Dallas Mavericks Thanks to Luka Donsic's brilliance and a sharp midseason deal from lead executive Nico Harrison to build a team around him, with Cinderella's run in the 2024 NBA Finals. Dallas joined the playoffs as the No. 5 seed, but pulled three straight-up sets without a home court advantage to win the second Western Conference in franchise history.
Mavs seemed set for a long-term contest with Doncic at age 25. Just nine months later, the entire franchise is cratered in historical depths, and things continue to get darker.
The Mavericks arguably made the worst deal in NBA history when they sent Luka Doncic a month ago. Los Angeles Lakers In the middle of the night. As the Lakers rose to the West's second seed due to trade, the Mavericks collapsed in a grand, heartbreaking way in a spectacular way.
On Monday night, Kyrie Irving fell to the floor while driving towards the hoop against the Sacramento Kings and immediately grabbed her right knee. Watch the video here. Irving I went back to the floor and sank two free throws. Hoping to stay in the game while Dallas fans fear the worst. The worst-case scenario was confirmed on Tuesday morning. Irving has a torn ACLand miss the rest of the season and most of next season when he recovers.
The Kings blow up the 122-98-year-old Mavericks after Irving's injury. In the third quarter, Mavs fans all came out of the arena in unison with signs of dissatisfaction.
Irving's injury is the final blow of the Mavericks' monumental downfall this season. Dallas needed everything to go right after Don Chic's deal to save his face.
Luka Donsic's trade has always been a historic disaster for the Mavericks
Luka Doncic was selected to the first Team All-NBA in five straight seasons to be enrolled at the age of 25 this year. He is a generational talent and perhaps the NBA's second best future building block behind Victor Wenbagnama. Donsic has since been acquired in a fantastic draft day trade in 2018, then brought the Mavericks to undeniable team success, carrying the franchise to the 2022 Western Conference Finals and the 2024 NBA Finals, but has grown to resent Dallas' top decision makers as superstars.
Why did Dallas trade Donsic? Here's a blow we know:
It can be argued that some of the criticisms of Donsic are fair, but despite this, he still managed to play consistently at the superstar level. Donsic's deal would have been a wild decision no matter how Dallas did it, but the fact that they put together the deal secretly without having to canvas the league or pulling out the Lakers with every asset possible makes it even more defensible.
Dallas traded Don Sic, Maxi Clever and Marquief Morris for the Lakers' first round pick of 2029, the Lakers' Anthony Davis, Max Christie's. How did the Mavericks not leave the Lakers' first-round pick in this deal? How did they not request Austin Reeves as part of the package?
Well, Lakers GM Rob Perinka Harrison reportedly believed his concerns about Donsic were valid.and the Lakers had no way of knowing whether Donsic would re-sign when he hit the free agency in the summer of 2026. Mavs reportedly only went to other teams with Doncic's offer. ask Minnesota Timberwolves If they treat Anthony Edwards for him.
This was quickly considered one of the worst deals in NBA history for the Mavericks before Davis debuted. It only gets much worse from there.
Anthony Davis was injured in his first game for the Mavericks and hasn't returned
Anthony Davis had a great start with his debut with the Mavericks. The 32-year-old forward immediately had 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 31 minutes before coming out with a left aider injury. He hasn't returned yet.
Davis has a long history of injuries problems, and he is six years older than Donsic. Davis is in his best condition and is one of the best players in the NBA, but he's not a reliable picture. Mavs felt like he had a full advertising experience in his first game.
1st quarter: This guy is unrealistic
Second Quarter: Best player of all time?
3rd quarter: OK probably not
4th quarter: Locker room https://t.co/lp5vestbwp
– Subscribe to You Know Ball Patreon (@trillbrodude) February 8, 2025
Davis was expected to return at some point this season, but at this point the remaining Mavericks roster has fallen apart from him. Now it sounds like Davis might sit for the rest of the season:
Shams Charania said on Pat McAfee's show that Anthony Davis “not from the realm of possibilities” that he won't face this season.
Charania is hoping for Davis's expression, his “hard conversation” with Dallas Maverick and his path ahead.
– Grant afseth (@grantafseth) March 4, 2025
Who could have expected Anthony Davis to be a major risk when Mavs made this deal? Other than everyone.
MAVS spinning was devastated by injuries after the Don Chic trade
Dallas has been hurting an incredible amount of injuries to their important works since trading Don Sic. It would be interesting if it wasn't that sad.
- Big Man Daniel Gafford fell on February 11th with a knee sprain
- Big Man Derek Lively II suffered a broken ankle on January 22nd.
- Caleb Martin in front is out due to hip tension
- Forward PJ Washington suffered from ankle sprain on March 4th
- Guard Jayden Hardy fell on March 3rd with an ankle sprain
Davis injured and now a catastrophic injury to Irving, the Mavericks legally lost six best players due to injuries after a Luka deal.
Mavericks fans are experiencing hell
Mavs fans rebelled in the wake of Don Chic's trade. They are I brought blue caskets to the arenabrought the “Fire Nico” sign to the game, expressing frustration online after every opportunity.
The Mavericks had a lot of pressure to go to the deep playoff runs this season after Doncic Trade. Instead, the entire team fell apart. After the Irving news, posts from Mavericks fans and National NBA writers reached a hot pitch.
I don't want Mavs fans to experience this season with my worst enemy
– Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) March 4, 2025
It's just making Mavericks fans really awful that the deal that looked devastating from the moment it happened has already turned radioactive. Sorry the organization's incompetence took away from having a fun and competitive team with a 25-year-old star.
– Sam Vecenie (@sam_vecenie) March 4, 2025
Nico Harrison really ruined the sport I've come to love, becoming part of my whole personality and aspects of my life
For most of my life it feels like it's gone. Like WDYM, do I look forward to seeing my favourite team every two days?
– §(@kt_3410) March 4, 2025
Nine months ago, the Mavericks won three wins from the NBA title, and were a team with the cornerstone of the 25-year-old franchise and the right parts to maximize talent. In nine months, they have now seen roughly 25 other fanbases from their team look the worst outlook in the NBA.
– Josh Bow (@boweman55) March 4, 2025
It's a shitty season with no joy beyond words.
– (Edit) (@squish41) March 4, 2025
Nico Harrison, man. It's hard to believe that one person was able to undo 25 years of basketball culture in Dallas. Everyone from stubborn MAVS fans to players to executives is still amazed at the stupidity of this guy's decision-making. I really hope he loses his job soon. That's the only way…
– Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) March 4, 2025
The man thought he had made the window of “Right Now” and everyone had died on him. If this is not divine intervention, what is it?
– sj (@sjbasketball8) March 4, 2025
There's no snark, totally sincere: It's heartbreaking that Mavericks fans can't get over this. It won't get better depending on how Mavs did this. The front office seized its heart and denied its ability to move on. They need to live with it.
– Hardwood attacks (@HPBASKETBALL) March 3, 2025
If I were a supervillain plotting the catastrophic implosion of a sports franchise, I don't think I could have pulled my fans apart from what Mavs did. pic.twitter.com/pfzizxatyg
– Reezy (@reezyszn) March 4, 2025
What should you say about what's going on in Mavs now? This is an NBA apocalypse.
– Zach Lowe (@zachlowe_nba) March 4, 2025
Reminds Mavs to “win now” Luka deals
After the Don Chic transaction, Harrison said he believes the deal gave the Mavericks a better opportunity to win in the short term. It was a bold statement considering Donsic led MAV with three NBA Championship wins last season. The Iving Davis pairing had a real window in which Davis in the lineup had Davis a much better defense, and the idea was that Darus still had the assets to get another important piece like Kevin Durant in the summer.
Well, this year in window is a perfect bust. The Mavericks had no other ball creators other than Irving in the wake of Donz's trade.
Davis' career is partially defined by injuries and is now in his mid-30s, so it's hard not to be surprised that Davis suffered a long injury. Washington, lively, the fact that Gaford has all fallen is unlucky. He didn't mention how bad the Quentin Grimes looked for Caleb Martin – as we had predicted at the time, the Grimes scored just 44 points as Martin couldn't play due to injuries 76ers.
Incidentally, the Mavericks do not own the first round pick between 2027 and 2030. There's no time for Dallas to win now. The list is falling apart. Doncic's trade seemed terrible at first, but appears to have gotten worse in a month since it happened.
