Each passing NBA season seems to make the Dallas Mavericks rue the day they moved on from Luka Doncic. Following a 137–131 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, Dallas has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention. This marks the second straight year the Mavericks will watch the playoffs from home since trading the Slovenian guard to the Los Angeles Lakers.
For a franchise that reached the NBA Finals less than two years ago, the fall has been swift and unforgiving. The Mavericks (23–49) currently sit 13th in the Western Conference, and with only ten games remaining, the post-Luka era has officially hit rock bottom.
At the time of the trade, former Mavericks GM Nico Harrison justified moving a 25-year-old MVP candidate by citing Doncic’s conditioning issues and a desire to build a defensive identity around Anthony Davis. However, time has proven the skeptics right: trading Doncic to the Lakers was a franchise-altering mistake.
The ‘defense wins championships’ fallacy
While Davis remained a statistically elite presence when on the floor—averaging 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds this season—his tenure in Dallas was defined by the same recurring injury problems that plagued his final years in Los Angeles.
Davis appeared in only 20 games this season, leaving a massive leadership and scoring void. The front office eventually acknowledged the failed experiment by trading Davis to the Washington Wizards earlier this year to clear salary cap space, signaling a total white flag on the current roster.
In contrast, Doncic dominating in Los Angeles
The contrast between the two franchises could not be sharper. While Dallas faces a long offseason, Doncic is thriving in Los Angeles. After a rocky start that ended in a first-round exit last year, the Lakers (46–26) have surged to the #3 seed in the Western Conference in Luka’s first full season with the team.
Doncic is currently playing at an undisputed MVP level, leading the league in scoring with 33.4 points per game, alongside 7.9 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.9 steals. His recent form has been historic:
- Ten consecutive games scoring 30+ points.
- A season-high 60-point masterpiece against the Miami Heat.
- A 51-point explosion against the Chicago Bulls.
- Two 30-point triple-doubles in the last week alone.
As the Lakers prepare for a deep championship run fueled by the league’s most potent offensive weapon, the Mavericks are left to pick up the pieces of a trade that looks increasingly like one of the most lopsided deals in NBA history.