Mavericks' rumored trade plan finally exposes the Luka Doncic nightmare

The Dallas Mavericks had to learn the hard way. You have to pick a side. And I think it's safe to say, lesson learned. You can’t leave things to chance. You have to be intentional with what you want. And the Mavericks seem to be committed to a full rebuild around rookie sensation Cooper Flagg.

It’s about time.

Maybe the conventional path of building for the future seemed too easy? I surmise that Dallas management felt they owed it to the fans to put their best foot forward this season, in light of the Nico Harrison saga and Luka Doncic’s untimely demise as a Maverick.

However, the road less traveled doesn’t always get you to your desired destination.

The Doncic trade was a move that forced Dallas to go all-in on winning a title as soon as possible. Harrison believed that Davis gave the Mavericks a better shot at winning a title than Doncic did, so he decided to move on from him in the middle of the night on February 1.

Mavericks' rebuild marks a clean break from the short-lived Davis era

It was a decision that shocked the NBA world and left Mavericks fans heartbroken. Harrison was trying to speed up Dallas' title pursuit for reasons that made no sense, but now, it seems like the Mavericks have realized the grave mistake that they made.

All reports coming out of Dallas over the last few months have indicated that the Mavs are looking to build around Cooper Flagg. Harrison's former three-year window to win the NBA Finals has been thrown out the window, and the Mavericks have learned that they shouldn't try to expedite winning.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban put on a brave front earlier this season by reiterating that the franchise was “trying to win now,” and not looking to trade an increasingly fragile Anthony Davis. He even doubled down and said, “We won’t. We want to try to win.”

Brave words. But those words quickly rang hollow. Man plans, God laughs.

Because then the bottom fell out. Davis sustained ligament damage to his left hand in early January and is now out indefinitely. Effectively forcing Dallas’s hand into rebuild mode. But there’s a silver lining here. Davis's recent injury has inadvertently forced the Mavs to course-correct in the right direction.

Now they have to decide whether to shut down Kyrie Irving for the rest of the season. Which could help to improve the team’s odds of landing a favorable pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. This also allows Irving more time to rehab and be fully ready to tackle the next season with Flagg.

ESPN analyst and former NBA player Kendrick Perkins recently made his feelings known about Irving and Davis and how he believes Dallas should proceed with their rebuild endeavors. “I’m not just considering trading Anthony Davis. I’m considering trading a 33-year-old Kyrie Irving, too.” He doubled down on his statement by adding, “If you’re talking about rebuilding…then rebuild.”

It’s something to consider…

However, getting Davis off the books seems like the most prudent and pressing decision. Plus, Irving has been a great mentor and veteran presence for Flagg as he learns to navigate the highs and lows of the NBA landscape. And they’ve built a great rapport thus far. So Dallas seems inclined to let Irving and Flagg get a season together under their belt before making a decision.

Co-Interim General Managers Michael Finley and Matt Richard are highly motivated to reverse Dallas’s fortunes as quickly as possible. But every move will have to be strategic and well thought out. Patience is a virtue. They can't afford another Nico Harrison debacle like when he sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rebuilding around Flagg has finally become priority No. 1. Management is singing a much different song than they were just a month ago. And that should be music to the ears of Dallas Mavericks fans. 

Dallas may or may not be able to unload Davis before the deadline. But making it known that building around Flagg by making him untouchable in any trade talks takes precedence over anything else shows that the Mavs are now playing chess, not checkers, like when they got rid of Doncic.