In February 2025, Nico Harrison, the Dallas Mavericks’ general manager at the time, pulled off what many believed to be the dumbest trade in the history of dumb trades. Superstar guard Luka Doncic was shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a distant 2029 first-round pick.

Mavs fans called for Harrison’s head, and he was torched by every media personality questioning how he figured to trade a generational talent in his prime. 

Months after that shocking trade, the 53-year-old executive was relieved of his duties in the Dallas front office. However, one year on from that historic move, it looks like Harrison wasn’t totally crazy and might have been clairvoyant with his reason for letting go of the Slovenian superstar.

Doncic’s stint thus far with the Lakers has exposed cracks that perhaps Harrison saw coming a mile away. 

The Lakers recently suffered a 110-109 loss to the Orlando Magic, clinging to a slim lead against a middling Magic squad and didn’t manage to hold on. They lagged behind on defense, allowing an easy layup for another loss which was the Lakers’ fifth in seven games. The next time out, LA similarly lost to the Phoenix Suns in crunch time.

It’s not 100% on Doncic that the Lakers couldn’t carve out two victories down the stretch against a pair of teams they should’ve handled, but it’s not far from the fact that LA is no better than they were one year ago.

And that begs having a tough conversation.

Five Brutally Honest Questions About Luka Doncic

Given how things have been in the past 13 months, it has come time for Lakers fans to gather themselves, take a few deep breaths and ask themselves five questions they would much rather not.

Was Trading for Doncic Truly the Right Move for LA?

The majority of Mavericks fans would like to see Doncic return to Dallas. The franchise finished in the play-in spot last year and is unlikely to make the playoffs this season. This follows an appearance in the NBA Finals, which is why the Lakers knew they had a player. That deal was practically perfect for Los Angeles.

Acquiring the then-25-year-old scoring machine for an ageing Anthony Davis, who had missed nearly 30% of the Lakers’ games, was a no-brainer. Doncic’s arrival added some youth to a roster that was centred on a 41-year-old LeBron James. The Lakers sought sustainability, similar to what the Boston Celtics did with Kyrie Irving in 2017. It was risky, but it set them up for future success even without Irving on the team. The Lakers were looking for someone to take over after James, and the Slovenian superstar met all of the criteria. 

Does Doncic Care Enough About His Conditioning?

This is the root of this whole trade.

Harrison had feared the worst with Doncic’s body being sustainable and that it could break down possibly sooner than anyone would suspect. To his credit, Doncic did try to get in shape by fasting and having a gluten-free summer, but old habits die hard. He has missed 12 games already this season, meaning he is on course to play yet another under-70-game season for the seventh time in his last eight seasons. 

It can be frustrating watching Doncic on the court. He doesn’t seem to be the most physical of the ones to battle it out under the rim, but he keeps missing games. He also tends to vent frustration mid-play, costing transitions, which is a mental laziness.

Doncic has rare talent, but the clock is ticking.

Is Doncic Even Happy With His Role on the Team?

The Lakers wanted Doncic as their primary offensive threat, because James is running on his last legs and Austin Reaves’ breakthrough season wasn’t planned. Doncic is now on the ball less as his usage rate has dropped from a significant percentage he had in Dallas. It doesn’t help that James is also an iso-handler and, even at 41, is still averaging 33.4 minutes per game. 

For Doncic, he needs the ball and, if he shares that time, it erodes his game. At the end of the day the Lakers might have to face the uncomfortable decision of sticking with their future or still accommodating James on the roster.

More on that now.

Do Doncic and James Even Fit?

On paper, a backcourt duo of James and Doncic would make any fan salivate. However, this is not the James of 10 or so years ago. It looks like the combo doesn’t look the part of being ball-dominant maestros. Their overlap creates inefficiency rather than synergy. The four-time NBA champion is not his explosive self anymore and would want to orchestrate things more; however, Doncic also needs the ball in his hands to function like his superstar self more than any other player.

The Lakers’ on-court net rating with both playing sits at -3.9. Read that again. With Doncic and Reaves only, their offensive rating leaps massively to +19.3, and with the trio playing, that rating drops to -9.8. It shows that the Doncic-Reaves combo has been the working one for L.A. this season and why they lost just four of their opening 14 games at the start of the season.

To put it blankly, the backcourt with James and Doncic is a clunky fit. The numbers — and even the eye test — scream it.

Can Doncic Lead LA to a Championship as the First Option?

The most tormenting question mark of all.

This is a major pointer to the Doncic trade. The Lakers are confident that Doncic can win a championship if the pieces fall into place and he is paired with a true co-star. Right now, it does not appear so, because, aside from the fact that the co-star can be obtained if Reaves maintains his form, Doncic’s defensive abilities are not championship-worthy.

In Dallas, Irving masked Doncic’s defence; L.A. must find a similar touch. James could transition to off-ball, but at his age, it appears to be a difficult task. The Lakers could acquire a versatile wing for defence or a shooter to spread the floor. However, it all comes back to square one: Doncic will always be one of the best offensive players, but his other game limitations tip the scale.

LA was aware that it was not getting the full package with Doncic, but went ahead with it anyway, as everyone else who had the opportunity to acquire him would.

The signs of a championship appear dim for the time being, and Harrison expressed the same concern before making the bold decision to trade him 13 months ago.