Doncic, who had dragged an otherwise unremarkable Mavericks team through the Western Conference, became the face of their failure. Dallas coach Jason Kidd was forced to come out and defend his maligned star, even though without Doncic, the Mavericks were a faded Kyrie Irving and a bunch of role players.

When asked about the trade, Legler, on the All-NBA Podcast, had the following to say, refusing to hold back on the situation: "Not only would Mark Cuban not have done the deal, Mark Cuban would have fired a person who suggested it on the spot... Because he'd be certain that person has to be doing something in terms of narcotics."

The Los Angeles Lakers are planning a future move to sign Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2027, potentially pairing him with Luka Doncic to form a powerful duo. As LeBron James ages, the Lakers aim to remain competitive by nurturing Doncic and preparing for Antetokounmpo's possible departure from the Milwaukee Bucks,