Luka Doncic trade nightmare is about to deepen for Mavericks if new rumors are true

The Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic trade is already known as the worst trade in sports history, and it's about to look even worse if Dallas only gets expiring contracts in exchange for Anthony Davis. Teams aren't lining up for the 10-time All-Star big man with less than three weeks to go until the trade deadline, and even if they do have interest in trading for him, they aren't interested in giving up valuable assets.

The Mavericks have been shopping Davis in trades for months now, but his value has only decreased due to multiple serious injuries this season. He strained his calf early in the season, which caused him to miss 14 games, and now he's out of the lineup again after damaging ligaments in his left hand.

He is set to be out for the next six weeks after opting not to get surgery, and while teams know that he can return this season ahead of the playoffs, they also know that he has struggled to stay on the court. His journey as a Maverick has been an absolute disaster in comparison to what Doncic is doing on the Lakers, and the aggregate of the Davis-Doncic swap is going to give Mavericks fans nightmares.

Teams won't give up the farm for Anthony Davis

With the rumors of the Mavericks only being able to obtain expiring contracts in a trade for Davis, the full details of the Luka Doncic trade are going to look like a disaster and straight highway robbery.

The entire world already knows than Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers fleeced the Mavericks, but when laying out everything that the Mavs received for Doncic (after they inevitably trade Davis), it's going to make Dallas look even worse.

If the Mavericks are set on getting rid of Davis this season and are willing to move on for just expiring contracts, they could end up just getting a package centered around Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard for the star big man.

The Atlanta Hawks have been the most interested team in Davis for a few weeks now, and with their refusal to part with the New Orleans Pelicans' 2026 first-round pick that they own as well as Zaccharie Risacher, the Mavs are in a tough spot. They could either accept that Davis' trade value is nonexistent and settle for a lackluster trade return, or they could keep him heading into the offseason and trade him then.

Regardless, they aren't going to get anything of value for him, and NBA fans are going to run with the combined trade package after the Mavs trade Davis. That isn't always the most fair way to judge a trade, and it would be in their best interest to move on as soon as they can, but the criticism will crank way up after they trade him.