As the Dallas Mavericks turn the page on Anthony Davis, Stephen A. Smith wonders if they’re also turning the page on Dallas.
After trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package centered around Anthony Davis ahead of last season’s trade deadline, the Mavericks have quickly ended that era by now dealing Davis to the Washington Wizards. Some analysts believed the big three of Davis, Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg could see Dallas as title contenders. But the big three will never see the court together.
Sending Davis to Washington for a package including Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III and draft compensation should now officially cement the Dončić move as one of the worst trades in NBA history. And Stephen A. Smith wonders if it’s all part of a larger plan by owner Miriam Adelson to move the team to Vegas.
“Is it possible that the owner for the Dallas Mavericks is looking to relocate the team to Vegas?” Smith asked on his Wednesday afternoon SiriusXM show from Radio Row. “And it would be easier to do that if you acquired a team and they suck and you want to move on, rather than have a team that’s winning and you trying to skip town. I’m just suspicious.”
“I’m just bringing that up,” Smith continued. “The Dallas Mavericks suck. They’re 31-49 since acquiring Anthony Davis. It’s not Jason Kidd’s fault. It’s not Cooper Flagg’s fault. But that damn ownership. Is it possible that you suck – you traded away Anthony Davis after trading away Luka Dončić cause you want to lose cause it would be easier for you to move the team to Vegas? It’s easier to move a losing team than it is a winning team. It might be farfetched because you ain’t losing a team out of the Dallas market…but I’m talking about this particular owner. I’m just saying, my Spidey senses are tingling.”
Adelson and her family purchased a majority stake in the Mavericks from Mark Cuban in 2023. In addition to the Mavericks, Adelson is also the majority owner of the Las Vegas Sands casino. The NBA wants a franchise in Vegas with it seeming like only a matter of time before it happens.
Smith is right, you can connect enough dots with the gutted Mavericks and their new owners to find a path to Vegas. But the [NBA sees expansion as the most viable path to Vegas](https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/bill-simmons-media-rights-deal-reconsidering-expansion-pelicans-relocation.html), and seemingly doesn’t plan on using Dallas to get there. Additionally, Rick Welts, CEO of the Mavericks has insisted the franchise remains committed to Dallas under Adelson, citing a desire for a new downtown arena and more economic growth opportunity than even what Vegas has to offer. But until that arena is built and the Mavericks’ roots are cemented in Dallas, dealing Dončić for Davis and then trading Davis for 50 cents on the dollar will continue to spark conspiracies like the one Stephen A. Smith shared Wednesday afternoon.