 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Mwaka weNBA 199697 yaive mwaka wechi17 weMavericks muNational Basketball Association. Mavericks aiva nechisarudzo chechipfumbamwe mu 1996 NBA draft, uye akasarudza Samaki Walker kubva kuLouisville. Mumwaka wepakati, timu yakasaina vashandi vakasununguka Chris Gatling uye aimbova muchengeti weMavs Derek Harper, akawana Eric Montross kubva kuBoston Celtics, uye akasaina asina kunyorwa rookie muchengeti Erick Strickland. Nomurairidzi mutsva mukuru Jim Cleamons, Mavericks akaramba achinetseka ne 410 kutanga munaNovember. Nechikwata chisingaratidze kuvandudzwa, vakatengesa All-Star muchengeti Jason Kidd kuPhoenix Suns kune wechipiri-gore nyeredzi Michael Finley, Sam Cassell naAC Green mukupera kwaZvita. Gatling akatungamirira Mavericks ne19.1 points pamutambo kubva pabhenji mukati mehafu yekutanga yemwaka, uye akasarudzwa ku1997 NBA All-Star Game. Pakati pemwaka, akatengeswa pamwe chete naCassell, Montross, Jim Jackson naGeorge McCloud kuNew Jersey Nets yaShawn Bradley, Robert Pack, Khalid Reeves uye wechipiri-gore mberi Ed OBannon, apo Jamal Mashburn akatengeswa kuMiami Heat kwechipiri-gore muchengeti Sasha Danilovic, wechipiri-gore mberi Kurt Thomas, uye rookie mberi Martin Muursepp. MunaFebruary, aimbova murairidzi weGolden State Warriors Don Nelson akava General Manager wechikwata. 