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The Dallas Mavericks are completely falling apart as the 2022-23 regular season comes to a close, and Luka Doncic is not happy about it. The Mavs haven't been able to figure things out since acquiring Kyrie Irving at the trade deadline, and their latest loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night was the biggest upset in the NBA this season.
There isn't much more Doncic can do to lead the Mavs to wins at this point. If it weren't for Dallas' struggles on the season, Doncic would likely be a frontrunner to win the league's MVP award. His numbers are superb (32.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.2 APG, 49.9 FG%) and without him, the Mavericks would be one of the worst teams in the league.
With a 36-38 record now, the Mavs are currently in-line to miss the Play-In Tournament entirely, which would be a shocking development. Doncic sounded like he was done with Dallas after their demoralizing loss to the Hornets, and if the Mavericks miss the postseason entirely, he could be headed out of town this offseason. So with a Doncic trade request seemingly not impossible, let's take a look at the top three trade destinations for the star guard should he call it quits in Dallas.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are sitting one spot ahead of the Mavs in the West, despite having an identical record, but these two teams could not be heading in more different directions. The Thunder are armed with an assortment of young players, draft picks, and cap space. The Mavs are stuck trying to figure out why they can't win basketball games and how to keep Doncic satisfied.
OKC may not seem like an ideal landing spot on the surface, but this could be the perfect spot for Doncic and his timeline. The Thunder are an extremely young team led by star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and it's worth remembering that Doncic, despite his extremely impressive statistics, is only 24 years old. For what it's worth, SGA is almost a year older than Doncic.
Having a pair of ball-dominant guards run things doesn't always work, but Gilgeous-Alexander is more of a pure scorer, whereas Doncic can run the offense and still drop 30 points a night. Add young stars such as Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren into the mix, and you are looking at one of the best young teams in the league. The Thunder don't trade for stars often, but if they buck that trend for Doncic, they could immediately become a title contender.
2. Boston Celtics
As of right now, the Boston Celtics have literally no reason to trade for Doncic. They just made it to the NBA Finals last season, and appear to have a pretty good shot of doing so again this year. But there are rumors beginning to float around suggesting that Jaylen Brown could be looking to force his way off the team this upcoming offseason.
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Whether or not that ends up happening remains to be seen, but given the recent success Brown and Jayson Tatum have had working together to start their careers, Boston is going to want to do whatever they can to keep their star duo together. But if Brown actually wants to find a new home, it wouldn't be a horrible idea to move him to Dallas and try to get Doncic back in return.
That's really the only way this would be a feasible trade, but based on recent reports, it may not be as unlikely as it seems. Pairing Tatum and Doncic up would be a lethal combination, and the Celtics have enough depth and future assets to create a trade package that the Mavs would bite on. There's no sense betting on this happening, but this would certainly be a shocking move that would benefit Doncic.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have always profiled as a team in desperate need of making a big move, and that still stands true even after they made some big moves at the trade deadline. Barring a stunning playoff run, the Lakers won't be winning a title this season, which means the pressure will be on once again this upcoming offseason for them to make a big move.
What bigger move would there be to make than going out and swinging a trade for Doncic? Chances are the Lakers will be linked to Doncic's new partner-in-crime in Irving as well this upcoming offseason, but is it even a debate which player is better here? Irving also carries quite a bit of baggage with him too, and whereas you know what you are getting with Doncic, Irving is a total wild card.
LA did go out and trade for D'Angelo Russell at the deadline this season, but that wouldn't prevent them from pursuing Doncic should he become available. Would the Lakers be able to create a trade package that the Mavs would accept? That's a question for another time, but that shouldn't take away from the point here; the Lakers need Doncic, and if Doncic were to jump ship in Dallas, this would be the best landing spot for Mavs young superstar.
