The Dallas Mavericks stunned everyone on Saturday night when they traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis with absolutely no warning whatsoever. There was no indication that the deal was in the works or that Doncic was unhappy in Dallas, but that didn't stop general manager Nico Harrison from pulling the trigger.

Of course, a deal of this magnitude completely shakes up the NBA landscape. The common sentiment around basketball at the moment is why the Mavericks didn't get more in return for Doncic, who is still just 25 years old and is one of the best players in the league. After the deal was made, executives all over the NBA couldn't believe that the Mavericks didn't do the work to maximize their return, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic.

“Hard to believe they would trade him let alone not get both of the Lakers firsts,” one Western Conference executive said, per Aldridge, “but they’re good at their jobs, so I’m sure they have sound reasons. Shocking.”

Article Continues Below
More Dallas Mavericks News
Cooper Flagg talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine at Marriott Marquis Chicago.
Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg reveals his favorite WNBA player’s gameAbdullah Imran ·
Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving talks with Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) after the game against the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center.
Wings’ Paige Bueckers reveals how Kyrie Irving inspired ‘unguardable’ motivationJoey Mistretta ·
Dallas Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg speaks to the media during a press conference at the Dallas Mavericks Practice Facility.
Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg makes first Dallas appearance at Wings-Fever clashRichard Pereira ·
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison (left) looks on with Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg (right) at a press conference at the Dallas Mavericks Practice Facility with Mavericks' Anthony Davis and Mavericks' Kyrie Irving in the background
Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg gets 100% real on playing with Anthony Davis, Kyrie IrvingJosue Pavon ·
Cooper Flagg in a Mavericks jersey and Paige Bueckers in a Wings jersey in front. In background, place the Duke basketball and UConn women's basketball logos.
Cooper Flagg responds to Paige Bueckers ‘giving him crap’ over Duke-UConn decisionJoey Mistretta ·
Nico Harrison doubles down on how Cooper Flagg addition will win back Mavericks fans' hearts
Nico Harrison doubles down on how Cooper Flagg addition will win back Mavericks fans’ heartsJulian Ojeda ·

“Even if only to drive up Lakers’ price, if that’s who you’re targeting,” another general manager texted Aldridge. “Only thing is these days, once you do that, the player starts eliminating teams where he won’t go, and you cast your team into disarray while you’re going through that. It’s not as though Luka asked for this. [Sacramento] is doing that with [De’Aaron] Fox, but if [San Antonio] is the only place he wants to go, how many teams are really going to step up knowing he doesn’t want to be there?”

Instead, the Mavericks got just one first round pick and one young asset in Max Christie alongside Davis in return for Doncic. The pick that they got, a 2029 first-rounder from the Lakers, is instantly devalued by the fact that the 2028-29 Lakers will have Doncic leading them and is likely to be a playoff team, so even that asset isn't super valuable.

Maybe the Mavericks wouldn't have been able to get much more if they did shop Doncic. After all, if he received word of the talks, he could have picked his new preferred destination and ruined the Mavericks' leverage. However, not even getting a competitive offer from another team before agreeing to the deal with the Lakers is poor asset management, and now the Mavericks are left with this diminished return.