Dallas Mavericks still looking to 'turn the page' after Luka Doncic-Lakers trade

The Luka Doncic trade wrecked the fanbase, but the team has a "new star to look at."

Dec 3, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) look on during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2025-26 season with high expectations. Although Kyrie Irving will miss part of the season recovering from a torn ACL, they believe Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, and a deep frontcourt can lift them to enough wins until Irving returns.

Most of the fanbase is still reeling from the decision to trade Luka Doncic in February for Anthony Davis. Landing Cooper Flagg in the most recent NBA Draft helped some of that anger, but most of the fanbase would still prefer Nico Harrison to be fired.

During Media Day on Monday, Dereck Lively responded with a way for the team to move forward after the disastrous trade. "Turn the page. We have a new star to look at. We're trying to win a championship for this year. We can't change the past, all we can do is focus on the future."

It's a mature response for the third-year player out of Duke, who is looking to stay healthy this year. That's been a struggle in his first two seasons, especially last year when he played just 36 games.

Lively's career looked made as long as he had Luka Doncic as a teammate. Doncic is arguably the best player operating out of a pick-and-roll that the NBA has ever seen, opening up so much space for the alley-oop passes that Lively could throw down. Whether of not those opportunities will still be there is something Mavericks fans are watching. Cooper Flagg is a great playmaker as a wing, but it's hard to replicate everything Doncic left behind.

Sep 29, 2025; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) poses for a photo during the Mavericks 2025 media day at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

READ MORE: Dereck Lively II reveals game-altering change for Mavericks

The New Star for the Dallas Mavericks

Although Cooper Flagg will be the face of the franchise moving forward, Anthony Davis is clearly the best player on the team, especially with Irving still recovering from surgery.

It'll be up to Davis to stay healthy which already is a question mark after he had a procedure this offseason to repair a detached retina, something he'll need to wear goggles for the rest of his career for. But he's fully cleared for training camp, and now it's up to the coaching staff to find a way to best utilize an offense that won't have a lot of shooting or playmaking until Irving returns.

READ MORE: Jason Kidd breaks silence on ex-Mavericks coaches leaving for NBA rivals

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