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8 hours Ago By Gilbert McGregor
Things can change quickly in the NBA. For the Mavericks , things changed drastically in less than a year. After falling three wins shy of an NBA title in 2024, Dallas will not be one of the West's playoff teams in 2025.
It's not necessarily the first time that a team has gone from a Finals loss to the NBA Draft Lottery, but the manner in which the Mavericks got there is noteworthy, to say the least. As Dallas gears up for its offseason, revisit a timeline of what transpired during one of the most infamous seasons in NBA history. 📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp How Mavericks went from NBA Finals to Play-In loss June 17, 2024: Mavericks lose 2024 NBA Finals in five games Dallas' incredible run as a No.
4 seed ends at the hands of the Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Mavericks could not overcome Boston's historically dominant attack, as both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving struggled for the majority of the series. After the loss, Doncic says "[The Celtics] are a great team — they've been together for a long time.
And they had to go through everything. So we've just got to look at them, see how they play ..
. we can all learn from that." July 6, 2024: Mavericks acquire free-agent Klay Thompson via sign-and-trade involving six teams Dallas addresses a need for shooting by moving to acquire Thompson from the Warriors in a historic six-team deal.
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison, who is lauded for his aggressiveness in pursuing a deal for the four-time champion, says "[Thompson] will help us continue to grow towards our goal of winning another championship." MORE: Why Dirk Nowitzki reportedly no longer has relationship with Mavs franchise Dec. 25, 2024: Luka Doncic suffers calf injury, misses next 19 Mavericks games The Mavericks entered a Christmas Day Western Conference Finals rematch with Minnesota with a 19-10 record.
Late in the first half, Doncic suffers a left calf injury and is immediately taken out of the game. Dallas lost the game and Doncic was ruled out indefinitely. It would prove to be his last appearance in a Mavs uniform.
Jan. 15, 2025: Dereck Lively II suffers ankle injury, misses next 36 games In the first quarter of a meeting with the Nuggets , Lively goes down with what is initially believed to be a sprained ankle. Further testing reveals Lively sustained a stress fracture in his right ankle and he is set to be re-evaluated in four weeks time.
He would ultimately miss 36 games. Feb. 2, 2025: Mavericks finalize deal to send Luka Doncic to Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis Around midnight on Sunday, Feb.
2, ESPN's Shams Charania shocks the basketball world with the report of a trade between Dallas and L.A. that is centered around Doncic and Davis.
After an initial period of disbelief, the deal is confirmed, and it also sends Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers while Max Christie and a first-round pick were also sent to Dallas. The deal also involved the Jazz . Dallas stunningly only received one of two first-round picks the Lakers could send.
In the immediate aftermath of the trade, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison provided a statement to ESPN's Tim MacMahon: "I believe that defense wins championships. I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We're built to win now and in the future.
" MORE MAVERICKS: What Nico Harrison has said about trade sending Luka Doncic to Lakers Why Dallas removed Luka Doncic memories after Lakers trade Feb. 4, 2025: Mavericks finalize deal to send Quentin Grimes to 76ers in exchange for Caleb Martin Dallas continued its deadline dealings by swapping Grimes, a 24-year-old impending free agent, for Martin, a 29-year-old veteran who was out with an injury at the time. Martin did not make his Mavericks debut until March 7.
Feb. 8, 2025: Anthony Davis suffers adductor injury in Mavericks debut, misses next 18 games Less than a week after the trade, Davis returns from an abdominal injury to make his Mavs debut in Dallas. Davis' stellar performance is cut short after 31 minutes after he suffers an adductor injury on a routine defensive play.
Davis' Mavericks debut ends with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks in 31 minutes. He would miss the next 18 games with the injury. Feb.
10, 2025: Daniel Gafford suffers sprained right knee, misses next 21 games The Mavs go from three big men to zero, as Gafford goes down with a sprained right knee one game after Davis' injury. Gafford would not return to the lineup until March 31, rendering Dallas without him, Davis, and Lively for extended time. March 3, 2025: Kyrie Irving suffers torn ACL that requires season-ending surgery Just when it seemed the franchise had hit rock bottom, things got worse.
Irving suffered a torn ACL early in a loss to the Kings. Irving remained in the game to shoot the free throws and exited the floor. He underwent successful surgery weeks later and was given a recovery timeline of 9-12 months.
March 7, 2025: Olivier-Maxence Prosper suffers right wrist injury that requires season-ending surgery Reserve forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper is the second Maverick to sustain a season-ending injury in a week. He underwent successful surgery on March 13. March 14, 2025: Dante Exum suffers left-hand fracture, misses next 12 games Exum goes down with a hand injury early in a loss to the Rockets .
He misses the next 12 games and returns during the penultimate game of the season. April 13, 2025: Mavericks finish 10th in Western Conference with 39-43 record After being locked into the Play-In Tournament, the Mavericks stay in the West's 10th spot with a loss during the regular-season finale. Dallas finishes with 11 fewer wins than it did during the 2023-24 season.
April 18, 2025: Mavericks eliminated from 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament Despite 40 points from Davis, Dallas is eliminated from NBA Playoffs contention after losing to Memphis in the final Play-In Tournament game. The Mavericks will have the 11th-best odds in the NBA Draft Lottery..
