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.

It's been months since the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. While both teams have been trying to move on from the trade, some things aren't so easily forgotten, and former Dallas city Mayor Tom Leppert says that the damage caused by Dallas Mavericks ownership will linger for years to come.