Mavericks' second draft-night move with Lakers proves Luka Doncic trade wounds healed

In February of 2025, the Dallas Mavericks made the most shocking trade in NBA history. They sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a package centered around Anthony Davis and Max Christie. This trade has turned out so bad for the Mavericks that it seemed like Dallas and Los Angeles wouldn't agree on a two-team trade together for years, but the Lakers actually helped the Mavs out near the end of the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday.

The Luka Doncic trade isn't stopping deals between Lakers and Mavs

Los Angeles drafted Russia's Vsevolod Ishchenko with the No. 56 overall pick and sent him to the Mavericks for cash considerations. This is a common occurrence at the end of the second round. At the very least, the 2026 NBA Draft shows that the Lakers and Mavs are willing to make moves with one another again.

The wounds from the Luka Doncic trade, between the two teams, at least, have healed. Mavericks fans are still heartbroken that the Slovenian superstar was ripped away from them, and they'll likely never get over the move itself. Despite this, there doesn't seem to be bad blood between the two teams.

NBA fans thought LA and Dallas wouldn't ever make a trade with one another again following the lopsided Doncic move, but that is obviously no longer the case. The Mavericks were part of the four-team draft-night trade that sent Cam Carr to the Lakers and brought Sergio De Larrea to Dallas in the first round, and the two sides are open for business with one another once again.

Mavericks fans are excited about De Larrea's lead-guard potential, as he is a 6-foot-6 jumbo playmaker who can knock down open shots, and without Dallas and Los Angeles working together in some capacity, he may not be a Maverick.

The same can be said about Ishchenko.

Vsevolod Ishchenko is a major steal for Dallas

The 6-foot-8 wing provides elite shooting for his size, and the Mavericks struck gold by acquiring him for just cash considerations from the Lakers to cap off a busy two days that included them acquiring the draft rights to four players. His two-way versatility, playmaking, and upside are some of the biggest things that stick out about the 21-year-old prospect.

Ishchenko can drill tough shots off the dribble or off the catch from nearly anywhere beyond the arc, and he has great confidence as well. He uses dribble moves to size up his defenders before taking pull-up jumpers from long range, and his handle is impressive for a player his size.

He averaged 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game for Lokomotiv Kuban of the VTB United League last season while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 46.3 percent from long range. Ishchenko seems to have what it takes to succeed at the next level, and a prospect falling into the late 50s despite having this advanced of an offensive skillset is rare.

The Russian prospect has the ability to operate as a ball handler in the pick and roll, as he throws accurate lob passes and can make advanced reads. He loves to push the ball in transition, and if there's an open lane, he finishes at the rim with authority.

Dallas trading cash to Los Angeles for Ishchenko is quietly a major steal given how much potential he has, and Mavs fans should be excited about this trade between the two teams.

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