When the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic away to the Los Angeles Lakers, they were criticized by many for this dumbfounding decision. After all, Doncic is a star in the middle of his prime who led the team to the NBA Finals in 2024, and it didn’t make sense for anyone to mess with the team considering how capable they’ve proven themselves to be when at full strength. But now, the worst-case scenario has materialized for the Mavericks, with Kyrie Irving’s season being cut short by a torn ACL.
The Mavericks were hoping that the Irving and Anthony Davis duo will be enough to lead the team to the promised land, what with the team’s renewed focus on the defensive end being seen as the missing piece to their championship puzzle. But with Irving being out for the foreseeable future and Davis’ injury status remaining uncertain amid his groin troubles, the Mavericks’ championship window may be slammed shut — with Bill Simmons even going as far as to say that Dallas’ contending hopes may be over for the next decade.
“The Kyrie injury, on top of everything else, is the first time where I started thinking to myself, ‘Holy s**t!’ That’s actually how bad this might get,” Simmons said. “This really feels like this kills the Mavericks now for the rest of the decade.”
“This really feels like this kills the Mavericks now for the rest of the decade.”@BillSimmons reacts to the news of Kyrie Irving tearing his ACL and the impact it has on the Mavs and their fan base. pic.twitter.com/E77bdZbFmC
— The Ringer (@ringer) March 4, 2025
The Mavericks’ future is looking bleak; both Irving and Davis carry with them major injury risks moving forward, especially as they move deeper into their 30s, and they do not control their first-round picks in 2027, 2028, and 2029.
Instead of having a reliable franchise cornerstone in Doncic leading the way for the next decade or so, it looks like the Mavericks will have to go back to the drawing board.
Finding a way to give jaded Mavericks fans some hope
No fanbase in the history of the NBA has been put through the blender like the Mavericks fans have been over the past month or so. As if losing Luka Doncic via trade wasn’t bad enough, the crown jewel that came back to the team in Anthony Davis fell prey to the injury bug in his very first game for the franchise. And then to top it all off, Kyrie Irving suffered a long-term knee injury that may have repercussions for his career moving forward.
The key to all this will be Irving’s recovery process; if Irving manages to return to form from a torn ACL in 2026, then there could very well be some hope for the Mavericks. Anthony Davis is also one of the best players in the league, and they should be a resolute defensive unit, earning enough wins even without Irving healthy for a good chunk of the foreseeable future.
Dereck Lively II, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Caleb Martin comprise a solid defensive quartet, although perhaps the Mavs could move Gafford for a guard to help cover for Irving’s absence.
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