Dallas Mavericks' fatal flaw that must be fixed after 2025 NBA All-Star break

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The Dallas Mavericks were one of the busiest teams at the trade deadline, but none of the trades were bigger than the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis swap. The exchange certainly changed the playoff landscape in the NBA, particularly in the stacked Western Conference, given that both players were initially dubbed as “untouchable” in trades. As a result, it also makes a case as one of the boldest moves in trade deadline history. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, it seems like they received the short end of the stick in that exchange. With the blockbuster deal materialized, the team now has a massive concern after the 2025 All-Star break, which filling the massive Luka Doncic sized hole in their rotation.

Luka Doncic’s shocking departure

Everyone was certainly shocked when Luka, the face of the Mavericks franchise was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers. To add more weight, the Mavericks were fresh from an appearance at the 2024 NBA Finals. Although they lost the series to the Boston Celtics, there was positive optimism that Dallas will make a stronger return to the championship round, especially when they swung for Klay Thompson at the offseason. However, it looks like the Mavs just dropped the ball by shipping away their franchise star.

With the trade of Luka, there’s undoubtedly plenty of chatter surrounding the Mavericks. But more importantly, this puts more pressure on the shoulders of GM Nico Harrison and the team to prove their critics wrong. Unfortunately, this might just be too much unnecessary pressure on a team with championship hopes. Furthermore, it was an abrupt ending of an era for a new one that doesn’t exactly hold a promising future.

At 25 years old, Luka was supposed to handle the keys to the franchise for the years to come. Trading him for a 31-year old AD doesn’t benefit them in the long run. Moreover, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson aren’t in their peak years any longer. Although the Mavs received a young stud in Max Christie and still have a promising center in Dereck Lively II, none of them will ever fill the shoes of a megastar in Luka.

Anthony Davis’ injury issues

Dallas’ most prized possession after the blockbuster trade was one time NBA champion, Anthony Davis. Harrison believed that AD was a better fit for the Mavericks’ championship dreams. He claimed that his defensive presence was an asset good enough to give up their face of the franchise. There’s no question that Davis is a MVP caliber player. The 10 time NBA All-Star is averaging 25.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. However, as early as the first game in a Mavs uniform, Harrison and the front office already have a reason to regret their blockbuster exchange.

In Davis’ debut for Dallas, he posted 26 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists. However, he failed to finish the game, as he exited with a left adductor strain in the third quarter of the Mavericks’ 116-105 win over the Houston Rockets. Although his production and talent is unquestionable, the knock on Davis’ game has always been his ability to consistently stay healthy.

Although Luka wasn’t the healthiest star with Dallas, Davis does possess a longer list of injuries throughout his career. In fact, his absence could just be enough to blow away all of the Mavericks’ title hopes. To make matters worse, any basketball fan also knows that Thompson and Irving also have their respective injury histories that need to be monitored on a consistent basis.

Limited buyout market options

After the trade deadline went down, there’s no question that the Mavericks still have some holes in their roster. While the buyout market is still an available route, it’s only common sense that there isn’t a single player there who will fill the shoes of either Luka or an injured AD. To make matters worse, the Mavericks are also hard capped at the first apron, leaving them limited options to fill some of their roster vacancies.

As a result, it doesn’t look like Dallas will be major players at the buyout market. In fact, if they do decide to make some roster moves, the front office can only hope to sign a rotational piece who’s willing to play on a veteran’s minimum deal. Filling the hole of a franchise player is a herculean task and addressing it in the midst of a championship campaign takes it to another level. Anyone will agree that this has not only got to be a gutsy move by Harrison but also a mission impossible situation with dire consequences.

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