Why Would The Mavericks Trade Luka Doncic?

The night of February 1, 2025 will go down in NBA history for one simple reason—the seismic trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, which sent Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic to Dallas for a package headlined by All-NBA big man Anthony Davis (otherwise known as AD) and a first-round pick.

There had been rumors long before this trade that the Lakers were eyeing Luka to be the face of their franchise in the post-LeBron James era. However, given the team's limited assets, it was seen as nothing more than a pipe dream. Now, though, it is a reality, and it begs the question- why would the Mavericks move off Luka, who is 25 years old, in his prime, and plays a position that often ages well?

Why Didn’t The Mavericks Get More For Doncic?

The aforementioned package the Mavericks got for Doncic is significantly underwhelming. There's no question that Doncic is a subpar defender, but at his best, he's still a top-five, maybe top-three, player in the NBA. He could've been worth several first-round picks and multiple players. When the Lakers traded for AD in June 2019, they sent three first-round picks (including a top-five selection), Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart, to the Pelicans. Luka is worth more than that, and it should be noted that Davis was 26 when he was traded to Los Angeles.

Reports are piling in that the Mavericks did not approach other teams about a Luka trade. In other words, Luka was going to the Lakers or staying in Dallas. Now, this could've been for a variety of reasons. Sources say this trade was “several weeks” in the making, although Luka, LeBron, or AD had no idea this was happening until the news broke. Could you imagine what teams across the NBA would've given up for Luka’s services if the Mavericks started a bidding war? They could've gotten a gargantuan trade package that, in terms of players and draft picks, would've set the franchise up for the next 10-15 years. Instead, they got a short-term win-now package. Let’s talk more about that package.

The Mavericks Will Win Now, But Their Future Isn't Bright

The Big 3 in Dallas currently consists of AD, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson. Seven years ago, they'd be championship contenders. Now, they are considered senior citizens by league standards. Thompson turns 35 on February 8, while AD and Kyrie will turn 32 and 33 in March. The good news for Dallas is that two of these players still have juice in the tank. Though the ACL and Achilles injuries Thompson suffered with the Golden State Warriors have rendered him a shell of his former self, AD and Kyrie are still putting up All-Star-caliber numbers. The Kyrie-AD combo will be a formidable duo for the foreseeable future, but that's where the fun ends.

Father Time eventually catches up to everyone, and given that AD and Kyrie have a history of injuries, both players could experience declines sooner than expected if either of them catches the injury bug again. As mentioned before, this duo will be formidable for now, but if the injuries pile up, the Mavericks will have essentially traded Luka for nothing. To make things worse, they have no control over their first-round picks between 2027 and 2030. Their 2027 first is directly owed to the Hornets while 2029’s pick will go to either the Rockets or Nets. Meanwhile, their 2028 and 2030 firsts can be swapped with the Thunder and Spurs. Yes, they own the Lakers’ 2029 first-rounder, but if Luka is still producing at a high level and leading Los Angeles to the playoffs, that's a low pick. In essence, Dallas not only sacrificed Luka to win now, but they might have also sacrificed their future.

The Lakers Might Have Pulled Off The Heist Of The Century

The Lakers are, without question, the winners of this trade, which sets them up to contend for championships over the next decade-plus. The duo of LeBron and Luka will have them competing for titles immediately, while Luka alone will keep them in title contention once LeBron retires.

This trade is a franchise-altering move from the Lakers’ perspective. It's not about whether it changed the Lakers, but rather how much. The Lakers both got their LeBron successor and kept their 2031 first-round pick, which I anticipate being moved after LeBron retires to give Luka a new running mate. If this trade brings multiple championships to Los Angeles while Luka continues to perform at a high level, they will have pulled off an all-time-level heist, especially given how little they surrendered to make this move.

Sources state that the Mavericks moved on from Luka due to concerns over his defense and conditioning. While I can understand moving on from a player for these reasons, I can't understand moving on from someone of Luka's caliber. Luka Doncic is a generational talent, and trading him away for pennies on the dollar over conditioning issues is organizational malpractice. From the Mavericks’ perspective, this has the potential to be the worst trade in NBA history if age quickly catches up to the team’s older stars while their former franchise star wins titles and produces at an all-time great level in Los Angeles.

Serafino Diaz is a writer at Chaotically Intolerant, Phoenix's finest Vikings, Bucks, and Cubs fan, traveling everywhere I can.