It’s been months since Luka Doncic packed his bags and left the Dallas Mavericks, but the ripple effects are still being felt around the Western Conference. From the Lakers’ sudden rise to the Mavericks’ dramatic reshuffling, the league looks completely different today because of that one move, a blockbuster that shocked fans, executives, and even Doncic himself.
But what if the Mavericks never pulled the trigger? What if Luka had stayed?
Let’s take a look at how the Western Conference could’ve played out differently had the Mavs kept their generational superstar and how one decision might’ve altered the fate of several franchises.
A Nightmare Averted For The Lakers
The Lakers are on a completely different timeline than they were a year ago, and that’s all because of the Doncic trade. Today, they are a well-balanced team set to be competitive for years to come. Had they not gotten Doncic, however, they’d still be leaning on their veteran duo of LeBron James and superstar big man Anthony Davis, who were already in decline before the swap.
Davis is great, and he helped lead the Lakers to a championship in 2020, but he’s six years older than Luka with way more experience and mileage on his aging body. With LeBron at 40 years old, Davis would have been required to take his game to another level just to keep the Lakers relevant in the West. As a 10x All-Star, 5x All-NBA player, and 5x Defensive star, Davis is capable of putting up big numbers, but consistency has always lacked for the 6’10” big man, and concerns about his durability and natural decline will only rise as he gets older.
Without Doncic, the Lakers would have likely returned to the same formula that failed them for the past four years. They would not have signed key free agents like Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, and Jake LaRavia (who were recruited to Los Angeles by Luka). Of course, without No. 77, LeBron would still be the leader and focal point of the franchise, but he wouldn’t have a younger superstar to take the reins as he nears retirement.
Arguably, the worst thing for the Lakers is the lack of direction they’d face without a superstar to build around. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are not young enough to define their future, and Los Angeles would have had no easy way to recover from their natural decline.
An Identity Crisis In Dallas
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison shocked the world when he shipped away his team’s best player. Overnight, their entire situation changed, and they went from being a regular NBA powerhouse to more of a wild card in the Western Conference.
Without Luka, the Mavericks don’t really have an identity, and there are mixed signals on who has the highest authority on the roster. Is it Anthony Davis, the veteran and champion? Is it Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick, and the young prospect who could define their future? On paper, the Mavericks are a team with two timelines right now: a win-now timeline with Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Klay Thompson, and a long-term player development timeline for players like Flagg, Max Christie, and Kessler Edwards.
While the Mavericks can compete as presently constructed, they’d be a much bigger threat in the West with Luka Doncic. In his last full season in Dallas, he finished third in MVP voting with averages of 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game on 48.7% shooting. During his seven-year tenure with the franchise, he led them to the Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, and if he were still there, many fans think a championship would have been inevitable.
While the Mavericks had doubts about Luka’s conditioning, he believes he was already on track to be in the best shape of his life. At just 26 years old, Doncic is just entering his prime, and there’s reason to believe his best has yet to come. Of course, the Mavericks will never get to know how he might have played with one more season, but now they are facing many uncertainties about where they stand in the current NBA championship picture.
The Trade That Changed The NBA
Luka Doncic’s move to Los Angeles didn’t just reshape two franchises; it may have reset the balance of power across the entire league. In the span of a few months, the Lakers went from aging contenders to a future-proof juggernaut with one of the best young cores in the NBA. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are still figuring out who they are without their generational star, caught between competing timelines and an uncertain identity.
This is the kind of deal that will be revisited for years. Whether the Lakers win a title or the Mavericks discover a new face of the franchise, the echoes of this blockbuster will continue to ripple across the West. And if Doncic ends up delivering championships in purple and gold, we’ll look back at the day he was traded as the true turning point in a shifting NBA era.
