I Thought It Couldn't Get Any Worse...

TL;DR

The Mavericks confirmed the worst trade in NBA history by then trading Anthony Davis for nearly nothing, turning Luka into a starter and one first-round pick.

Key Points

• 1.Dallas originally traded Luka Dončić to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, which was immediately criticized as one of the dumbest trades in NBA history.
• 2.Anthony Davis's entire tenure with Dallas lasted just 29 games, produced only 2 estimated wins, included 18 separate injuries, and resulted in 16 total wins.
• 3.At the 2025 trade deadline, Dallas flipped Davis to the Washington Wizards for Chris Middleton, two role players, two likely-low-value first-round picks, and three second-round picks — a deal the Wizards called a steal.
• 4.Combined, every player acquired in the Luka trade contributed just 9 estimated wins for Dallas; Luka alone contributed 12.4 wins for the Lakers in the same period.
• 5.The only thing saving Dallas from total irrelevance is Cooper Flag, a #1 pick they landed via the biggest lottery jump in NBA history from an 11th spot with just a 1.8% chance of winning.