So you’re saying there’s still a chance? A chance to erase that no-good, terrible memory we convinced ourselves was just a bad dream … until reality hit?
The Dallas Mavericks have moved on. Their fans have (somewhat) moved on, though it took them a good long while. Eighteen months ago, things changed in Dallas. It’ll forever be known as the “Luka Doncic trade.” No adjectives, no qualifiers. Just three words that still sting.
Unless that hero returns.
Analyst: Mavericks Need to Preserve Flexibility to Go After Luka Doncic in 2028
GettyPHOENIX, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 25: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during the final moments of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on December 25, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mavericks defeated the Suns 128-114. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Mavs have already taken plenty of strides for the future. With Cooper Flagg bringing back excitement in Dallas and Kyrie Irving’s return on the horizon, the Mavs are looking to recapture a winning direction perhaps as soon as next season. But in just two years, the Mavs, if they play their cards right, could have the room to bring Doncic back, argues CBS Sports NBA reporter Sam Quinn.
“The Dallas Mavericks have one of the best collections of players that Philadelphia could pursue,” Quinn wrote. “Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington are both still valuable, but they are Nico Harrison holdovers on big extensions, and the Mavericks have such limited draft capital that getting picks to take on Embiid could help refill the coffers. The downside here is that getting Embiid would all but eliminate their financial flexibility during Cooper Flagg’s rookie deal, as his rookie extension would kick in right as Embiid’s contract expires. Sacrificing 2028 cap space, when Luka Doncic, Deni Avdija and others could be available, would represent a huge opportunity cost.”
Just imagine. Think for a second what it would feel like if Doncic returned to the Mavs just three years after one of the most shocking and inexplicable trades in NBA history. Doncic is firmly planted as the face of the Los Angeles Lakers, but if Doncic puts off a contract extension long enough and his heart strings start to pull, a return to Dallas cannot be entirely ruled out.
Doncic did not want to leave Dallas. He never thought he would leave the city that wrapped its arms around him the day he was traded to the Mavs on draft day in 2018.
We remember the look on his face when he returned to Dallas as a member of the Lakers. The tears in his eyes and the hurt on his face. That’s not to suggest Doncic dislikes being a Laker or thinks about his time in Dallas everyday.
Luka’s Outlook in L.A.
If the Lakers don’t find their way to title contention soon, all eyes will turn to the summer of 2028.
After the 2027-28 season, Dončić can decide whether to pick up or decline more than $57 million. For superstars in their prime, that decision often boils down to whether they believe the team they’re on has enough to win a championship.
Doncic will be 29 then. He’ll be in the absolute heart of his prime. Might he view that as the perfect time to go back to Dallas and finish unfinished business?
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