Mavericks' Luka Doncic trade just got even worse after Anthony Davis blockbuster

The Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA world on Wednesday afternoon when they traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards. It looked like Davis was going to stay put following his hand injury last month, but the Wizards swooped in and secured the 10-time All-Star big man for a relatively low price with all things considered.

While Mavericks fans are thrilled that the Anthony Davis experiment is over, they won't be thrilled when looking at the aggregate of what Dallas got for Luka Doncic all in all. Dallas' full trade package for Doncic is unbelievably embarrassing, and the Davis return package further emphasizes that the Mavs' Luka Doncic trade was the worst trade of all time.

In total, the Mavericks received Max Christie, Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley II, the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick, Oklahoma City's 2026 first-round pick (poised to be the final pick of the first round), Golden State's 2030 first-round pick (top-20 protected), and three second-round picks for Doncic, and this is nowhere near a good enough package for one of the best players in the NBA.

The Mavericks' Luka Doncic trade looks even worse now

Of course, it must be remembered that the Mavs' trade that sent Davis to Washington was all about creating future cap flexibility. Middleton, Branham, and Bagley II are all on expiring contracts, and Dallas is going to comfortably avoid the second apron this summer. This is exactly what they needed as they begin the Cooper Flagg era, as long-term money on their books was the last thing that they needed.

On top of this, they're now in a golden position to fully embrace the tank and hope they get lucky in the NBA Draft Lottery once again. Dallas desperately needs to find a co-star for Cooper Flagg, and the 2026 NBA Draft is the perfect place to do this.

Regardless though, the aggregate of the Doncic-Davis swap looks like a nightmare.

Two of the three first-round picks included are extremely invaluable, and outside of Christie and Johnson, every other player in the deal is on an expiring contract. The Mavericks are going to get flamed for years to come when fans observe what Doncic was actually traded for, and this heat is only poised to intensify if the Los Angeles Lakers win a title with Doncic.

The Mavs' return for Davis did end up being much more than anyone predicted, though, as it was rumored that Dallas was only poised to receive expiring contracts in exchange for the star big man. At least they received some draft capital to play with moving forward, but nothing they were going to receive for Davis will ever make up for how poorly Nico Harrison valued Luka Doncic.

Harrison settled for a lackluster package when he could've netted the biggest trade return in NBA history, and the Mavericks are paying for this now. Mavericks fans will always wish that Dallas never traded Doncic, or at least maximized his value, and Dallas' trade return for Davis is a microcosm of why they should've never traded Doncic.

Nothing they could have ever gotten back for Anthony Davis would've made it worth it.