4 days Ago
The Dallas Mavericks will have their season on the line on Wednesday night when the team opens its NBA play-in slate on the road against the Sacramento Kings. The Mavericks are looking at an uphill climb as the team is one loss away from concluding its 2024-25 campaign. Dallas will have to defeat the Kings and the loser of Golden State/Memphis to earn the honor of facing the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
To say what everyone knows out loud, it's not looking like the Mavericks will make another run to the NBA Finals. In less than one year, general manager Nico Harrison and team governor Patrick Dumont have dismantled a franchise that was a legitimate championship contender. What was once a decade-long window under Luka Doncic has been reduced to a thin margin following Kyrie Irving's ACL tear and Anthony Davis's injury woes.
Since trading Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Mavericks have gone 13-21, with 13 of those defeats coming by double digits. Frankly, Dallas hasn't been very competitive with injuries piling up across the roster. Dumont appears to have a different stance on the Mavericks' performance.
In a recent statement to WFAA , a provided response went into detail about the ownership group's focus, noting that head coach Jason Kidd and his staff have gotten the put "in a position most through would be unachievable a few short months ago." "Patrick and his family love being stewards of the Mavericks and have deeply enjoyed their ownership experience over the last year and a half," a spokesperson's response to WFAA said. "They want what all Mavs want – a team that plays hard together and wins games.
So, with that said, the focus should be on the remaining games the team has and its push to the playoffs. Coach Kidd and the staff have done a tremendous job putting the team in a position most thought would be unachievable a few short months ago." Well, there's definitely one thing right about that statement.
Dallas certainly has done the unachievable by dealing away its brightest star for a package of pennies. It wasn't that long ago when Mikal Bridges commanded five first-round picks and Kevin Durant netted four in their respective trades. The Mavericks received a solid veteran in Anthony Davis but the aging big man has dealt with a variety of injuries that are occurring more frequently as of late.
Max Christie is solid and under contract for multiple seasons. The main failure is landing just one first-round pick that won't be useful until 2029 for a roster that is already well over the cap and in need of cost effective contracts. The immediate aftermath of the Doncic trade hasn't been inspiring and the future doesn't necessarily look bright either.
Calls for Harrison and Dumont's heads only continue to grow louder. READ MORE: Mavericks CEO makes embarrassing Warriors comparison for Luka Doncic-Lakers trade Stick with MavericksGameday for more FREE coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the 2024-25 Season Follow MavericksGameday on Twitter and Austin Veazey on Twitter More Dallas Mavericks News Longest-tenured Maverick believes team should retire Luka Doncic's jersey Miami Heat champion details locker room meltdown during 2011 NBA Finals vs. Mavericks Mavericks' Klay Thompson speaks on possible retirement plans Lakers star thought Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic trade was 'a prank'.
