Mavericks depressing group text chat takes real form in first game without Luka Doncic

The Dallas Mavericks shook up the entire sports world by pulling off one of the biggest blockbusters we'll ever see, shipping Luka Doncic off to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that netted Anthony Davis. It's the kind of swap fans might try and put together in NBA 2K but never expect to see in real life.

As shocking as the trade itself was to see take place, the fact that seemingly nobody knew it was coming. LeBron James found out when he was at dinner, and the players involved never asked out at any point.

Once the trade became official, Doncic sent one final text to his former Mavericks teammates, which read, "Thanks for everything." Short and sweet. Doncic, seemingly in shock, thanked his teammates, many of which who were with him for much of his seven-year tenure with the Mavericks.

That text, obviously, is tough for Mavericks fans to hear at this moment in time. Emotions are still very raw, and it's hard to blame them for that being the case.

As if watching the team trade a superstar talent like Doncic isn't jarring enough for the players still with the Mavericks organization, the players had to gear up for a game set to tip off less than 24 hours later. Doncic would not have played on Sunday regardless, as he's dealing with a calf injury, but based on how the game is going, it appears as if none of his former teammates have recovered from the trade news.

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Mavericks first game without Luka Doncic looks as depressing as you'd expect

Yes, you read that correctly. The Cleveland Cavaliers led Dallas by a score of 50-19 at the end of the first quarter. A Mavericks team that entered Sunday's action tied for 10th in the league in scoring managed to score just 19 points in the first quarter, and their Doncic-less defense surrendered an absurd 50 points. The game was seemingly over before it even tipped off.

Those hoping things might have gotten better in the second quarter were gravely disappointed. The Mavericks were outscored 41-27 in the second quarter and trailed 91-46 at the break. Yes, they were down by 45 points at the halfway mark.

It's important to note that Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington Jr., Daniel Gafford, and Derrick Lively were all sidelined in this game due to injury, so the Mavericks without Doncic, Davis, and those other injured players, faced a seemingly impossible task of defeating the 39-9 Cavaliers on the road. Kylor Kelley, a player with two NBA games under his belt entering Sunday's action, was the team's starting center.

Still, even with the team severely short-handed, this kind of performance shows just how big of a blow the Doncic trade was to this Mavericks team. Things will get better once their injured players return and once Davis is able to play, obviously, but losing a player like Doncic is really tough to shake off.