By: Marselis Davis
Last Thursday, the 2023 NBA Draft took place at Barclays Center. During draft night, the Mavericks traded their 10th pick in Cason Wallace to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for their 12th pick in Dereck Lively II. The last time that the Mavericks traded a lottery selection on draft night was during 2018 NBA Draft. This draft featured a famous trade in which the Mavericks traded the fifth pick in Trae Young and a first round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for the third pick in Luka Doncic. In light of the recent draft trade from the Mavericks, it is a good time to look back at the Luka-Trae trade and how each team has panned out since.
Simply put, this trade worked out beautifully for the Mavericks. They got an absolute superstar in Luka Doncic who is already a top ten player in the league. Beyond that, he is already a top-five player in the history of their franchise. Not only has Doncic established himself as a superstar, but he is also on a trajectory of future GOAT conversations. With his otherworldly passing, strong body, and elite scoring, Doncic is one of the most lethal offensive players that the league has seen in a while. Through this trade, the Mavericks got themselves a generational talent.
Since his rookie season, Doncic has been a major impact for the franchise. Only five seasons into his career, he is already ranked within the top 10 in total points and assists in the Mavericks’ franchise history. He has also made four straight All-Star teams and four straight All-NBA first teams. He led subpar rosters to three consecutive playoff appearances in which he improved upon his already dominant regular season numbers. Doncic also managed to shockingly upset a 64-win Suns team in 2022 to advance to the Conference Finals. To top it off, he has the second highest playoff points per game average in NBA history, behind Michael Jordan. Overall, Doncic has been an unbelievable player that the Mavericks would hope to build around for the foreseeable future.
On the side of the Hawks, they received Trae Young and a 2019 first-round pick that became Cam Reddish. So far, this trade has worked out well for Atlanta. While Reddish did not provide much to the franchise during his tenure, Young has been a phenomenal player, establishing himself as an All-Star-caliber guard in the NBA. Like Doncic, Young is an excellent scorer and playmaker. In fact, Young actually ranks ahead of Doncic in assists per game at 9.3 compared to Doncic’s 8.0. While Young is generally not viewed as a player who will enter future GOAT conversations or even a current top-ten player, he has still been a great point guard and the face of the Hawks franchise.
Since his rookie season, Young has made two All-Star teams and one All-NBA team. He has led the Hawks to three playoff appearances that included a surprise run to the Conference Finals in 2021. He became the first player in NBA history to lead both the NCAA and NBA in total points and assists in a single season. So far, Young has shown himself to be a talented player for the Hawks franchise, even if his future with the team may be somewhat questionable.
Overall, it is safe to say that this has been a win-win trade for both teams so far. While Doncic has been more of a generational talent compared to Young, both stars have had major impacts on their franchise. As the future unfolds, a clearer scope can be added as to how each franchise panned out since this trade.
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