Countless big-name personalities around sports media have taken aim at the Dallas Mavericks following the blockbuster trade they made over the weekend sending Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package centered around Anthony Davis. But perhaps none are more qualified to do so than longtime Around the Horn panelist and Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw.
Cowlishaw has covered all major sports around the Dallas area since starting at the Morning News in 1989. While he worked more closely in covering the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Stars, and Texas Rangers as a beat writer early on in his career, he is certainly quite familiar with the inner workings of the Mavericks organization.
During Monday’s edition of Around the Horn, Cowlishaw shared his thoughts on the Mavericks-Lakers trade, outlining how he has never seen a move made by the Mavericks that has shocked and upset fans more than this trade.
“Yeah Tony, I have had 41 hours. And I also came to the Morning News 41 years ago. So I’m trying to remember anything that has shocked and upset fans like this. Even though the Mavericks got rid of Jason Kidd when he was 23 and they let Steve Nash go when he was 29. There is nothing to compare to this, a first-team All-NBA player five years in a row. Now, they are finding out all these deficiencies, which we already know. He’s not much of a defender and he does get hurt. Yeah, but which team in the West has been to two of the last three Conference Finals? I think it’s Luka’s team.
“Let’s not pretend he was such damaged goods that they couldn’t afford to give him a supermax deal. This is a very very strange — and for the fans — upsetting deal that Nico Harrison has done. They are playing in a very short window now for AD and Kyrie and Klay Thompson to be a part of a championship. They are all 32 and older. They would have had Luka forever.
“They had Dirk (Nowitzki) here for 21 years. There was this nice bridge one year from Dirk to Luka. Fans felt immensely privileged. He was a beloved player here. There’s 77 jerseys everywhere. Shock doesn’t begin to explain how they feel. Even if you get to the point of saying I don’t want to pay the supermax to this guy who is hurt some, you have to do a much better deal where you get much more first-round picks than the deal Nico did with the Lakers. This is a very very limited deal. One first-round pick that won’t amount to anything and three or four years of Anthony Davis.”
Cowlishaw was not the only Around the Horn panelist who was quite critical of the move either. Ramona Shelburne, Frank Isola, and Harry Lyles Jr. all made it a point to similarly put the Mavericks organization on blast for jeopardizing their future by trading Donċić.
“Mark Cuban never would have traded Luka Doncic,” said Shelburne.
“I don’t care how heavy he is or what he doesn’t do. I know what he does do. Two conference finals and an NBA Finals in the last three years,” said Isola.
“Let’s say they win an NBA championship. To me, that is not a good enough reason to trade Luka Doncic,” said Lyles Jr.
“Shock doesn’t begin to explain…” @TimCowlishaw
“Mark Cuban never would have traded Luka Doncic.” @ramonashelburne
“I don’t care how heavy he is or what he doesn’t do. I know what he does do: 2 Conference Finals and an NBA Finals in the last 3 years.” @TheFrankIsola
“Let’s… pic.twitter.com/hFWdAaj5mI
— Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) February 3, 2025
Maybe Anthony Davis will prove Cowlishaw and everyone else who is criticizing the trade wrong. But at least for the time being, the general consensus seems to be that the Mavericks have made a huge mistake that will negatively impact the organization for years to come.