The February trade deadline in the NBA does not often bring about so much change to the entire league landscape. While the summer offseason is usually the time for big moves, signings, and trades that instantly put some teams forward as title contenders and make others start their rebuilding phase, in the 2024/25 season it was this month that made several teams barely recognizable. The blockbuster trade between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers, with some other teams involved, left the entire fanbase but also the experts speechless.
Trading away Luka Doncic, one of the best prospects in the history of the league, for Anthony Davis, one of the best two-way players ever, seemed like a fantasy basketball scenario. But it was true and a whole All-Start Weekend break and a few weeks later, the dust has settled enough for a deep dive into it. Why was the trade made, who won it, what does it mean for the Mavs and can they do anything with their current squad of players? It is already a historic move and only time will tell who ended up with a better deal, but it is always fun to speculate. Plus, this is a huge move for online sports betting fans because the Western Conference is even more interesting now.
Analyzing the Blockbuster Trade
Described as the biggest trade of this generation, it has already been compared to Kevin Garnett joining the Celtics, Carmelo Anthony joining the Knicks, and Lakers teaming up with Kobe Bryant in LA. Furthermore, the Lakers add yet another generational talent following their amazing trades in past decades with Kareem, Shaq, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, and then Anthony Davis. The complete trade was as follows: Lakers received Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris. The Mavs got Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and the 2029 1st round pick. The Utah Jazz, the third team that was needed to bridge the money considerations and balance things, got Jalen Hood-Schifino from LA, a 2025 2nd round pick from LA, and another 2025 2nd round pick from the Mavs.
Everything else aside, the centerpiece was the Doncic and Davis swap that looks like a good trade for both sides, at least on paper. But what about in reality? Only a few days before it happened, Davis said how he plays best at the four spot, his natural power forward (PF) position, and that the Lakers need a true center to pair up with him. That was true, since the last time they had that they won the 2020 title. Instead of that happening, he was sent to the Mavericks who have a plethora of great true centers. The Lakers brought in another ball-dominant point guard/forward hybrid in Doncic, a similar player but some 15 years younger than James. Dallas got more defense and less playmaking, LA got more of what they had and lost defense and rebounding. None of them are in contention this year, that much is certain, but what about sometime down the line?
Well, for starters, Doncic has been mediocre at best in his first few games in Los Angeles. Since arriving in Hollywood, he has played three games and averaged only 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on an abysmal 35.6% FG and 58.3% FT shooting. That is only about half of his career averages across the board. And to make matters worse, he is still dealing with nagging injuries and is on load management, sitting out back-to-backs. On the other hand, Anthony Davis, as per usual, is again injured. After starting his first Mavericks game in big fashion on February 8, he left after 31 minutes played with 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 triples on 55.6% FG and 66.7% FT. That was an amazing game, but alas, he has been on the sidelines ever since.
Dallas Mavericks Market Value
The Mavs have long been recognized for who their owner was more than the roster itself. Even during the days of Dirk Nowitzki and then the best years of Luka Doncic, most fans knew about their owner, the billionaire businessman Mark Cuban. When he sold his shares however and became a minority owner, many grew weary and disliked that he was no longer calling the shots. At the moment, the franchise value of the Dallas Mavericks is more than 4.7 billion US dollars. In 2024, their value increased by 4% from 2023 when it was around 4.5 billion. That makes them the ninth-most valuable franchise in the league.
Currently owned by Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont with 69%, Cuban with 27%, and Mary Stanton with 4%, the team is run by CEO Rick Welts and general manager Nico Harrison. Harrison has received a lot of criticism for his handling of trades, especially after the Luka move. It is still baffling for the fans to give up a future face of the league for an injury-prone, older player whose best years are seemingly behind him. And especially only a year after Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the team led by head coach Jason Kidd reached the finals. This new look team and the lack of a franchise star are sure to drop the value of the team in the coming months.
Current Roster and Key Players
As for the current roster of the Mavs, on paper, it still looks above average, but the reality of the situation is quite concerning, to say the least. The biggest problem is that their four best PFs and Cs are injured at the moment. We already mentioned Anthony Davis who is dealing with a left adductor strain. Before him, Dereck Lively II, the starting center, suffered a right ankle stress fracture. Daniel Gafford, another key piece and frequent starter, had a grade 3 right MCL sprain. And Dwight Powell has been in and out due to a hip injury. Small forward (SF) Caleb Martin, another February signing, also has a hip injury. This leaves four big men and a strong wing player on the sidelines with bench players having to step up. It does not bode well for the Mavs which is more than obvious with their odds on sport betting platforms.
Kyrie Irving is the undisputed leader now with averages of 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on the year with 47.8% FG. He has been playing well so far and was named an All-Star once again. Carrying most of the offensive load, he will need to continue doing so until his front-court players come back. Max Christie has been a revelation since he came over from the Lakers and has made an instant impact. Coach Kidd gave him a bigger role than he has ever had and he paid him back with strong performances, averaging 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.6 triples, and 1.4 steals on 51.7% FG and 94.4% FT in the last two weeks. Who would have thought that a complementary piece would be more important initially than Davis?
In his first season with the team, Klay Thompson is averaging 13.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2 assists with 3.1 threes a game on 41.6% FG and 90% FT. He is a very important player for the Mavericks, both for their plans and right now, as he has to carry an offensive load now more than at the start of the season. He is arguably their biggest weapon apart from Irving and has been playing well in February. Another key part of the roster is PJ Washington Jr. who was a late addition last season alongside Daniel Gafford, with the duo helping the team reach the finals. This season, he is averaging 14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1 block with 1.6 threes on 43.8% FG and 75% FT. As a core member of the starting unit, he has had a few prolonged absences but is finally back and producing.
The current supporting cast is made up of some hard-working and talented players that are having bigger roles in a very injured team. The current starting lineup features Irving, Thompson, and Washington who are the usuals, alongside Kessler Edwards at center and Dante Exum at guard. Off the bench, coach Kidd is running Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Spencer Dinwiddie, Naji Marshall, Mac Christie, and Moses Brown. Out of the bench players, Christie with around 30 minutes per game, and the duo of Dinwiddie and Marshall with around 25 are the most utilized. Marshall signed in the summer and is currently breaking out. Dinwiddie also signed over the summer, returning to Dallas after spending two years away from the team playing for the Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. Marshall is averaging 11.3, 4, and 2.5 on 51% FG, while Dinwiddie is at 10.3, 2.4, 3.8, and 41.3% FG.
Latest Team News
At the moment of writing, Dallas is in the eighth spot in the Western Conference with a record of 31 wins and 26 losses. That is a 54.4% winning rate and 15 games behind. In their last 10 games, they are 6-4 and are currently on a 3-game winning streak. They have held together well considering what has happened to their roster and how much has changed since the end of last season.
With many new players coming in and going out, they managed to stay in playoff contention and are a single outside the play-in. With 24 games left to be played, they can improve on that grab the hold of the sixth seed, and be safely in the playoffs. But can they do damage against the top teams? Probably now, but make sure to stick with Stake and their NBA betting odds as they can tell a bigger picture regarding the team’s capabilities.
On the season, the Mavs are 11th in points per game, 15th in rebounds per game, and 19th in assists per game. They allow their opponents to score 113.3 points per game, which is 17th in the league. From these simple stats, it can be seen that they are an average team in the ongoing 2024/2025 campaign.
Their upcoming schedule is a mixed bag as they play two games away against Golden State Warriors on February 23 and then a huge game against the Lakers on February 25, where, sadly, AD will be out but Luka will play his first-ever game against Dallas. After that, it is a three-game home stretch versus Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Sacramento.
As for the latest news, Notwizki, the greatest Mavs player ever, who was shocked by the trade, revealed why he was in attendance for Luka’s debut with LA. “He invited me to come out to his first game in LA. He was pretty down and disappointed with how it went down, so I wanted to be there for him. But you guys saw my face… it was weird.”
Dirk’s last season in the NBA was Luka’s rookie season during which the pair enjoyed playing with each other immensely. Doncic was supposed to be the second major superstar for the franchise and was on pace to be better than the German legend. Nowitzki added, “I will never be a Lakers fan but I must always be a Luka fan. I will always be a Mav for life, but had to come support my guy 77 @luka7doncic in the first game of his new chapter!”
Kyrie Irving has a strong message where he praised Max Christie’s efforts for the Mavs. The veteran point guard said how the young player beat him to the arena as he is usually the first one to arrive. “Max beat me today. I was pissed. I was happy to see him, but at the same time, I gave him a side-eye, like, you did this on purpose to motivate me. I thought I left my house pretty early today, then he’s over here just sitting in his chair already, reading.”
It is great to see that Christie realizes his potential to be a key piece in his new squad and that the older teammates, as well as the whole organization and the fans, have already grown fond of him.
