It was a quiet Saturday night, and I was getting ready to sleep when my phone suddenly blew up with messages. “Yo, did you see this?!” Half-asleep, I grabbed my phone only to be met with a breaking news alert: Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. As a devoted Dončić and Dallas Mavericks fan, I was in complete shock. This was my first experience with the sports fan stages of grief. First came denial. Now, as I write this article, I still find myself struggling to come to terms with the atrocity. And so, this piece is my acceptance.
Some NBA trades age like the finest of wines, others like a gallon of milk in the Texas heat. Finally, we have the Mavericks-Lakers Dončić type, the kind that leaves you wondering how anyone could reach such unprecedented levels of stupidity. Before I get to why this was such a horrid trade (I am very unbiased, as you can see), the commotion around the NBA in the wake of this calls for a look at some of the worst trades of the past 15 years, and where this one ranks among them. So, without further ado, let us dive into some of the NBA’s moments of front-office brilliance.
Boston Celtics-Brooklyn Nets (2013)
In 2013, after a first-round exit in the playoffs, the Boston Celtics decided it was time to trade away their aging core—Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry. Despite a finals appearance just three years prior, the team’s chemistry had declined, largely due to age (all three were 35 or older). The 2013 postseason marked their first first-round playoff exit in 13 years. The question became, what would Boston get in return for their old stars? Enter the Brooklyn Nets.
In what would become one of the best decisions in Celtics history—and one of the worst in Nets history—the Nets, desperate to win immediately, traded away multiple first-round picks and a 2017 pick swap, which turned into Jayson Tatum. Not only did all three former Celtics have the worst seasons of their careers in Brooklyn, but they were all traded again within two years. Celtics fans can thank the then-Nets owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, for the 18th banner above TD Garden. But wait—we are not done with the spectacle of idiocy that is the Nets management. Next up: Ben Simmons.
Brooklyn Nets-Philadelphia 76ers (2022)
In the 2016 NBA Draft, Ben Simmons, hailed as the second coming of LeBron James, went number one overall to the Philadelphia 76ers. At first, things went well—he won Rookie of the Year and had a solid first four seasons. Then came the 2021-2022 season: Simmons and the 76ers had a massive fallout, leading him to sit out the entire year in protest of an unsupportive team environment. In reality, his work ethic was criticized as he refused to attend team practices and actively undermined team chemistry.
How did he get bailed out? Who in their right mind would want a lazy, $40-million-a-year “superstar”? Of course, the Brooklyn Nets entered trade talks. If you are a Nets fan, you deserve a free pass to bandwagon any team. After the catastrophe of the Nets’ so-called “Big Three” of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn once again found itself in an all-too-familiar situation—desperately trying to salvage a collapsing team.
So, what did they do? They traded one unhappy, inactive superstar, James Harden, along with a couple of first-round picks in return for the lazy Simmons. When will you learn, Brooklyn? This is like sleeping through your midterm, convincing yourself that you will lock in for the final, and pulling an all-nighter only to sleep through the final. Not only did Simmons play significantly worse in his three seasons with Brooklyn, but he also averaged just 30 games per season.
Golden State Warriors-Washington Wizards (2023)
The Golden State Warriors went into this trade the same way a first-year goes to Annenberg—hoping not to see the same dry chicken and unseasoned rice but knowing it will always be there. Chris Paul is one of the most criticized players in the modern NBA because he is among the best players of the 21st century, but he could not win a ring if his life depended on it. After a string of disappointing playoff runs with the Phoenix Suns, including a Game 7 blowout against the Mavericks in the 2022 playoffs, Phoenix decided it was time to find a younger, more promising point guard to complement their star, Devin Booker. In 2023, they traded Paul to the Washington Wizards for Bradley Beal.
The Warriors had other plans: why settle for one Hall of Fame point guard in Stephen Curry when you can have two? Oh, and did I mention that Paul was 38 when this trade occurred? Surely, the Warriors expected a generational championship run—why else would they do this? Their management’s dreams never came to fruition as the Warriors missed the playoffs the following year, and Paul was shipped off to the San Antonio Spurs the following season.
Washington Wizards-Los Angeles Lakers (2021)
When you have one of the greatest players of all time as your team leader, what kind of player do you want to pair him with? Someone who plays a role and lets him control the game? Or a ball-dominant guard who can’t shoot? We will never know what the Los Angeles Lakers’ management was thinking when they traded for Russell Westbrook and paired him with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
After winning the 2020 NBA Finals, the Lakers were determined to bounce back from their first-round playoff exit in 2021 and prove that their championship was not just a “Mickey Mouse” ring. In the summer of 2021, they made a blockbuster trade for Westbrook, hoping to solidify themselves as championship favorites for the 2022 season. They ran into a massive problem: Westbrook’s nearly maxed-out $44 million contract meant the Lakers had no salary cap space to sign crucial role players. His playstyle clashed with James’s, creating an inefficient offense with little depth. Naturally, the Lakers missed the playoffs in 2022 and shipped Westbrook out the following year.
Los Angeles Lakers-Dallas Mavericks (2025)
Why? I could not and still cannot comprehend why the Mavericks would trade Luka Dončić. While it is understandable to move on from a beloved superstar when he is past his prime, the same is not true for a 25-year-old phenom. Dončić has had five straight MVP-caliber seasons, a conference finals appearance, and led an NBA Finals run in 2024.
What’s even more confusing is that the Mavericks approached the Lakers. Even if management thinks defense wins championships, a franchise player of Dončić’s level should only be traded for gold, not a volatile cryptocurrency. Anthony Davis is not necessarily a bad player—but he is a 31-year-old All-Star who cannot stay consistently healthy. Meanwhile, Dončić was supposed to be the face of the franchise for the next 20 years in Dallas, leading them to multiple championships.
This trade makes as much sense as Harvard offering a prime Michael Sandel to Yale. Who would have taught “Justice” like Sandel? Nobody, because generational talent is rare, and when you find it, you do not give it away.
Marcel Ramos Castaneda ’28 (mramoscastaneda@college.harvard.edu) is grieving the Mavericks’ loss of Luka and might (justifiably) become a bandwagon Lakers fan.