The Dallas Mavericks have had a tumultuous 10 days after the franchise received incredible amounts of backlash for trading 25-year-old franchise superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Doncic had led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals and was the primary reason the team became a perennial contender in the West after the Dirk Nowitzki era ended.
Trading Luka has been wildly unpopular, with Mavs GM Nico Harrison allegedly receiving death threats. The trade being poor is not surprising, but what is surprising is how the Mavs made these trades because of health and availability, but all the players they acquired before the trade deadline are currently out injured.
The three players Dallas acquired last week are out or doubtful.
The Curse of Luka begins? pic.twitter.com/vMMJ3dwNhR
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) February 10, 2025
Anthony Davis‘ injury is the most recent and most high-profile. He suffered an adductor strain during his Mavs debut against the Houston Rockets, with reports suggesting he’s out indefinitely. There’s a chance Davis has to undergo surgery, which would almost end any chances of him playing again this season.
Caleb Martin joined the Mavericks in a trade for Quentin Grimes with the Philadelphia 76ers. Martin failed his physical, forcing the 76ers to send a second-round pick to Dallas to ensure the trade goes through. He’s expected to be out for two to three weeks with a hip injury.
Max Christie has averaged 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists for the Mavericks in three games since joining the franchise. Unfortunately, even he’s currently listed as doubtful for the Mavericks’ Monday night clash against the Sacramento Kings.
One of the primary reasons behind the Doncic trade was his unavailability this season, as the guard played just 22 games before getting hurt on Christmas. The Mavericks attributed this missed time to reasons around his weight and poor conditioning making him more injury-prone, which made them trade him instead of signing him to a supermax in the offseason.
Fans calling this Mavericks’ injury issue the ‘Doncic Curse’ is funny because they’re going through the actual unavailability of Doncic’s replacements instead of the supposed hypothetical future absences the team was betting he’d have.
Given that Doncic is expected to return to action and make his Lakers debut on Monday against the Utah Jazz, this trade looks even more ironic.
The injury to Christie shouldn’t be significant, and the rotational absences should allow him to continue thriving as he’s done through his first three games. Christie might be the piece that Mavs fans actually fall in love with given his two-way play-style and potential talent as a championship-caliber player. But any title bid without Doncic will sting the fans, especially if Davis continues to miss time.
Anthony Davis has heard jokes about his injury-proneness for years, but managed to silence the doubters by playing 93% of all Laker games in the last two seasons. However, he was traded while dealing with an abdominal strain and has now promptly reinjured himself by straining his groin after rushing his return amidst rising fan backlash.
There aren’t many curses in NBA history, but if Doncic wins a title in LA and the Mavericks can’t get a handle on their current core getting healthy and playing together, the Mavericks’ misfortune will always be attributed to the Doncic curse.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
