The Trade That Will Link Two Franchises for Years to Come

And what it means for digginbasketball going forward

Photo by C. House, R. Jenkins / Getty Images

It’s been more than two weeks since the trade that shook the NBA, Dallas, and Mavericks fans. A deal I said would forever be known as the Nico Harrison trade.

Since then, everything has moved at a whirlwind pace, almost like a blur. From the initial backlash among Mavericks fans to Anthony Davis’ impressive debut that ended with an unfortunate injury, to Luka Dončić’s first game as a Laker, to yet another wave of injury setbacks for Dallas.

With the All-Star break and a week off from basketball, there’s finally time to pause, reflect, and dissect everything that has happened. It’s also a chance to think about what comes next, both for the teams involved and for how I approach covering it all moving forward.

But before I do that, I want to thank everyone who has come on board and supported my work. It’s been a crazy ride that started at the end of July last year with a deep dive on Quentin Grimes—who of course has since been traded—and continued with 135 more articles along the way. The last couple of weeks have been a roller coaster, but the support from those who turn to digginbasketball for their daily basketball takes and analysis has made it all worthwhile. So thanks again!

What’s coming next?

The Dončić trade is the most fascinating thing I’ve witnessed in more than 30 years of following the NBA. Of course I’m biased. I’ve tracked Dončić’s career since his early days in Madrid and have been covering the Mavericks in depth for the last seven seasons. But it’s more than that. I truly believe this was a move that could reshape the NBA landscape and link the franchises in Dallas and Los Angeles for a long time, if not forever. The two teams are competitors in a wild Western Conference playoff race this year and should be for years to come. GM and coaching jobs and MVP titles could be decided by this trade. And hopefully, if all goes well for both teams, even championships could be. The immense pressure on all involved parties to make this work, and that means nothing short of reaching the ultimate goal, is what makes this so captivating.

That’s why, for the remainder of this season, I will try to cover this story from all angles. From the Mavericks, the Lakers, and of course, from Luka’s perspective. I’ll do less game-by-game coverage and focus more on key storylines and trends for both teams while keeping a close eye on the Western Conference playoff race. However I plan to return to the detailed game preview and observations format for the playoffs and potentially for other key matchups before then. You can bet that the two Mavericks-Lakers games (with the first one coming up next week) will get that treatment. There are so many storylines that will unfold between now and April that there will be plenty to write about.

For Dallas, the key one is, of course, what happens with Anthony Davis and his injury. Can he return before the playoffs, and can the Mavs stay afloat long enough to make a push if he does? Do we see the Mavericks’ new era replicating the blueprint of the 2020 Lakers, playing big with Davis at the power forward spot this season? Will Max Christie continue to develop into a legit two-way starting wing, a role the team has been trying to fill for so long? Can Kyrie Irving sustain the playmaking load for a full season? What is the ceiling for the Mavs' defense (top three?) with Davis anchoring the paint and all that size and wing length around him?

For Luka and the Lakers, the questions are even more fascinating. Do we see Dončić’s revenge tour after the biggest setback of his career? What is the ceiling of this Lakers team (one that resembles the 2022 Mavericks with Dončić, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Maxi Kleber), a team loaded with ball-handling and shot creation but lacking a true center? How does the Luka-LeBron dynamic look with J.J. Redick on the sideline? Over the last two days, I binged Mind the Game with James and Redick, and hearing both speak with such respect about Dončić and his basketball IQ made me incredibly excited to see how this trio functions together. Will their obsession with details and preparation carry over to Dončić, or will it clash with his more spontaneous, instinct-driven style of play and personality? Following James in even more detail over the last couple of games, it’s unbelievable how ridiculously high of a level he’s still playing at even after turning 40. I think this season, and possibly the ones that follow, will go down as one of those “Do you remember when Luka and LeBron played together?” moments in NBA history, so just being able to enjoy this as an NBA fan will be special.

There’s plenty to watch and think about over the next couple of months, not to mention what could unfold this summer. Questions about Davis and Irving’s remaining prime years and longevity, Davis and Dereck Lively II’s long-term fit, the possibility of adding another key piece (Kevin Durant ?) to the Mavericks’ all-in, win-now timeline, the 2025 draft and free agency, how the Lakers navigate long-term team building around Dončić while balancing LeBron’s much shorter timeline, Dončić’s potential contract extension, and more. The offseason is also a time when I’ll revive things like Analytics Guides and take on bigger data and research projects.

If the last couple of weeks have proven anything, it’s that there’s never a dull moment in the NBA. As shocking and disappointing as recent events have been for most, the next few months will be gripping with so much at stake for everyone involved. I hope you’ll keep following along with me here, keep digging into basketball, and keep sharing your thoughts. The feedback you give in the comments and our chats has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey, and I truly appreciate it.