The Dallas Mavericks changed their trajectory on June 21, 2018. Donnie Nelson and the Mavs had their sights set on drafting Luka Doncic. They were tied for the third-worst record in the league but slipped to the fifth pick in the lottery. The shot to draft Doncic may have gone with it. Luckily, Nelson was able to package the fifth pick with the Mavericks 2019 first round to move up to get Luka.
The trade paid immediate dividends for Dallas. He was the Mavs’ best player from the moment he came to the NBA.