Mavs Offseason Primer: Dallas Traded a Franchise; Now It’s Chasing a Fix

Let’s not dance around it: The Mavericks did something no one saw coming. They traded Luka Doncic. Yes, that Luka. To the Lakers. In February. For Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-rounder.

General manager Nico Harrison called it a move to build a contender — now and later. But let’s be honest. You don’t trade a 25-year-old generational talent unless you’re 100% certain it’s time to tear it down or seriously switch directions.

Harrison believes in defense, length, toughness. And he believes Davis is the better anchor.

2024-25 record: 39-43
Draft pick: No. 12
No. 1 pick odds: 5.7% (could rise to 6.2% depending on coin flip)
Free agents: Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, Kyrie Irving (P), Dwight Powell (P), Kessler Edwards (RFA), Kai Jones (RFA)

Maybe. But Davis played just 48 possessions with Irving before Davis strained his adductor and Kyrie tore his ACL. The two were actually great in those limited minutes — averaging 133.3 points per 100 possessions. Then it all fell apart.

Injuries ravaged this team. Dallas used 47 different starting lineups and finished top five in total games missed. They were barely recognizable by March. P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford all missed time late, and the frontcourt became a game of musical chairs.

So what now?

Well, the Mavericks have 12 players under contract, the No. 12 pick in the draft, and three tradable firsts. They can move money. They can make calls. And as we’ve seen, Harrison will do something. He’s made 16 trades since taking over in 2021 — a full remodel every six months.

Irving, though, remains the big question. He has a $41 million player option. He’s 33. He just had knee surgery. He still holds major leverage because Dallas doesn’t want to lose him for nothing, but there’s no obvious team with the cap space to outbid the Mavs either.

There are five real ways this could go:

1. Kyrie declines the option, Mavericks offer him the full five-year, $314 million deal.
2. He declines and signs a shorter deal aligned with Davis’ contract.
3. He opts in, then extends later.
4. A Chris Paul-type deal: big money up front, non-guaranteed on the back end.
5. A contract loaded with injury protections, like Zion’s or Lonzo’s.

Take your pick. But if Kyrie walks, that Davis trade starts to look a lot worse.

Money-wise, Dallas is tricky. If Kyrie and Powell opt in, they’re $8 million over the tax and $4 million over the first apron. Use one of their four trade exceptions before June 30? They trigger the apron again for 2025-26. They’re $50K away from doing that right now. It’s tight.

If Irving opts out and Powell walks, though? Dallas suddenly has $46 million in room under the tax. But they’ll need to replace their starting point guard, starting center, and backup guard. Not exactly minor pieces.

Washington is eligible for a four-year, $89 million extension in late August. He played a career-high 32.2 minutes this season and had 17 double-digit rebounding games. He’s not a star, but he’s a keeper. Gafford and Powell will also be extension-eligible in July.

Bottom line: The Mavs are in the middle of a high-wire act with no net. They’ve already made the boldest move in basketball by trading Luka. They’ve got AD and some assets. Now they’ve got to hope Kyrie comes back healthy — and willing. Because if this all falls flat, the rebuild that follows might be even messier than the one they just attempted to skip.