Luka Doncic Trade Looks Worse For Mavericks After Anthony Davis Sent to Wizards

The Dallas Mavericks had Anthony Davis for a little more than a year before trading him to the Washington Wizards.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic walks off the court after the Lakers win over the Dallas Mavericks. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks are officially waving the white flag after trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in an eight-player deal just over a year after acquiring him in exchange for Luka Doncic.

The Mavericks traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1, 2025, in the hopes of bringing Davis to Dallas and making him the hub of their defense, which is how they wanted to build a team. Unfortunately, things did not work out in Dallas for Davis as he spent more time on the sidelines with an injury than on the court.

The Mavericks have floundered since the trade, missing the playoffs in 2025 and struggling to get back there in 2026. Trading Davis is a sign that the team is officially in a rebuild.

READ MORE: Mavericks Ship Anthony Davis to Bad NBA Team in Blockbuster Trade

Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis yells during warmups before the start of the game. | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Anthony Davis Trade Even More of Mavericks Failure

The Mavericks took a big swing when it came to Davis, but the miss could not have been more detrimental to the team. After making it to the NBA Finals in 2024, the Mavericks had a clear vision for how they could operate for the next decade.

Doncic was going to be the main focal point of the team, and the Mavericks could have gathered the right players around him to make it work. Unfortunately, former general manager Nico Harrison did not agree with that sentiment and made this deal to get Davis to team up with point guard Kyrie Irving.

Irving's torn ACL, which he suffered back in March, is also why the Mavs find themselves in the mess, but the quickest way to clean things up is to admit the mistake and move forward. That's what this trade provides.

There is no point in crying over spilled milk and the Mavs should be grateful they have another potential superstar in Flagg.

READ MORE: The One Player Most Likely to be Traded by the Dallas Mavericks

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