This year's trade deadline might be the most eventful in NBA history. Many teams are sensing that the Larry O'Brien trophy is ripe for the taking, and to that end, teams such as the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks pulled off bombshell moves that they believe will be for the best. The Warriors, as one would recall, traded for Jimmy Butler, while the Mavericks, which no one will ever forget, decided to trade Luka Doncic away in exchange for a package headlined by Anthony Davis.

The Mavericks' move continues to raise plenty of eyebrows. After all, they made the NBA Finals last season with Doncic at the controls. While the team continues to stress that they made the trade due to their prioritization of defense, Bill Simmons does not think that the move will work as planned. It is telling that Simmons has greater belief in the Warriors' vision with Butler even though the 35-year-old forward is coming in with plenty of baggage.

“I would bet on Golden State to make the playoffs over Dallas. This Dallas thing could go bad. We haven't had the three-week Kyrie injury. I don't trust AD's health. The team is weird. Klay is in the Big 3? 2020s Klay in a Big 3 is out. And also the fanbase is so angry and so hostile, and the vibes are just so brutal that I could see it tail-spinning, I really could,” Simmons said, via The Ringer.

On paper, the Mavericks should still have enough to make the playoffs even in the loaded Western Conference. They are also coming off a 127-120 win over the defending champion Boston Celtics, so the expectation is that things are going to get even better when they get Davis in the lineup.

It remains to be seen if trading away Doncic will completely destroy the vibes in the locker room, or if the Mavericks can defy expectations.

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Can Warriors and Mavericks make the playoffs?

Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) greet each other
© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

There are so many playoff hopefuls in the Western Conference that it's hard to pencil in any team hovering around the 5-12 range. But the Warriors and Mavericks are going to be on the receiving end of some harsh criticisms if they manage to miss the playoffs entirely.

Golden State acquired Jimmy Butler and gave him a huge contract extension with the intention of going deep into the playoffs, while the Mavs have been spinning their decision to trade Luka Doncic away as their way of prioritizing defense. There is over a third of the season remaining for both teams to cement themselves as playoff teams.