the team anymore. The Mavs also lost Brunson to free agency, and he is now the face of the New York Knicks.

Haliburton was traded from the Kings midway through his second season in the NBA, and he has blossomed into one of the best young stars in the league. He helped lead the Pacers to a 116-107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Wednesday's Game 3 of the NBA Finals to give Indiana a 2-1 series lead.

Haliburton and the Pacers will try to keep the momentum going when they host the Thunder in Friday's Game 4.