Mavericks’ true plans for Luka Doncic before Lakers trade will stun fans

The Dallas Mavericks' intention prior to the Luka Doncic trade is only going to make fans more upset.

Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on from the court against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The NBA All-Star Game has come and gone, albeit with plenty of negative attention, which means the latter half of the regular season. For the Dallas Mavericks, reality will set back in. They traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, returning Anthony Davis who will miss extended time with an injury.

While Davis suffering an injury in his Mavericks debut couldn't have been foreseen, the club could have made the sound decision to never trade Doncic. Instead, they've uprooted their future in favor of short-term contention -- which they would have had even with Doncic on the roster.

Many have tried to make sense of the Mavericks making such an abysmal move. No reasonable ansewr has been found. Even worse, a recent report from The Athletic revealed further motive and even worse news: the club never planned to offer Doncic the five-year, $345 million supermax.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles during the second quarter against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

Fans were already outraged following the decision from general manager Nico Harrison, and that will only further be the case after the report from The Athletic.

Doncic is a future MVP winner, probably on multiple occasions, and has already taken the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals twice and the NBA Finals just last season. He did all of that at 25-years-old, too.

The Slovenian superstar isn't just a franchise talent, he's a generational player and Dallas opted to move him because they didn't want to pay him what he is worth.

The Mavericks had a great setup going. Doncic was going to carry the organization for years to come, providing a level of comfort and stability most franchises yearn for. Instead, the Lakers get that benefit after striking a deal to land the superstar guard.

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READ MORE: New Mavericks CEO breaks silence on Luka Doncic-Lakers trade, arena plans

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