Apr 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) moves the ball against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic Billboard Reminds Mavs Fans of NBA's Most Shocking Deal

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 2:09 PM ET

The Luka Doncic trade still stuns the NBA to this day.

Although Doncic is getting settled into his role as a face of the Los Angeles Lakers, he’s still talked about in Dallas. Apparently, he’s seen, too.

It was recently revealed that Doncic is on a billboard in his former playing city.

via @TheDunkCentral: Luka Dončić takes over Dallas with a giant “Cowboys Never Die” billboard right on Nowitzki Way by the American Airlines Center

Luka Dončić takes over Dallas with a giant “Cowboys Never Die” billboard right on Nowitzki Way by the American Airlines Center

(Via @IsaacLHarris ) pic.twitter.com/yvav9aAGLs
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 1, 2025

The 26-year-old was the face of the Mavericks’ franchise from 2018 up until 2025. He was selected third overall by the Atlanta Hawks and sent to the Mavs, who traded up to get him.

At the time, the Slovenian superstar was entering the NBA as one of the few international prospects. He wrapped up a tenure playing for Real Madrid.

Doncic spent seven seasons playing for the Mavs. In the season before his departure, the star scorer averaged a career-high 34 points and 9.8 assists per game, while knocking down 38 percent of his threes.

The Mavericks made a run to the 2024 NBA Finals. They came up short against the Boston Celtics. While it seemed the Mavs were turning a corner and well on their way to winning a title with Doncic, the organization’s front office cut ties with him much earlier than expected.

When Doncic left the Mavericks, he wrapped up a 422-game stretch, where he averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. He averaged 35 percent from three, while taking 8.7 attempts per game. He was an All-Star for all but one of his seven seasons in Dallas.

The Lakers traded Max Christie, Anthony Davis, and a 2029 second-round pick to the Mavs. LA landed Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris, and the five-time All-Star.

Since joining the Lakers, Doncic has posted averages of 28 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. He shot 44 percent from the field and 38 percent from three during the regular season.

In the playoffs, Doncic appeared in five games, producing 30 points, seven rebounds, and six assists per game.

While the Mavericks were skeptical about Doncic’s future, the Lakers didn’t hesitate to make him a healthy long-term offer. This summer, Doncic and the Lakers agreed to terms on a three-year deal, which is worth a reported $165 million.

The Doncic-Dallas era is over—and Doncic is surely making it hard for anybody to forget that the league saw such a shake-up with that shocking LA-Dallas deal.