The most charitable possible explanation for the Luka Dončić trade -- and this was already a stretch -- was that it improved the team's short-term prospects. Nico Harrison told us as much when he said,

The Dallas Mavericks have a very tough choice to make about Anthony Davis, who is still in the process of recovering from an injury.

Following the blockbuster trade to the Mavericks, the 10-time All-Star wasted no time showcasing his elite skillset in Dallas, delivering a dominant first-half performance against the Houston Rockets with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists.