Mavericks' painful Luka Doncic trade quietly shifts in their favor after extension

The unthinkable happened on February 1, 2025, when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. No one ever expected Dallas to ever trade Doncic, and Mavericks faithful will always have a hole in their heart for not getting to see him finish his career in Dallas like Dirk Nowitzki did.

Doncic wanted to be loyal to Dallas forever, and unfortunately for Mavericks fans, his loyalty has shifted entirely to Los Angeles. Over the weekend, Doncic inked a three-year, $165 million deal with the Lakers, and even though Mavs fans will hate to see him play for the Lakers for at least the next three seasons, his new contract has one hidden element that could end up working out significantly in Dallas's favor.

Doncic has a player option after the second year in his extension, meaning he could become a free agent after the 2027-28 season. This isn't to say that the Mavs would have a shot at luring Doncic in free agency, as he may never forgive the franchise for trading him away behind his back, but it does mean a lot in the sense that Dallas owns the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick.

Luka Doncic's contract length with Lakers is great news for the Mavericks

If Doncic's stint with the Lakers doesn't go as planned over the next few years, he could look to opt out of his contract with Los Angeles to become a free agent. It's almost guaranteed that Doncic will decline his player option in the summer of 2028 to get a more lucrative deal, regardless of whether he wants to remain a Laker or not, and Dallas could end up being in an outstanding position if he decides to sign elsewhere.

If Doncic were to decline his player option and join a different team ahead of the 2028-29 season, the Mavs front office would be jumping for joy, as that Lakers' 2029 first-round pick would become much more valuable than before. Los Angeles would likely not be anywhere close to the team that they were with Doncic on the roster, and depending on the players that they add around Doncic over the next few years, they could end up having to enter a rebuild.

This would be a dream come true for Dallas, as the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick could end up being a lottery pick, meaning that the Mavericks would be in a prime position to add a young talent to their core. At this point, it'll likely be Cooper Flagg's team, and they'll need more high-end young talent to fit around him for years to come.

Every Mavericks fan in the world would be rooting for the Lakers to lose as many games as possible that season in hopes that Dallas secures a favorable lottery position (thanks to them owning Los Angeles' pick), and luck could end up being on their side once again, depending on how bad the Lakers played with Doncic hypothetically gone.

The Doncic trade may never fully be a win for Dallas, as they undoubtedly should have netted a much bigger return from the Lakers, but Doncic leaving before the 2028-29 season could be the good news that the Mavericks need for this trade to somehow (even just slightly) shift in their direction.