ESPN host rips Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic carrying Lakers

Doncic has been sensational in his new uniform.

Keenan Womack | Mar 21, 2025

Mar 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Dallas Mavericks

Mavericks fans knew how bad the Luka Doncic trade was going to be the second it went down, reacting en masse with protests and attempted sanctions by fans against the organization. Of course, Anthony Davis, the primary piece in return, was injured during his first game with the franchise. The lack of an extra ball handler forced Kyrie Irving to play more minutes, so much so that the 32-year-old led the league in minutes after the deal. As a result, Irving tore his ACL, leaving Dallas in unimaginably worse shape going forward.

Analysts across the country and world have censured the Mavericks for this decision. ESPN host Mike Greenberg had his own heavy criticism for the Mavericks organization post-trade, saying the following on Get Up.

“Reliving this just is what it is. And I don’t want to put the people in Dallas through any more of this than they have to deal with. But just the fact that they traded this guy...[who] is carrying this [Lakers] team by himself...I understand if you choose to focus on the things that he’s not great at, like defense, and you worry about him being in shape and all that. I guess you can choose to focus on those things. But...he is one of the best and most entertaining players in the world. He’s top three...in the NBA."

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles the ball against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Dallas fans already know this, and it may fall on deaf ears in the Metroplex, but Greenberg is right about the fact that the front office chose to focus solely on Doncic's negative aspects instead of the amazing things he's able to do on the court. This myopic outlook resulted in arguably the most one-sided trade in the history of the sport, one from which the Mavericks organization will never recover in its current iteration.

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Published Mar 21, 2025|Modified Mar 21, 2025

KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.