One year ago, the Dallas Mavericks made a significant trade by sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. On Wednesday, they finalized this trade by sending Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards.
In exchange for Davis, a 10-time All-Star, Dallas received draft picks and expiring contracts, which can be seen as a salary dump. This outcome is disappointing, especially considering the initial trade involved a 25-year-old All-NBA guard and ended with merely increased cap space.
Poor Return on Luka Doncic Trade
Dallas traded Luka Doncic for Davis, shooting guard Max Christie (who averaged 13.4 points with a 43.1% three-point shooting in the 2025-26 season), and a first-round pick, the Lakers’ selection in 2029. Former Mavericks GM Nico Harrison emphasized that “Defense wins championships” after the deal, yet Davis suffered an injury in his first game with Dallas. He played only 31 games during his time with the Mavericks.
Looking ahead to the 2029 pick, it doesn’t appear promising since the Lakers have Doncic.
In the recent trade, the Mavericks received more first-round picks than they did when trading Doncic, although these picks are not considered high-quality. Dallas will receive a first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder in this year’s draft, projected to be the last pick in the first round, along with a first-round pick from the Golden State Warriors in 2030, which is protected for picks 1-20.