The Dallas Mavericks changed everything when they decided to give up their franchise superstar, Luka Doncic, in exchange for Anthony Davis. Looking back on the trade, NBA players believe it was a massive mistake for the franchise that will take them years to recover from. “I don’t get it. I think (Doncic) is probably the best player in the league for the next 15 years. Maybe there was something behind the scenes we didn’t know about, but I didn’t understand it," said one anonymous player in a chat with The Athletic. "At the same time, getting Anthony Davis back is not like any slouch. He’s a star in this league. So superstar for superstar. But I didn’t really understand the trade.” Doncic, 26, is one of the best young players in the world with career averages of 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game on 46.8% shooting. He led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024, but it still wasn't enough to save his job after a horrid performance against the Celtics. For many critics, it wasn't trading Luka that was a problem. Rather, it was what they got in return for giving up one of the best players in the game. Besides Anthony Davis, they only got one first-round pick in the deal, and it left many fans and players wondering why they couldn't get more. “I was in disbelief because if you’re trading a guy like Luka Doncic, you get the entire kitchen sink back. I mean, obviously, with Anthony Davis, let’s not act like he’s not a top-75 player and perennial All-Star and an All-NBA guy himself. But you would imagine there would be several first-round picks attached to that, and there wasn’t, so something is going on there.” One player was so distraught by the trade that he accused the Mavericks of messing up the entire league by disrupting the NBA's natural progression and balance of power. The Mavericks, who were three wins away from a championship in June, are now out of the playoffs entirely after a play-in loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. “Terrible. Wow. Like, what did they do? I thought (the Mavs) were gonna come out of the West again two months ago. That was terrible, man. I don’t care how you slice it. To not get back what they should’ve gotten back is ridiculous. Messed the league up.” The full repercussions of the Luka Doncic trade have yet to be felt, but the Mavericks are in pretty rough shape since giving up No. 77. After getting injured in his debut, the Mavericks barely qualified for the play-in, and not even his return could prevent an early exit. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic is currently leading the Lakers in a hard-fought battle against the Timberwolves in round one. He's proving his worth in every game and giving the Mavericks reasons to regret letting him go. Once you get a player of Luka's caliber, teams are never supposed to let go, but the Mavericks gave up early, and now they have to live with the results. According to most fans, analysts, and players, the Mavs (and specifically GM Nico Harrison) made a huge mistake with the Luka trade, and it may have set their franchise back by another 10 years.