It has been a couple weeks and the Luka Doncic trade remains as baffling as ever.
The Los Angeles Lakers acquired a new 25-year-old franchise cornerstone in exchange for an aging Anthony Davis, a fringe rotation piece in Max Christie, and a single first-round pick. It might take a couple years for LA to build a true contender around Doncic, but landing a generational talent at the beginning of his prime for such a modest price will go down as one of the biggest trade swindles of all time.
If only we could credit Rob Pelinka. On the surface, he categorically ripped off the Dallas Mavericks. In reality, though, this is entirely the fault of Nico Harrison. He ripped himself off. The Mavs somehow convinced themselves that Doncic's conditioning and commitment to winning weren't up to par. Dallas, allegedly, was never going to hand Doncic the $345 supermax contract he deserved.
In light of the most shocking NBA trade in recent memory (and maybe ever), the Mavs did not sit on their hands. Harrison lined up a swap of Quentin Grimes for Caleb Martin, which figures to age poorly, then did nothing to alleviate the logjam of centers around Anthony Davis.
And, as if it couldn't get worse, Davis suffered an adductor strain in his first game with Dallas, sidelining the All-Star 7-footer indefinitely. Fate is not on the Mavs' side here.
The cherry on top is Harrison's halfhearted attempt to replace Doncic's skill set, which never materialized.
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Mavericks made an incredibly lame attempt to replace Luka Doncic with Ben Simmons
Dallas was interested in bidding on bought-out free agent Ben Simmons, per Marc Stein. Ultimately, however, the Mavs did not possess the necessary financial flexibility to land the former All-Star. With less than $200,000 in first apron space left, the Mavs weren't able to outspend the Los Angeles Clippers, who ultimately signed Simmons.
First the Mavs trade their heliocentric point guard with no adequate replacement on the roster. Then, due to what essentially boils down to an entrenched cheapness, the Mavs did not run up the tab on a minimum contract available midseason in Simmons, who orchestrated a contract buyout with the Brooklyn Nets after the trade deadline.
Simmons was once an ascendent star who folks hailed as the second coming of Magic Johnson. That hype eventually gave way to disappointment, however, as the Philadelphia 76ers consistently fell short in the playoffs. Simmons was dealt to Brooklyn in exchange for James Harden, where his production flatlined after a series of mental and physical hurdles.
So far this season, Simmons has averaged 6.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists on 55.4 percent shooting. He's averaging 5.0 field goal attempts in 25.1 minutes per game, the second-lowest mark of his career (4.9 last season). Simmons has not registered a single regular season 3-point attempt since 2023.
This is not meant to bash Simmons, who is excellent value on a minimum contract. He looks good in LA, where the playmaking gravity of Harden and Kawhi Leonard should open up more opportunities to drive, cut, and finish than he saw in Brooklyn. Simmons' athleticism has regressed after multiple back injuries, but he's a proficient passer and versatile defender at 6-foot-10. He certainly would have fit Nico Harrison's "defense wins championships" creed.
That said, trading Doncic and signing the statistical corpse of Ben Simmons would have been a slap in the face of every Mavs fan. To avoid him for tax purposes is, somehow, even worse.
Dallas has entrusted complete control of the offense to Kyrie Irving, who is still electric on a nightly basis, but we know this Mavs team is not built to repeat as West champs. Even when Davis is healthy. Every new development out of Dallas is worse than the last. The franchise has lost the respect of its fanbase and the broader NBA world. It's a tough scene.