One Year Later: The Luka Doncic Trade Still Casts a Long Shadow Over the Mavericks
It’s been nearly a year since the Dallas Mavericks made the kind of move that echoes through franchise history - and not in a good way. On February 2, 2025, in a deal that stunned the basketball world, the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. The ripple effects of that blockbuster are still being felt in Dallas, where the team is trying to pick up the pieces and chart a new course forward.
A Franchise Still Searching for Its Footing
The Mavericks haven’t exactly fallen off a cliff since the trade, but they’re nowhere near where they hoped to be. Sitting at 19-28 and 11th in the Western Conference after a 118-105 home loss to Minnesota, the team is clearly stuck in limbo - not bad enough to bottom out completely, but not good enough to contend. And for fans still trying to make sense of life after Luka, that middle ground is a tough place to be.
The organization tried to inject some positivity into the week by announcing plans to retire Mark Aguirre’s jersey - a nod to the franchise’s past greatness. Aguirre, a star for Dallas in the 1980s, had a rocky relationship with the team for years, but time has helped heal those wounds.
The ceremony, set for halftime of Thursday’s game against Charlotte, is a feel-good moment. But it also feels like a distraction - a nostalgic curtain to momentarily hide the current state of the team.
Cooper Flagg Offers Hope - But He Can’t Do It Alone
If there’s one reason for optimism in Dallas, it’s Cooper Flagg. The top pick in last year’s draft has been everything the Mavericks could’ve hoped for - and then some.
He’s still a teenager, but already shows the kind of poise, skill and upside that screams future superstar. He’s not just good for his age - he’s good, period.
Max Christie, acquired in the Doncic-Davis deal, is starting to show flashes as a solid complementary piece. He’s not a centerpiece, but he’s the kind of young, controllable talent that good teams need around their stars.
The Mavericks have some intriguing parts. But that’s all they are right now - parts.
Time to Turn the Page on Davis and Irving
The front office already made one major move by firing GM Nico Harrison - the architect of the Doncic trade. That was step one.
Step two? Moving on from the aging duo of Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.
Let’s be honest: the idea of pairing Davis and Irving might’ve looked like a dream on paper - seven years ago. Today, both are on the wrong side of 30, battling injuries, and not reliable enough to build around.
Davis, 32, is once again sidelined, this time with a wrist injury he suffered on January 8. No surgery was needed, but he’s expected to miss a significant chunk of time.
Since arriving in Dallas, he’s suited up for just 29 games.
When Davis is on the floor, he’s still elite. But that’s the problem - he’s not on the floor often enough. Betting on his long-term health was always a gamble, and it hasn’t paid off.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last March. At the time of the injury, he was playing some of the best basketball of his career.
The hope was that he’d return by January, but that timeline has come and gone. And with the team’s playoff hopes dimming, there’s little incentive to rush him back.
Irving is under contract for two more years, but he’ll be 34 next season. That’s not a building block - that’s a ticking clock.
The NBA trade deadline is February 5, and while the front office might be tempted to see what a trio of Flagg, Davis and Irving could look like together, the smarter play is to face reality. That trio isn’t built to last - or even to make it through a playoff series intact.
A Rebuild Needs Clarity - and Courage
Owner Patrick Dumont has his eyes on a bigger picture - a new arena and entertainment complex in downtown Dallas, with the Mavericks as the centerpiece. That kind of project will require public support, and right now, the fanbase is still reeling from the Doncic trade.
Firing Harrison was a necessary step toward rebuilding trust. But more needs to be done.
There’s talk of bringing Dirk Nowitzki back in an advisory role - a move that would be welcomed by fans and city leaders alike. But if the Mavericks are serious about moving forward, they also need to put an end to their legal spat with the Dallas Stars over the American Airlines Center. That kind of off-court distraction doesn’t help when you’re trying to win back hearts and minds.
The Road Ahead: Draft Picks, Not Play-In Dreams
The best-case scenario for this season? A spot in the play-in tournament.
But even that feels like fool’s gold. This team needs another lottery pick more than it needs a one-and-done postseason appearance.
The 2026 draft class is projected to be loaded, and the Mavericks are currently on track for a top-10 selection. After that, their next first-round pick isn’t until 2031.
That’s the cost of Harrison’s vision - a five-year setback, salvaged only by the stroke of luck that was landing Flagg. Now it’s time to double down on that stroke of luck and build around him the right way.
That means trading Davis. That means moving on from Irving. That means embracing the rebuild, not resisting it.
It’s not easy. It never is when you’re trying to undo a franchise-altering mistake.
But the Mavericks can’t afford to keep looking back. The only way forward is through.