It's too early to consider Luka Doncic asking for a trade, which is the Dallas Mavericks' doomsday scenario. But after they lost their fifth game in six tries Wednesday night, we're going to consider it anyway.
After falling to the Philadelphia 76ers 116-108 on national TV, Dallas is now 37-40. The Mavs wouldn't even make the play-in tournament if the season ended today. And with five games to play, the team is a whopping 12 wins shy of exceeding its preseason over-under of 48.5.
This season has been a catastrophe, and it was headed that way even before the desperation trade to land Kyrie Irving. Unfortunately, that move hasn't stabilized things, and Dallas' chance to make the playoffs is down to 18 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight's projection model.
And that brings us back to doomsday.
Luka hasn't given any indication that he wants out. And he's under contract through 2026-27 with a player option for the final year. Even if he does demand a trade, nothing is forcing the Mavericks to appease him. Remember, Kobe Bryant once demanded a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers, but he wound up playing all 20 years of his legendary career for one franchise.
But this is the modern NBA. Discontent often leads to players asking out. And the Mavericks missing the playoffs might feel like another link in a chain of events that would test most stars' patience.
After making the Western Conference Finals in 2022, Dallas lost Jalen Brunson in free agency for nothing. After a disappointing pre-trade deadline portion of 2022-23 (thanks in part to Brunson's absence), it traded starting guard Spencer Dinwiddie, the team's best three-and-D player in Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and two second-round picks for Kyrie, who can follow Brunson out as a free agent this summer.
If all those dominos fell, Luka asking for a trade wouldn't be shocking. And if he did, suitors all over the NBA would line up in a heartbeat.
Those with the best chance of completing a deal would have to have a boatload of assets to offer the Mavs. Being in a high-profile market always seems to help too. At least one team can check both of those boxes, but a couple of others could at least make the bidding war more interesting.
If (and again, that's a big if) Dallas was actually forced to take some calls on their generational superstar this summer, these are the most realistic potential landing spots.
Oklahoma City Thunder
A realistic trade for Luka (assuming that's even possible) would likely require at least one or two intriguing young players, salary filler and some combination of five or six first-round picks and first-round-pick swaps.
The Oklahoma City Thunder can check all those boxes, and they might even be able to do it without including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (*pause for laughter from Mavs fans).
If Doncic demands out, OKC could offer a prime package of picks, Josh Giddey, Chet Holmgren and Luguentz Dort as the salary filler. Jalen Williams is another possible addition to the framework.
The remaining roster would be pretty bare-bones, but a backcourt of Luka and SGA would be nightmarish for the rest of the Western Conference.
And with those two in place, you wouldn't need to add much beyond defense and spot-up shooting. That can be easier said than done, but the trickiest part of team-building is landing the stars.
Something like this would put the Thunder ahead of most of the rest of the league on that front.