Mac Engel: Hey, Jerry, Stars and Mavericks are what 'all in' looks like

If you are genuine with “all in” in pro sports, that means spending real money and hoping for the ROI. If you are sincere with “all in” in pro sports, that sometimes means making a trade or two that might just blow up in your face.

(Sorry, Jerry, but ... you asked for it when you said early in the offseason that you were “all in” and then your team acts all but checked out.)

Of course, the enduring genius behind the Dallas Cowboys is that owner Jerry Jones is the general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, and there are no real consequences to his personnel/coaching decisions. Even from the great beyond, he will remain the Cowboys’ GM.

The people who make the personnel decisions for the other local franchises do so knowing they could be fired.

The Texas Rangers started their “all in” campaign three years ago when owner Ray Davis started to spend money like the wife of a LIV golfer, throwing money at free agents Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Jon Gray and Nathan Eovaldi. By trading for pitcher Jordan Montgomery.

Combine those men with a handful of young, talented players, like Josh Jung and Evan Carter, and the Rangers won their first ever World Series.

Earlier this spring, the Dallas Stars, a team that has hovered around winning the Stanley Cup since 2020, made yet another bold trade when they acquired veteran defenseman Chris Tanev from the New Jersey Devils. The Stars were thin on defense, and GM Jim Nill gave away a fourth round pick in exchange for a player who makes a difference.

Under Nill, and with the anxious blessings of owner Tom Gaglardi, the Stars have been consistently bold with “all in” moves for many years. It’s a major reason why this team has been “around it.” That includes the addition of veteran free agent forward Joe Pavelski, who has developed into the captain without the “C” on his sweater.

The Mavericks “all in” moves started more not this season but last year when they made the controversial trade for Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving. The move was immediately graded “F-plus.” When the Mavs missed the playoffs last season, the grade was changed to “F-minus.”

From a personality standpoint, Ky has not been an “chaos agent” for the Mavericks. He needs to be in a “nice” place, and he fits perfectly because scrutiny on basketball here is a fraction of a nothing compared to football.

When you have a generational player like Luka Doncic, you don’t sit there and watch him try to carry a team to the Finals. You know, like when the Mavs asked Dirk Nowitzki to drag a roster of “Larry, Moe and Curly” to the title in 2006.

(BTW, the “Larry, Moe and Curly” description came from former Mavs owner Mark Cuban.)

Earlier this year, just before the NBA’s trade deadline, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison made two more deals that said they were serious about “all in”: trades for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.

The Mavericks are not in the Western Conference Finals for the second time in the last three years without those three those moves. Harrison remade the team on the fly, and the results speak for themselves.

The Rangers, Stars and Mavericks were serious about “all in,” and this is what the pledge can look like.

Jerry, are you watching?

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