Some would say that you should never make promises that you cannot keep. Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Wells apparently does not follow that advice.
Amidst a cascade of criticism from fans and media members alike following the trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Wells guaranteed a few things that don't seem anywhere near certain.
“In time, wins and losses will tell whether the deal was a good deal or a bad deal,” Wells of the trade. “I just am going to promise to our fans right now. Whatever trust we have lost, or whatever concerns they have, we’re going to earn it back. Because we’re going to do this the right way, and we’re going to win championships.”
Less than a year after reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011, the Mavericks decided to trade Doncic, the team's best player, in exchange for Anthony Davis, a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate with a worrying history of injuries. Davis went down with an injury in his Dallas debut and has just now returned to the lineup.
Additionally, Kyrie Irving, the team's second-best player during their run to the Finals in 2024, tore his ACL at the beginning of the month and will miss the rest of this season and possibly a considerable chunk of the 2o25-26 season.
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The injuries, coupled with the general uncertainty that comes with competing for championships — after winning the title in 2011, the Mavericks did not win a single playoff series for another 11 years — means guaranteeing winning championships is anything but wise.
Winning championships may be the only way for the Mavericks front office and Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, in particular, to earn back the trust of the Mavs faithful.
Davis and Irving, 32 and 33 years old, respectively, will undoubtedly make for a dynamite duo when healthy, but they may not play together much anyways. Both players are set to become free agents soon; Irving can opt out of the final year of his deal this offseason, and even if he does opt in, he will earn about $44 million next season before becoming a free agent in 2026. Davis signed an extension with the Lakers in August 2023 that begins next season. It is expected he will earn about $175 million over three seasons if he exercises his player option for the 2027-28 season.
Currently, with numerous injuries throughout their roster, the Mavericks sit in 11th place in the Western Conference standings at 35-38.