So much has happened in the one year since Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers. Makes you wonder – what might it look like today if he didn’t do that?
DALLAS — One year ago today, at 11:12 p.m., Shams Charania sent out the tweet that shocked the sports landscape not only in Dallas but the NBA at large.
“BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah.”
The tweet has been viewed over 113 million times since he sent it a year ago.
The entire sports world couldn’t believe its eyes. Shams has been hacked, people thought. This isn’t real. No way. There’s no way. Oh … but it very much so was. It was very, very real.
The trade resulted from a coffee shop conversation first brought to light by WFAA: Rob Pelinka and Nico Harrison discussing the workings of the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis deal.
While it happened one year ago, it oddly seems like an eternity has passed. So much has happened in the 365 days since this monumental trade in sports history.
It begs the question: what might life look like had the trade never happened?
Some of these things are more absolute than others, but here’s my best guess:
1. The Dallas Mavericks (likely) do not draft Cooper Flagg
This one seems obvious. Luka was set to return in the days surrounding the trade. He debuted for the Lakers nine days after he was traded, on Feb. 10. He had been out since Christmas Day. Dallas was in the No. 4 spot in the West when Luka went down. His absence dropped them to No. 10. His presence – alongside Kyrie Irving, who did not get injured yet (I’ll get to that in a second) – probably brings the Mavericks back into the playoffs, and thus not lucking into the 1.8% chance of claiming the top overall pick.
2. Does Kyrie Irving tear his ACL?
Was Kyrie Irving’s injury a freak accident? Was it the product of averaging 39.3 minutes per night compared to 32.9 minutes when Luka was playing alongside him?
There’s no doubting that Irving took on the brunt of the offensive responsibilities. Anthony Davis got injured in his debut for the Mavs and was out for a month. Davis has notably played fewer games in a Mavericks uniform than rookie Cooper Flagg has.
3. ‘Fire Nico’ never becomes a trend
It’s very plausible to say Nico Harrison would still be the general manager of the Mavericks. The “Fire Nico” phenomenon would not have sparked had he not traded the 25-year-old generational superstar and perennial MVP candidate. Dallas Mavericks fans never let up on the pressure to fire Harrison for almost the entire year. You saw “Fire Nico” everywhere: countless DFW sporting events, in school classrooms and on murals.
4. No need for a gut-wrenching ‘return’
In April, Doncic returned to Dallas for the first time, and it was hard to watch. Dallas’ biggest sports star sat on the bench, looking up at the Jumbotron, with tears in his eyes. There may not be another time in Mavs history where fans were cheering more for a player on the other team. Doncic dropped 45 points in his return. This “Luka magic” would have just continued in Dallas, for what fans assumed would be another decade, donning blue and white instead of purple and gold.
5. Another NBA Finals run? Luka brings Dallas a title?
The year prior to Luka being traded, he helped lead the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. Things were looking bleak at the time in that playoff play-in spot, sure. The Mavericks had two months to dig themselves out of the hole they were in due to his time missed. The No. 3 seed and No. 8 seed were separated by a combined two games in the standings. Get in the dance, and anything could happen.
The eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder were the toughest roadblock in the West on the Mavs’ journey to the NBA Finals. A re-match of Luka, Kyrie and the Mavs against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder could have been a battle for the ages. But we’ll never know, will we?
6. What is Luka’s legacy in Dallas sports history?
When Luka’s career is over, will he be remembered more for being a Maverick or a Laker? That is a legitimate question. Doncic signed a contract extension with the Lakers through 2027. He is the new face of the second-most successful franchise in NBA history. Imagine what it’ll do for his legacy if he wins any more titles for the Lakers.
But spending his entire career in Dallas? He might have gotten a statue outside the AAC alongside Dirk and Modano.
Luka’s impact on the Dallas community could not have been illustrated more clearly than the reaction to Shams’ tweet on Feb. 1, 2025. Dallas sports fans spent seven years watching a teenager from Slovenia become a man and a father. The fans, especially the local youth, adored and anointed him Dallas’ darling – only to see it all stripped away in the middle of the night.
Does Dallas have a chance at a title again this year? With Luka leading the charge, the Mavs would always have a chance. Year in – year out. The Mavericks only missed the playoffs twice in Luka’s seven-year stint in Dallas: his rookie season (2018-19) and the 2022-23 season.
The sky was the limit with Luka. Now, Dallas is forced to rebuild the plane.