Should the Mavericks retire Luka Doncic's number after shocking Lakers trade?

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It’s not an exaggeration. Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison made the most shocking move in NBA history, trading superstar Luka Doncic to the Las Angeles Lakers. The earth-shaking move netted the franchise a future Hall-of-Famer in Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round pick. Despite what this team received, it’s fair for the fans to feel gutted by this move, especially since it came out of nowhere.

The Mavericks organization also did not shop for Luka to determine his market value to get a more significant haul for him. However, as everyone digests this trade, it’s time to evaluate Doncic’s legacy in Dallas. It all ended in a flash, but in a six-and-a-half-year span, the former No. 3 overall pick came into the league ready and got better from there on out.

“Luka Magic” has additionally had multiple standout playoff moments in four appearances for the Mavs. The Slovenian superstar led the franchise to a Conference Finals appearance in 2022 and then was at the forefront of Dallas’ playoff surge to the Finals in 2024. Last year’s run was the third time in franchise history Dallas won the Western Conference.

Overall, even at just 25 years old, Doncic is leaving behind a larger-than-life legacy. But were his contributions enough for him to warrant his No. 77 jersey being retired in American Airlines Arena? Here’s our answer.

Luka Doncic, without a shadow of a doubt, should have his jersey retired

There’s plenty of time for the Dallas Mavericks to weigh this decision. Luka Doncic potentially has not even hit his prime yet. And with a game that doesn’t rely heavily on explosiveness, the five-time All-Star’s career should age relatively well. However, while the franchise should wait until he retires, this is a no-brainer.

There isn’t even a question about whether Luka should have his number retired. The first thing that needs to be considered when discussing this is the other four players who do have their jerseys in the rafters of American Airlines Arena. We can skip the first guy that comes to mind. While Luka may have had higher peaks at times than the Mavericks’ GOAT, Dirk Nowitzki, he doesn’t have the body of work that the icon put together in Big D.

The other three players with their jerseys retired should be celebrated for their contributions and respective legacies. But their on-court accomplishments paled in comparison to Luka’s. Rolando Blackman was a fantastic player in the 1980s who led the team to a Western Conference Finals appearance.

However, the four-time All-Star trails Luka in almost every major statistical category average and did not lead the franchise to a Western Conference crown. The same goes for guards Brad Davis and Derek Harper. The Dallas Mavericks were founded in 1980. Without these players, the organization would not have had the success it has today. Bringing immediate legitimacy to a new organization is critical to its overall future. However, Luka has more All-Star appearances, made more All-NBA teams, and made deeper playoff runs than all three of these players.

In terms of averages, the 25-year-old leads the organization in several categories. The major ones are points per game (28.6), player efficiency rating (25.7), and triples doubles (80). Player efficiency rating (PER) is an advanced metric that measures an athlete’s overall impact on the floor. The stat does slightly favor offensive-oriented players. However, a volume scorer like Luka leading this franchise in this metric is staggering.

Doncic has also been in the MVP race for several seasons. He finished second overall last year with an out-of-this-world stat line of 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds per game. Not to mention, the seventh-year pro has better stats overall in the postseason than the regular season. Luka has had several iconic game-winning daggers when it matters most, and these moments should continue with the Lakers.

Lastly, and maybe this shouldn’t matter, but it does; Luka, did not want to leave Dallas. He never requested a trade and never had a falling out with the fanbase. Yes, the organization had issues with his fitness. But Luka was never at odds with the front office and was a beloved member of the city of Dallas. There’s a reason why fans are so hurt right now: Luka was more than just a great player for this community.

Overall, this is not a debate. If Luka Doncic retired from basketball right now, he would be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. And, to this point, that entire resume was built in Dallas. #77 is going to be retired, and every Mavericks fan supports that reality.

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