Besides, Dallas just made it to the Finals last year largely on the strength of its defense. From the P.J. Washington trade to the end of the 2023-24 campaign, the Mavericks were seventh in points allowed per 100 possessions. In the playoffs, the Thunder and Celtics were the only teams that made it past the first round and had better defenses.

After splitting a two-game series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers ended their road trip with an emotional return. On Wednesday, LeBron James and the Lakers defeated former teammate Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks 112-97 in Doncic's first game at American Airlines Center since the three-team trade.

It has been over two months since the NBA world was left speechless after Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Doncic is one of the best players in the NBA and was only 25 years old at the time of the deal, which made the Dallas Mavericks trading him away make no sense in the eyes of most fans and basketball pundits.