The Dallas Mavericks have surprised everyone by trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris in a three-team swap with the Lakers for Anthony Davis and Max Christie. However, it seems like it wasn’t just the fans who were kept in the dark by the franchise. This move even came as a surprise to their other superstar.

Yes, veteran Kyrie Irving wasn’t aware of this trade happening either! ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported, “Kyrie Irving was also stunned by the Luka-AD trade. I’m told he was doing a training session in Cleveland when he saw the news come across from [Shams Charania].” She stated that the Mavericks guard was in between a training session in Cleveland when he came to know about the move. It’s one thing keeping us fans in the dark, but to keep Kyrie Irving out of the loop gives Dallas a bad look.

Moreover, Irving and Doncic have shared a great relationship both on and off the court. They just made the NBA Finals last season and were looking at yet another playoff appearance. It Shouldn’t be much of a surprise if Irving started to evaluate his future at Dallas as well. Especially given that he just has another year left on his contract.

Interestingly, Kryie is the leader for the Mavs in terms of scoring averaging 24.3 points, along with 4.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds each game. He’s been playing with a chip on his shoulder given Dallas’ injury woes but it seems their front office didn’t even try to inform him before making in what’s a colossal move. With this, let’s see how the Mavs look after the Luka trade.

Assessing the Dallas Mavericks squad after this stunning deal

Luka Doncic has waived his goodbye to Dallas. However, they still have a good half of the season to look forward to. So, let’s see how will the Mavs fare after this trade. Firstly, Anthony Davis will be a massive upgrade on the defensive end of the floor, it’s a no-brainer. Moreover, he will have his wish of having a good center to play alongside him granted, as he’ll share the floor with Daniel Gafford.

But, for some time he’ll have to assume his center role until Dereck Lively II returns. Furthermore, assuming no more big trades happen, Dallas could start with Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, newcomer Anthony Davis, and Daniel Gafford. Dallas also has a fair amount of strength on their bench.

With stars like Jaden Hardy, Dante Exum, Max Christie, and Naji Marshall. However, they do have an opening in their roster for now, which could be filled if they wish to bring in some depth in their roster.

They could pick someone from the buyout market or use their draft capital to bring someone in. Concerns, however, lie in the fitness department with injuries prevalent in the camp and Davis isn’t an immune player either. That said, the Mavs should be competitive for the remainder of the season and can even make a deep playoff run if everything goes as planned.