I think everyone in Dallas remembers exactly what they were doing when they found out about the trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in return for Anthony Davis. I, for example, remember waking up on the Sunday after the trade to see my parent’s disbelief in the family group chat on my phone. I remember opening the ESPN app and not even being able to comprehend what I was seeing. I thought I was looking at a mock trade article until I saw the breaking news outline.
The Trade
Personally, I’m not even a Mavericks fan, but that just goes to show how utterly bewildering the trade really was. Fans were outraged, and rightfully so. There were protests, and there were most likely death threats sent to former Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison. Figures around the league were just as surprised. Former Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, for example, tweeted “April Fools, right?” on X (formerly Twitter). Suns star Devin Booker, while on the court against the Portland Trailblazers, asked, “Luka Garza?” when his teammate told him that Luka got traded, Booker referring to former Timberwolves backup center Luka Garza.
It was as if overnight, the entire NBA had been flipped upside down. Besides the fact that the Mavericks traded their 25-year-old MVP-caliber point guard, they also failed to receive anything close to proper compensation, and they sent him to the most insufferable fanbase in the league. With every detail that emerged, the whole debacle got worse. When fans found out that it was the Mavericks that reached out to the Lakers and not the other way around, they were completely baffled.
But beyond that, everyone centered around one man. That man was Nico Harrison. The Mavericks GM held a press conference on Sunday in which everyone in the organization expressed confidence in the move and support for Harrison. Unsurprisingly, that “support” was short lived. Mark Cuban, Mavericks owner who had sold a majority stake to the Dumont family, was publicly critical of the trade just weeks after he initially gave little comment. Sports analysts were dumbfounded, and they didn’t let their unhappiness go unnoticed.
The Aftermath
It didn’t help anything that in their first game after the trade, the Mavericks lost 144-101 to the Cavaliers and gave up 91 points in the first half. It was as if the universe was telling them that they messed up. After the trade, the Mavericks went 14-25 and lost in the play-in. Furthermore, star guard Kyrie Irving went down with an ACL tear, an injury that many tied to his increased usage after Luka’s departure and Anthony Davis’ injury. While the actual likelihood that the trade caused Kyrie’s injury is low, people had opinions and didn’t falter in sharing them whatsoever.
The Draft
Regardless, the Mavericks went into the offseason looking like the biggest mess in the league. They not only managed to completely mess up their core, but they also managed to remain just mid enough to give themselves little chance at any luck in the lottery. For them, however, laid a massive surprise. They went into the NBA Draft Lottery with a 1% chance at the number one overall pick. Luck was on their side, however, and they were able to clinch the number one overall pick. Many were skeptical about it and claimed that NBA Commissioner had set up an “underground deal” to get a young star to LA. While the claims are interesting, they are most likely completely false.
So, with the number one pick, the Mavericks select Duke forward Cooper Flagg. Many were ecstatic, stating that Cooper Flagg was in the best rookie situation in the league, since he would not have the pressure to be great immediately. Sports analysts had a ton of faith in the Mavericks, including Stephen A. Smith, who said “if the Mavericks are healthy, they can make the Finals.” While I will chalk up this kind of talk to it being the heat of the offseason at the time, many analysts believed the Mavericks would be able to keep it together without Luka and without Kyrie Irving for the majority of the season.
The Disappointment
The Mavericks, however, had different plans. They started the season off in horrendous fashion, losing 8 of their first 11 including losses to NBA-worst Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans. Then, following a close loss against the Milwaukee Bucks in which rookie Cooper Flagg led the team in points, rebounds, and assists with 26, 9, and 4, the Mavericks fired General Manager Nico Harrison, finally appeasing the fans who were outraged.
Fans got what they had chanted, begged, and prayed for. Nico Harrison was no longer the GM of the Mavericks. The losing was far from over, however. To no one’s surprise, changing the GM does not immediately affect the team’s performance. The Mavericks dropped 7 of their next 9 and sat at 5-15, following a loss to the Lakers in which Dončić slated 35 and 11. They are in the midst of a nightmare season.
What They Don’t Tell You
Now, if you haven’t been living under a rock in 2025, you most likely know most of this. However, I skipped a large sum of the story. For instance, I didn’t even mentioned the controversy in which a fan was kicked out of the Mavericks arena for wearing a Luka Dončić Lakers jersey last season. I also didn’t mention Nico Harrison calling out Luka’s conditioning and then Luka promptly getting in the best shape of his life in the offseason.
I can’t imagine the many parts of the story that the public doesn’t know yet. I wouldn’t be surprised if more details are released in due time. I would guess that this whole situation is largely unknown to the public, and I await when we finally get to know the whole story. However, the bottom line is that this move was unacceptable regardless of what comes out. Mavericks fans will likely never forgive Nico Harrison.
Closing Thoughts
As for Cooper Flagg, I think Mavericks fans need to let up a little bit. He’s playing good basketball right now. Yes, I know he has the 9th lowest plus-minus in the league, but he’s averaging 17 points and 7 rebounds on 46.6% shooting. He does need to figure out his three-point shot, but overall, he’s playing well. It’s just that he’s not playing like rookie Luka Dončić, which, to be fair, no rookie is right now. Furthermore, no rookie should be expected to perform like rookie Luka.
Expectation for the Future
I anticipate a very harsh few seasons for the Mavericks as they try to maneuver through Nico’s mess. I also anticipate the Mavericks potentially moving on from Jason Kidd, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and more. It’s smart to trade them now. However, whatever happens to the Mavericks happens. As of now, they are 4th in their division and 12th in their conference. They likely will not be able to get back to contending this year. They just need to get through the year and see what they can do in the offseason, and Mavericks fans have to realize that that’s the goal now.
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