Luka Doncic, a generational superstar who is only 26 years old, was supposed to be the Dallas Mavericks' present and future. The promise of a bright tomorrow always existed for them as long as El Matador was in town. The Los Angeles Lakers get to enjoy that comforting thought instead.
The feelings surrounding the blockbuster trade are crystal clear. The Mavericks thought Doncic was out of shape and not worth the max money that the Slovenian superstar was due for in an extension. Meanwhile, the rest of the league thought Nico Harrison was out of his mind.
After a well-publicized commitment to his health, Doncic is ready to seek revenge against the Mavericks at every turn. However, the best dish of get-back was already served in the form of regret.
When assessing the futures of every NBA team, ESPN had the Mavericks plummeting severely. The Lakers supplanted them too, by a healthy margin. That prognosis alone should have Dallas withering with remorse, while Los Angeles collectively thanks them once more.
Lakers' future is bright as ever while Mavericks' outlook is uncertain
ESPN ranked the Lakers eighth in their NBA Future Power Rankings. The thought experiment was done to assess the three-year outlook for all 30 teams in the league.
The Lakers leaped all the way up to their current spot from a previous ranking of 21st. Bobby Marks cited the trade for Doncic, the extension that followed, and the cap flexibility that a huge market like Los Angeles is about to enjoy as the prime reasons for optimism around the franchise.
The Mavericks dropped down to 16th in the power rankings. That fall comes from their previously enviable position of 5th. Tim Bontemps outlined the reasoning clearly for the decision.
Bontemps wrote, "A year ago, Dallas was coming off an NBA Finals berth, featuring one of the best players in the sport about to enter his prime. Then, Nico Harrison stunningly swapped Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. ... The Mavericks' lottery luck is why they didn't fall further down these rankings."
It really is as obvious as one franchise-altering trade changing the trajectory of the Mavericks forever. Dallas better hope Cooper Flagg is everything the scouts say he is. Otherwise, their fall from grace will only grow worse.
Then again, even if Flagg does blossom into a superstar, it should only take a few years in the NBA before the Duke product is rocking purple and gold, right? That is just the Harrison way.