Feb 4, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka introduces guard Luka Doncic at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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.

In a stunning late-night deal, the Dallas Mavericks have traded star guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a three-team deal with the Utah Jazz.