The Dallas Mavericks’ season started with promise but spiraled into disappointment, culminating in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies that ended their NBA playoff hopes. After assembling a star-studded roster featuring Klay Thompson, the Mavs saw their fortunes change dramatically following Luka Doncic’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers and a series of injuries to key players.
Following the season-ending defeat, Thompson was asked if he would still have chosen to join Dallas had he known Doncic would leave. His response was emphatic.
“Don’t do this to me. Don’t do that to me. Don’t do that. That’s kind of a ridiculous question because I don’t own a time machine and I don’t believe in going back or looking back,” Thompson said bluntly.
“If I did that my whole career, I would not be where I’m at, and I wouldn’t have been able to persevere through two really hard injuries,” he continued. “I’m here in Dallas, and I enjoyed my time, and I’m looking forward to the future”.
Klay Thompson #31 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after making a basket against the Sacramento Kings during the first half of the NBA play-in tournament game. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The Mavericks’ decline after Doncic’s departure
The Mavericks were 26-24 and in solid playoff contention with Luka Doncic leading the charge. However, following his trade to the Lakers, the team went just 13-19, slipping to 10th place in the Western Conference.
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General Manager Nico Harrison’s plan was to pair Anthony Davis with Kyrie Irving in a “win-now” approach to bolster the team’s defense. Unfortunately, the strategy fell apart. Davis suffered an injury in his Mavericks debut against the Rockets, and less than a month later, Irving tore his ACL, ending his season prematurely.
As if losing their two biggest stars wasn’t enough, injuries to Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, Dante Exum, and others compounded the chaos. The result? A disappointing end to the 2024-25 NBA season, with the Mavericks missing the playoffs entirely—a far cry from their early-season aspirations.
