Major news broke in the NBA, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was traded by Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. Dallas also sent Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers and got Max Christie and a 2029 first round pick in return.
The trade is already being viewed as one of the worst trades in NBA history, leaving many Mavericks fans confused as to why their favorite team traded away their best player.
At the time of the trade, Doncic was averaging 28.1 points per game in 22 games played for the Mavericks during the 2024-25 season. Luka was also just fresh off his first NBA finals appearance with Dallas in the 2023-24 NBA season.
Answering Mavericks fans' questions, Dallas GM Nico Harrison explained that Luka’s conditioning was a major concern and that he was due for a supermax extension that the Mavericks organization was reluctant to pay.
“We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the supermax and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract,” Harrison told reporters. “And so we really felt like we got out in front of that. We know teams, they've had it out there, teams have been loading up to try to sign him once that comes available.”
The Luka Doncic trade has evoked the memory of NFL fans who experienced a similar trade many years ago. Like this other trade it also occurred for a Dallas sports team, although it worked out much better for the Cowboys.
In 1989, the Dallas Cowboys traded their starting running back, Herschel Walker, to the Minnesota Vikings for draft picks and players. At the time of the trade, Walker was the Cowboys best player and had already been named to the pro bowl twice in his career.
The Cowboys were one of the worst teams at the time and the Vikings believed that Walker was the final piece for a potential Super Bowl team. Dallas media criticized the Cowboys for conducting the “worst trade in Dallas history.”
Opinions on the trade would change in the subsequent years. While Minnesota felt they got the better end of the deal, they would fail to reach the Super Bowl with Walker and was eventually let go by the team after the 1991 season
Meanwhile, Dallas was able to use all of the draft picks they acquired to help build their dynasty in the 1990s. The Cowboys would eventually go on to win three Super Bowls in four years.
The infamous trade involved a total of 18 players and a litany of players. As the years progressed, it’s clear that Dallas got the better end of the deal.
Following the trade, Dallas would use those picks as leverage to pick certain players in the draft. One of those players included Emmitt Smith, who ended his career with the all-time record for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and rushing attempts.
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