The Dallas Mavericks' unexpected collapse from NBA Finals contenders to a Play-In Tournament team is the focus of this article. The team's struggles are largely attributed to the controversial trade of Luka Dončić and the season-ending injury to Kyrie Irving. Despite their recent Play-In victory against the Sacramento Kings, their advancement to face the Grizzlies in another elimination game highlights the instability of the team.
The article contrasts the Mavericks' situation with other teams like the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers, who also faced issues despite having high-priced star players but did not make the playoffs. The author emphasizes that while the Mavericks' players have performed well despite the circumstances, the questionable trade and subsequent injuries have overshadowed any positive aspects of the season.
The author concludes that the Mavericks' need is to move toward the offseason rather than celebrate their Play-In win. The team's future is uncertain, contingent on Kyrie Irving's health and decision to return, and the long-term impact of the controversial trade remains a significant concern. The success of the organization moving forward is questioned given their current state.
One day after their general manager held his now infamous invite-only press conference where he dug himself a hole to the center of the earth, his team kept a season that most of their fans want over alive.
The Dallas Mavericks made the NBA’s Play-In Tournament as the 10th seed in the Western Conference, one season after they reached the NBA Finals. As much as the GM protests otherwise, there is no good way to spin this self-inflicted collapse.
The Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night in Sacramento, 120-106; the Mavs led by more than 20 points in the first half, and the Kings never bothered to muster much of a run to make this interesting.
The win pushes the Mavs to another elimination game, as they will play the Grizzlies in Memphis on Friday night in the Play-In. The winner will be the eighth seed, and advance to play the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
With Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington and Klay Thompson all healthy and playing well, the Mavs lineup in Sacramento showed what could have been, had Kyrie Irving not suffered his season-ending torn ACL at the beginning of March.
All credit this season belongs to the players on the floor, and the coaching staff. They played through all of this noise, confusion and distraction like pros.
There is no defending the trade of Luka Doncic for what the Mavs received in return, but the Mavs with Davis on the floor are good. Not NBA title good, but relevant.
And whatever their GM wants to say about “defense wins championships” to defend his trade of Doncic to the L.A. Lakers, right now the team has an identity problem that puts them in Suns/76ers territory. Phoenix and Philadelphia began the season with high-priced talent, mega All-Stars, and hopes to contend for the NBA title. Neither team made the playoffs.
The Suns just fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after one season. Despite the presence of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker, the Suns were a mess, and one of the most disappointing teams in basketball.
For a team that reached the NBA Finals in 2021, and won playoff series in both ‘22 and ‘23, they now look like your standard, directionless, expensive disaster.
Their equivalent is in Philadelphia. In July of ‘24, the Sixers signed All-Star free agent forward Paul George to a four-year, $212 million contract. In September of ‘24, they handed All-Star Joel Embiid a three-year, $192.9 million contract extension. It includes a player option for 2028-’29.
This is the type of contract that Harrison likely did not want to give Doncic, although the GM did make a point to say in his invite-only, don’t-record-this press conference that there was no guarantee Luka would have signed it this summer. Harrison thinks we’re just that stupid.
Because of injury, Embiid was not ready for the start of the season, and was limited to just 19 games. George dealt with injuries, and played in 41 games.
Both the Suns and the Sixers should be in the playoffs, with a chance to contend for at least a conference title. They did nothing.
The only difference is the Mavericks players never ate the excuse that is the trade, their slew of injuries, or mail it in.
The Mavericks were only a few wins better, and made the Play-In, but the trade of Doncic puts them in a category no one could have seen coming on Feb. 1. Trading Doncic for Davis is such a franchise-altering risk that it not only alienated their fans, but it makes them the source of endless jokes nationwide.
This is a team that less than one year ago was this close to winning an NBA title, but the GM felt they had to do something completely different to win it all.
He may be right, but the injury to Irving is one of those that could bury Harrison’s vision before it had a chance. Even when Irving returns, and feels like himself again, he may never be the type of player he was before the injury.
This assumes he exercises the player-option on his contract this summer to return to the Mavs.
So now the Mavericks are left celebrating a Play-In win, when really what they need to do is get to the offseason now.
That’s not a joke, it’s sad.
This story was originally published April 16, 2025 at 11:42 PM.
Skip the extension — just come straight here.
We’ve built a fast, permanent tool you can bookmark and use anytime.
Go To Paywall Unblock Tool