The Luka Dončić trade can never get erased , but the Mavericks have turned a corner less than two years later.

It all started when the Ping-Pong balls fell Dallas’ way in the 2025 draft lottery, which gave the franchise the right to select Cooper Flagg with the top pick of the draft. The coveted prospect out of Duke had a great first season which led to Rookie of the Year honors, but the Mavs cratered with a 26–56 record without superstar guard Kyrie Irving, who missed the season as he recovered from a torn ACL.

Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the Dončić trade, played just 20 games with Dallas last season before he was dealt to Washington at the trade deadline. With general manager Nico Harrison out by that point, the ghosts of the most shocking trade in NBA history were gone.

This was Flagg’s team, but Irving’s presence was a looming question . The two are on completely separate timelines. Maybe Dallas would benefit from trading Irving in favor of future assets that better fit the Flagg timeline.…