Grading ESPN’s hypothetical Warriors-Mavericks Luka Doncic trade

What makes the Luka Doncic trade such a huge win for the Lakers is that they now have a superstar leading the way for them once LeBron James retires, provided, of course, that Doncic signs a huge contract extension with the team. The same could have been true for the Warriors if they had pulled off this trade for Doncic.

The Dubs’ future post-Stephen Curry is as murky as ever; none of the youngsters they developed since the start of the 2020s have progressed to the point where the team can now hand over the mantle to them once Curry hangs it up. Doncic would have changed that drastically.

There is no question that a trio of Doncic, Curry, and Draymond Green would be frightening to face in a postseason setting. However, this proposed trade from Marks strips so much of the Warriors’ depth that one would have to wonder just how worth it this trade is from a short-term perspective.

The Warriors rotation in this hypothetical universe will be comprised of the following players: the aforementioned trio, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, Kevon Looney, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Gui Santos and Quinten Post. (They would still have Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, and Lindy Waters III in this universe, however.) It must be noted that three of those can only play center, and they won’t have much in the way of perimeter defense outside of Green.

For Doncic, giving up both Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski would be worth it, that’s for sure. Doncic is simply that good of a player. But this simply isn’t how the Warriors have operated. It seems asinine to imply that the Dubs would refuse to trade for Doncic if the Mavericks came to them asking for this exact package, but considering how much the Warriors’ offense will be changing with the arrival of Doncic, as well as the fact that the supporting cast will be so depleted will give Golden State so much pause.

From a pure value perspective, this is about the best the Warriors can do without completely gutting the roster. They should do this trade if the opportunity presented itself. But they’re more than content to be living in the reality they’re in at the moment; they did not give up a lot for Jimmy Butler, and they have returned to their Strength In Numbers mantra, with Butler restoring the swagger the team sorely needed to compete for a championship.

Getting Doncic sets them up for a decade, but Butler gives them the best opportunity to win a championship now. With that, the Warriors will be okay with having to live with the fact that the opportunity to trade for Doncic wasn’t given to them.

Grade: A-

Mavericks get more from a pure value perspective

It must be said that the Mavericks did not get total garbage in the Luka Doncic trade. But one of the most disappointing parts of the trade was that they only got an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and Max Christie in addition to Anthony Davis in exchange for one of the best players in the league. In a world where Mikal Bridges was able to net the Brooklyn Nets five first-round picks, it’s inexcusable for the Mavericks not to have gotten more from the Lakers. They conceivably could have asked for Austin Reaves and would not have been laughed off the room either.

In this hypothetical trade with the Warriors, the Mavericks are at least getting a plethora of draft picks, a 3-and-D wing that they can sell off for a few more picks, and two young players with plenty of room to grow in Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski. While Dallas specifically sought out Davis to remain competitive even without Doncic, they lost so much value in the deal that this Warriors trade at the very least gives them an opportunity to restock the draft-pick cupboard and perhaps even trade for another star using the other assets that they got in the deal.

Make no mistake about it, however, the Mavericks did not have to trade Doncic away. And if they did so for this Warriors package, it would have been an even harder sell to a passionate fanbase that feels so wronged by their decision to let go of the 26-year-old star. There is simply no world where a Doncic trade that makes sense for the team the Mavericks are trading with makes sense for Dallas as well.

Grade: D