Former NBA All-Star slams Mavericks over hidden Luka Doncic trade blunder

When the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers just a few days before the trade deadline, it not only sent shockwaves through the entire sports world, but fans simply could not comprehend why Nico Harrison would agree to trade Dallas' franchise superstar for little to no return. To this day, Maverick fans still argue about what the Mavericks could have gotten back had the team done their due diligence in trading the Slovenian superstar, but there's no doubt that Austin Reaves could have been an integral part of that deal. Now it's coming back to bite the Mavericks.

On February 1, then Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison became enemy No. 1 in the state of Texas for all the wrong reasons. Not only would he trade away Dallas's savior in Doncic, but the return package failed to meet the expectations of trading away a top-five player in the world. While Anthony Davis and Max Christie have both performed well since being traded to Dallas at times, it's hard not to think about what Reaves could have looked like in a Mavericks uniform after his recent surge to stardom.

Not only is Reaves having an All-NBA caliber season, but he and Doncic are forming into one of the league's most formidable duos as the Lakers are steamrolling with a 15-5 record in the Western Conference. Doncic and Reaves' partnership is not only gaining the attention of fans on social media, but also of former NBA player and now media figure Jeff Teague, after his recent comments detailing the two as the best backcourt in the entire league.

Mavericks failed by not getting Austin Reaves in the Luka Doncic trade

Teague's comments on the "Club 520 Podcast" have gone viral for both good and bad reasons and have, without a doubt, upset some fans who don't like the Lakers, but knowing the Mavericks could have had a piece of Reaves before he truly announced himself as a superstar is the worst part for Mavericks fans.

"Definitely the best backcourt in the league," Teague said. "When I say they was the best duo, people got mad."

It's hard not to jump the gun and call Reaves and Doncic one of the league's best backcourts after the start that the Lakers and the two have had together, but this only pours salt on the wounds of Mavericks fans. Reaves would not only fill plenty of needs that the team is currently having, but his presence alone may make the Mavericks a sure-fire playoff team.

The Mavericks will have plenty of decisions to make when it comes to the direction the franchise wants to head in over the next few years, but having the assurance of having a young Reaves and Cooper Flagg to build around would make a rebuild a much easier process.

The Mavericks have sent the message that they still want to compete despite the shaky start, but adding Reaves in the mix and having Harrison extract the right amount of value from the Doncic trade would have put this franchise in a completely different position than they're in today.

Dallas still has a lot to look forward to after the dust has settled over the Doncic trade, and it feels better for fans knowing that both Flagg and two-way stud Ryan Nembhard have outperformed expectations as of late. Regardless, it's hard not to wonder what Reaves could have been like as a Maverick.