On Wednesday, Luka Doncic will return to Dallas to face his former team, the Mavericks, for the first time since they shockingly traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.
As surprising and heartwrenching as the decision to trade Doncic was for Mavericks fans, the trade was made even worse because the Mavericks did not get a strong return for Doncic. Despite Doncic being a generational superstar and a beloved figure for the franchise, the Mavericks got just two players a future first-round pick for him. Yes, the Mavericks got a perennial All-Star back in Davis, but Doncic is significantly younger than Davis, which could have helped Dallas get a better return.
In particular, ESPN's Brian Windhorst cannot believe the Mavericks did not get back Lakers guard Austin Reaves in the trade, calling that "malpractice" by Dallas. Reaves has been hot lately, scoring 30 or more points in four of his last six games.
“There's a game coming up in Dallas in a couple of days, I know we're all going to focus on Luka, as we should, but the Mavericks not getting Austin Reaves in that trade is malpractice," Windhorst said on ESPN’s First Take. "Austin Reaves has been awesome in this last month, especially in this last week and the last couple weeks when LeBron hasn't been great. And the fact that the Mavericks didn't get Austin Reaves in that trade remains insane. Reaves is just proving it night in and night out.”
“Mavericks not getting Austin Reaves in that trade is MALPRACTICE.” -@WindhorstESPN on First Take pic.twitter.com/GqlT2fqqkv
— LakeShowScoop (@LakeShowScoop) April 7, 2025
According to Kirk Goldsberry, the Mavericks reportedly aimed for a return that would have seen them get Davis, Christie, with rookie Dalton Knecht and two first-round picks, instead of just one first-round pick.
Instead, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka successfully convinced Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison that Doncic was enough of a risk to whittle down the assets they got back in the trade.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ESPN Analyst Slams Mavericks for Not Getting Austin Reaves in Luka Doncic Trade.
