Mavs Pull a Reverse Herschel Walker Trade, Sending Luka to Lakers<\/p>\n
By Mike Fisher, Athlon Sports<\/p>\n
DALLAS \u2013 This move stands among the most significant trades in Dallas sports history\u2014right up there with the Cowboys\u2019 blockbuster Herschel Walker deal in 1989.<\/p>\n
And you know what? It might also rival that trade in terms of how fans perceive its absurdity.<\/p>\n
On Saturday night, the Dallas Mavericks stunned the basketball world by orchestrating a three-team deal that ships franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. And, unsurprisingly, the Mavericks are facing heavy backlash.<\/p>\n
In the trade, Dallas parted ways with Doncic, longtime big man Maxi Kleber, veteran Markieff Morris, and a second-round pick. In return, they acquired superstar Anthony Davis, promising young wing Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round selection from the Lakers.<\/p>\n
Doncic, who has spent all seven years of his NBA career with the Mavericks, has become a statistical outlier in league history. His career averages of 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game even surpass those of his new teammate, LeBron James, widely considered the greatest player of all time.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t the first time the Mavericks have moved on from a young star. In 2004, they chose not to re-sign Steve Nash, who went on to win two MVP awards with the Phoenix Suns.<\/p>\n
Nor is this the first major blockbuster trade for a Dallas sports team. The Cowboys\u2019 1989 Walker trade with Minnesota was so impactful that it laid the foundation for three Super Bowl championships in the \u201990s.<\/p>\n
But what is this trade meant to achieve?<\/p>\n
Yeah, this feels like “Herschel 2.0″\u2014except in reverse.<\/p>\n
Dallas fans are already voicing their outrage.<\/p>\n
One long-time Mavs supporter wrote: \u201cDisgusting. Insane. I\u2019m done being a fan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another vented: \u201cLuka carried this team to the Finals last year, and they trade him? Absolutely trash. The Mavs are embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Dallas, acquiring Davis theoretically keeps them competitive, with Kyrie Irving expected to shoulder most of the offensive load. Christie is a young wing with starting potential, and the 2029 draft pick could prove valuable\u2014especially if Doncic doesn\u2019t extend his stay in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Doncic was widely regarded as one of the few \u201cuntouchable\u201d players in the league. Yet, that belief proved incorrect as Dallas dealt away a 25-year-old who already ranks as the franchise\u2019s all-time leader in several categories, including triple-doubles and points per game.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So, what\u2019s the Mavericks’ reasoning behind this move?<\/p>\n
According to ESPN: \u201cThe Mavs, meanwhile, had major concerns about continuing with Doncic due to his ongoing conditioning struggles and the looming commitment of another supermax contract extension this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fair enough, but in exchange for Doncic and his so-called \u201cconditioning issues,\u201d Dallas brought in Davis\u2014a player who has played more than 60 games in a season only twice in the last seven years.<\/p>\n
It seems the Mavericks weren\u2019t willing to commit supermax money to a superstar with flaws.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But it also seems Dallas fans aren\u2019t buying that explanation. Not at all.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mavs Pull a Reverse Herschel Walker Trade, Sending Luka to Lakers By Mike Fisher, Athlon Sports DALLAS \u2013 This move stands among the most significant trades in Dallas sports history\u2014right up there with the Cowboys\u2019 blockbuster Herschel Walker deal in 1989. And you know what? It might also rival that trade in terms of how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[358],"tags":[2604],"class_list":["post-23300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dallas-cowboys","tag-herschel"],"yoast_head":"\n