One of the most tragic events occurred in Dallas Mavericks history last season on February 1. The franchise player, the future, and the face of the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.
It would've been one thing to trade him, but to the Lakers, this just seemed like a typical heartbreaking moment for Dallas sports fans. They saw Alex Rodriguez, an MVP with the Texas Rangers, get shipped off to the New York Yankees to eventually win a World Series years later. Even though the Rangers suffered for years after the trade, we can't really say the same for the Mavericks' sake, however.
The Mavs were gifted with another superstar in Davis, coming in for a superstar going out in Doncic. Not just that, but a proven champion with LeBron James. Even though Jason Kidd compared the Doncic trade to the Babe Ruth trade, which is correct in a bad way, we can't underestimate what Davis brings to the table. Were the Mavs fleeced by the trade? Time will tell, but Mavs fans cannot act like Davis isn't the real deal when he's on the court.
Anthony Davis' value must stop getting undermined by Mavericks fans
Many on social media came out to point out the hypocrisy of the Doncic trade by comparing it to the Desmond Bane trade. Sure, Bane's name was worth five first-round picks (four unprotected picks and one swap), while Doncic was only worth one, but it might not seem as black and white as the majority of Mavs fans think.
Davis himself is worth four or five first-round picks at this point as he is a top-10 player in the league, and the fact that it was two elite players being traded for one another is the reason that fans were so thrown off by Dallas only landing one first-round pick. The Mavericks definitely should have pushed for more assets from the Lakers, including another first-round pick and multiple swaps, but the reason that the situation with the first-round picks seemed so skewed was that Davis holds great value himself.
Davis and Doncic are future Hall of Fame players. This was a very delicate trade that had changed NBA history. No one felt untouchable anymore, as all players around the league were shaken up around the trade deadline because they didn't know what their future would be after this earth-shattering move.
And believe it or not, there was actually baggage from both superstars here. Davis' injury woes have been of much concern for several years now. Mavs fans witnessed that first-hand in their own gym during Davis' debut when he suffered an adductor strain. Doncic has been criticized and chewed out by the Mavs organization off the record for his conditioning since the trade. This could have been an exact reason for Lakers GM Rob Pelinka to not offer more picks and players, as he was aware that Doncic's conditioning habits were a risk, according to Nico Harrison's judgment.
After all is set and done, Davis is a monstrous two-way player who can dominate on both ends. Opponents fear his shot-blocking ability on most nights. His ability to stretch the floor has only gotten better throughout the years, making him a dominant two-way scorer. While Mavs fans have an argument to be frustrated at Harrison, and they have every right to be, they cannot act like Davis is just chopped liver. He will be a major piece for the Mavs' championship hopes for the future.