The past few weeks have been nothing short of disastrous for the Dallas Mavericks and their fans. A series of unfortunate events has derailed their season, all seemingly triggered by Anthony Davis’ injury in his very first game with the team. Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade once believed the Mavericks had a real shot at contending for the NBA championship, but now, he sees their title hopes slipping away.
“The Dallas Mavericks are in trouble. The Dallas Mavericks are in trouble. I think I’ve seen 15 bodies go down,” Wade said on his podcast, Time Out with Dwyane Wade. “When ‘The Why’ Network went live, we were talking about the Luka trade, AD going to Dallas, Kyrie Irving—we were talking about what that could be. And now, that window is closed.”
The Mavericks made a bold and controversial decision when they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and an unprotected 2029 first-round pick. What followed was a nightmare scenario for Dallas: Davis suffered a groin injury in his first game with the team, and shortly after, Kyrie Irving tore his ACL, ending his season.
Murphy’s Law took over the franchise—whatever could go wrong, did go wrong. The Mavericks, once seen as a legitimate contender, now find themselves struggling to remain relevant in the playoff picture.
What’s next for Dallas?
The big question now is how the Mavericks can recover from this devastating turn of events. In the short term, the only silver lining is that Anthony Davis is expected to return soon. However, given his injury history, relying on him as the cornerstone of the franchise is a gamble that could backfire.
On the other hand, the departure of Luka Doncic left a void that may prove impossible to fill. His offensive impact was immeasurable, and while Davis is a superstar in his own right, his availability and playing style do not guarantee the same level of success.
With the season all but lost, the Mavericks face a crucial offseason. Will they look for immediate reinforcements to try and compete with Davis and Irving next season? Or will they take a step back and consider a deeper rebuild? One thing is clear—right now, the Mavericks’ experiment looks like one of the most costly and ill-fated moves in recent NBA history.