The Anthony Davis experiment in Dallas, born out of the controversial trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, barely got off the ground. Ahead of the NBA trade deadline, Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards, bringing a quick end to his brief Mavericks stint.
In many ways, the writing was already on the wall. Nico Harrison, who engineered the trade, was let go first. With the GM out of the picture, it became difficult to imagine Davis sticking around in Dallas for long, especially with his health remaining a constant problem.
For some, one frustrating part is that the roster Harrison imagined never had time to come together. Kyrie Irving hasn’t returned yet, Davis was moved before he could play with him again, and Cooper Flagg remains a young player still finding his way. The vision was abandoned before it could be tested.
Now, Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki has been open about his skepticism. He believes the trade did little to make Dallas better and feels Davis and Flagg had the potential to be a solid long-term pairing for the Mavericks.
“There’s not a lot that came back with picks or player wise, so this is really all about financial flexibility for the future. They got rid of contracts that were not favorable for the franchise. I’m a little disappointed. I think AD and Cooper Flagg was a solid combo, but we’ll never know.”
