The Mavericks brought in Daniel Gafford at the 2024 trade deadline to fill that exact role. And the fit was so seamless with Dončić that Dallas was jostling with the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals just a few months later.

The Dallas Mavericks have been almost universally panned for deciding to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a future first-round pick. Even if some people could understand the thought of wanting to trade Doncic, very few people agreed that the package the Mavs got in return was anywhere near enough.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones revealed that Luka Doncic being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers made his wife cry.