Nearly two full days later, it doesn't seem like anyone has truly processed the fact that Luka Dončić is a Los Angeles Laker. The Dallas Mavericks stunned the world trading Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and just one first-round pick, a stunning bet against a 25-year-old superstar who led the Mavericks to an appearance in last year's NBA Finals.
Perhaps the most perplexing aspect of this entire ordeal: the Mavericks, by their own admission, only ever spoke about a potential Dončić trade with the Lakers. Rather than initiating what could have been the wildest bidding war in the history of the NBA trade market, Dallas took the first offer they could.
While Dallas seemed locked in on Anthony Davis as they looked to build an impenetrable defense, it is hard not to wonder what other offers the Mavericks would have received had Dončić's availability been common knowledge. So, for this week's 5 Sixers thoughts, here is an outline of what the Sixers' best offer for Dončić would have been:
Tyrese Maxey
Maxey, who turned 24 in November, should be considered untouchable in the first year of a five-year max contract worth over $200 million. Untouchable unless, that is, the Sixers could have traded for a 25-year-old Dončić, not just pairing the MVP candidate with an MVP winner in Joel Embiid, but giving the Sixers a franchise cornerstone who could clearly lead them moving forward amid concerns over Embiid's availability.
Maxey's fit alongside star Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving is questionable defensively, but Maxey is obviously far better than Dončić on that end of the floor. Irving will also turn 33 years old next month and has a player option in his contract for next season. Because of the Mavericks' extreme reliance on Irving for shot creation without Dončić, the eight-time All-Star could earn a massive long-term payday with the significant leverage he now holds in any contract negotiations.
The duo of Maxey and Irving would be lethal offensively, and even the pre-trade Mavericks had the requisite defensive infrastructure to help mollify concerns that would come there. Maxey, who was born in Dallas, would also be a crucial centerpiece for the post-Irving world in Dallas, which is not incredibly far away.
MORE: How Dončić-Davis blockbuster impacts Sixers at trade deadline
Jared McCain
If the Mavericks added Maxey and re-upped Irving, it would be difficult to find a place for McCain to grow into the player many believe he has the chance to become with extended on-ball opportunities. But that is something to figure out later: the Mavericks would be silly to let fit get in the way of adding a 20-year-old with significant offensive capabilities who has three years left on his rookie contract after this season.
The Sixers should currently envision a Maxey-McCain starting backcourt as key component of their future, but could pass that along to Dallas. McCain's presence on Dallas' roster would give the team even more leverage in potential contract negotiations with Irving. And if they were able to re-sign Irving, they would either have McCain as an overqualified third guard or reroute him as a sought-after trade piece to upgrade another aspect of their roster.
Guerschon Yabusele
Another potential upside to trading for a Maxey-led package and not a Davis-led one would have been the salary cap benefits of Maxey's contract. It is a max deal, yes, but the size of each player's max contract is dependent on their years of service in the NBA. The average annual value of Maxey's deal is about $40 million, while Davis' current contract is worth about $58 million per year. That difference is absolutely enormous in the grand scheme of things.
One benefit to having Maxey's deal instead of that of Davis would be very possibly opening up a path to the non-taxpayer's mid-level exception in the summer. The Mavericks could easily use that to then re-sign Yabusele, who has turned into an outstanding, versatile frontcourt piece for a Sixers team which is weighing whether or not to trade him as the fear of being priced out over the summer looms.
Yabusele would join a strong Mavericks frontcourt rotation including P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. The 29-year-old's ability to toggle between power forward and center seamlessly will be a major asset to any team, but that would be especially valuable for the Mavericks right now as they possibly wait multiple months for their starting center Lively to return from an injury.
MORE: Multiple rivals among 'several teams' interested in Guerschon Yabusele
Swapping a long-term value deal for bad money
When superstars get traded in today's NBA, it is common that the team trading them also gets to dump an unattractive contract onto the one adding the best player in the deal. This is exactly what happened here, as the Mavericks unloaded the remaining two years and $22 million of Kleber's deal onto the Lakers, swapping him for an up-and-coming wing in Christie who is thriving in the first season of a four-year, $32 million deal.
Here, the Mavericks could have their pick of Caleb Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr. or KJ Martin to take from the Sixers in exchange for Kleber, but Caleb Martin likely makes the most sense. He is on an extremely similar contract as Christie — a four-year, $35 million pact — and is a proven commodity. Caleb Martin's reputation as a tenacious defender across the perimeter and playoff riser boosts his value even during a down season derailed by injuries.
Kleber's remaining two years and $22 million, by the way, is not some sort of albatross. He is a valuable rotation big who can space the floor, but just broke his foot and is likely out for the foreseeable future, if not the remainder of the season. He would actually be a nice addition for the Sixers, in part because they could flip his expiring contract to facilitate a deal next season if the fit did not end up working out.
Four first-round picks
Because of the significant draft compensation they received from the Los Angeles Clippers in last year's James Harden trade, the Sixers could put together some extremely valuable first-round picks that would sweeten any offer of this magnitude. The most valuable collection of first-rounders they could offer right now without violating the Stepien Rule, which ensures no team is ever without a first-round pick in consecutive future drafts, would look like this:
• Sixers unprotected first-round pick in 2026
• more favorable of Sixers and Clippers first-round picks in 2028
• more favorable of Sixers and Clippers first-round picks in 2029 (if more favorable in top three, Mavericks receive less favorable pick)
• Sixers unprotected first-round pick in 2031
What makes this an especially enticing collection of picks is the pair in the middle. The only pick the Mavericks received from the Lakers will convey when Los Angeles has a 29-year-old Dončić. While there is plenty of time between now and 2029, it is easy to see that very distant pick also being mediocre in value.
If they had done this deal, though, the Mavericks would have just needed one of the Sixers or Clippers to be bad to earn high-lottery picks in 2028 and 2029. The Sixers own their own pick and that of the Clippers in 2028, while they have the right to swap picks with the Clippers in 2029 unless the Clippers earn a spot in the top three).
This exercise was likely nothing more than academic, as Dallas' interest in Davis specifically appears to have been the driving factor here. But that does not explain the lack of a bidding process which could have at least created more leverage with the Lakers.
MORE: McCain talks season-ending injury, reflects on shortened rookie year
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