Dallas Mavericks fans will never see Luka Doncic dawn the white and blue uniform again, and it seems that the Cleveland Cavaliers may have accidentally caused the Texas fanbase's woes.
In the most shocking midnight trade of all time, Mavs superstar Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis in a massive three-team deal. Reports note that no player involved, or LeBron James, had any idea this trade was being negotiated. While the deal raises bigger questions about James' LA future, Dallas is also in the midst of a paradigm shift both for today and the future.
Davis joins a Mavericks roster now headlined by former Cavs champion Kyrie Irving. Dallas' reasoning for targeting Davis seems to center around the big man's defensive prowess and two-way impact. Dallas GM Nico Harrison praised the impression AD leaves on the game as an elite frontcourt star. This season, Davis averaged 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game before the trade out of Los Angeles.
Though Davis is not the generational talent of Doncic, the Mavericks believe his skillset and position will put them in a better place to compete for the franchise's second NBA Finals victory. Surprisingly, though, the perspective leading to Harrison's trade leads back to Northeast Ohio.
The Cavaliers' frontcourt caused Doncic out of Dallas
Mavericks fans are unsurprisingly furious with Harrison for the trade. Doncic was the face of the franchise, ushering in the next era of Dallas greatness after Dirk Nowitzki. Trading a 25-year-old mega star for a 31-year-old star seems outrageous. In defense of his actions, Harrison named the Cavaliers' dynamic All-Star frontcourt as inspiration.
"I think if you look at the Cleveland Cavaliers, that’s what you’re going to see. Anthony’s probably going to finish games at the five, but you’re going to see those guys play together. And when Lakers won, he played the four."Nico Harrison
The Dallas general manager's quote referenced the Cavs' pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen - two seven-foot big men who anchor the interior defensively and dominate opponents offensively. Likely, Mavs fans will see Davis starting alongside Derrick Lively III, a young stud who played a pivotal role in Dallas' 2024 run to the NBA Finals.
Such a seismic shift in a franchise is nearly unheard of, especially in the player empowerment era of the NBA. For Harrison to explicitly cite the Cavaliers as his reasoning is another example of how the Cavs' unconventional frontcourt is changing the league.
Harrison's words may seem like an excuse for Dallas fans to avoid too much vitriol. Still, the Cavaliers are putting the league on notice. (One could say they Let 'Em Know) The Mavericks are trying to keep up with Cleveland's roster composition. With a genius playmaker in the backcourt with Kyrie Irving, Dallas' core imitates Cleveland more than any other franchise.
The Mavericks are not the only squad to follow the Cavs' footsteps. The Miami Heat have begun employing both Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware together in the starting five, despite both players lacking serious three-point expertise. Last year, the San Antonio Spurs placed Victor Wembanayama at the four with Zach Collins at the five.
For the Mavericks, not only replicating the Cavaliers but also moving on from a generational star exemplifies the bright future of this Cavs core. While Cleveland basketball Twitter wasted no time in suggesting that the Lakers could move on from James next, and possibly send him back to Cleveland, this quote indicates the Cavaliers are exactly where they need to be in terms of star talent.
It's impossible not to consider a second homecoming for LeBron, and we took a peak at how that could materialize in the wake of this trade. But, if the rest of the Association is trying to catch up to what the Cleveland Cavaliers already discovered, then fans should expect no major changes for the foreseeable future.