Dallas Mavericks Turn Negatives into Positives
The Dallas Mavericks have received significant backlash since their Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 2, 2025, in exchange for Anthony Davis, a solid veteran forward but injury-plagued with 18 separate injuries in less than a year. The Mavericks can’t help but turn negatives into positives, with or without Nico Harrison. Here’s some insight about the topic at hand so you can make an informed decision.
Dallas Mavericks Turn Negatives into Positives
The Dallas Mavericks can’t help but turn negatives into positives, regardless of what you’ve heard or thought about the franchise. The Luka Dončić trade occurred a little over a year ago, when then-general manager Nico Harrison traded Dončić, now 26, for a package featuring Anthony Davis.
Harrison’s trade, whether or not Harrison, now 53, was the fall guy, was a shocker on paper due to the laughing stock label from many individuals. However, as dismal as Harrison’s trade may seem, it was understandable, whether you want to justify it or not.
His mantra, “defense wins championships,” was a focal point in his managerial decisions, even after the Doncic trade. He reportedly believed in Davis’s defensive prowess, now 32, and in the NBA playoffs. Harrison’s reported belief that the Doncic trade would build an NBA championship-winning team.
This ended in a much-anticipated Big 3 in Dallas, Texas, featuring Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Cooper Flagg, who never brought their A-game to the court. Obviously, Harrison made a major mistake, but you can’t change the past; you can only focus on the future, whether you do so or not.
Dallas Mavericks’ Outlook
The Dallas Mavericks’ outlook appears to be bright after the Mavericks lucked out at the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, winning the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. As expected, Dallas selected Duke star forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick.
Flagg, now 19, suffered a slow start to the 2025-26 NBA season. Many fans and media members criticized Mavs head coach Jason Kidd’s point guard experiment with him, but it appeared to work well over time. Of course, the experiment likely won’t be long-term when and if veteran point guard Kyrie Irving returns this season.
The Mavs traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in an eight-player trade on February 4, 2026. Davis’ brief stint in Dallas ended without forming a new Big 3 in the Big D. The Mavs’ trade stated the inevitable, a sign of failure, but the team had to do this.
The past nine months have shown that the Mavs came to terms with this fact. The Mavs’ trade may not right any wrongs, but the teamat least showed that their priorities are in order. The only development that matters right now is Flagg’s.
Next Steps
The Dallas Mavericks have embarrassed themselves, but what’s done is done. It’s pointless for anyone to want Luka Dončić to return to Dallas or Texas at large, especially after he admitted in an interview that he doesn’t see himself living there. Yes, the Slovenian big man is a generational player who shone with the Mavs, but it’s time to move on.
In a perfect world, Dallas would’ve embraced a full-size rebuild around Cooper Flagg, Max Christie, and Dereck Lively II, who underwent a season-ending right foot surgery in December 2025. In reality, Dallas would walk a middle path. No amount of cost-cutting and liquidation would change this fact until 2031, when Dallas regains control of its first-round picks.
At least Dallas no longer has to worry about whether or not Anthony Davis might return to the court. Davis suffered ligament damage in his left hand on January 8, 2026. Dallas doesn’t need to make peace with the Davis trade. Dallas is a lottery-bound team staring down the second apron, which is a death sentence in the NBA.
