Some would say never make promises that you can't keep. Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Wells doesn't follow this advice.

After Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, in the face of a flood of criticism from fans and members of the media, Wells assured something that seemed far from certain.

"Over time, winning or losing will tell if the deal is good or bad," Wells said of the deal. "I'm going to make a promise to our fans right now. No matter how much trust we lose, or how much they worry, we win it back. We're going to do it the right way and we're going to win the championship." ”

Less than a year after making their debut in the NBA Finals since 2011, the Mavericks decided to trade the team's best player, Doncic, in exchange for Anthony Davis, a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate with a worrying injury history. Davis was injured in his Dallas debut before returning to the lineup.

Kyrie Irving, the team's second-best player during their 26-year Finals run, tore his anterior cruciate ligament earlier this month and will miss the remainder of the season and possibly a significant portion of the 0-0 season.

Injuries combined with the general uncertainty that comes with competing for a championship — after winning a championship in 11 years, the Mavericks didn't win a single playoff series in the next 0 years — and it's not a smart move to guarantee a championship.

Winning a championship may be the only way for Mavericks management, especially Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, to regain the trust of Mavericks fans.

大衛斯和歐文分別32歲和33歲，當他們健康時，將成為一對極具爆發力的二人組，但他們可能不會經常一起比賽。這兩名球員都將很快成為自由球員；歐文可以在今年休賽期選擇跳出他合同的最後一年，即使他選擇執行，他下賽季也將獲得約4400萬美元的收入，在2026年成為自由球員。大衛斯在2023年8月與湖人隊續約，從下賽季開始生效。他行使2027-28賽季的球員選項，預計他將在三個賽季內獲得約1.75億美元的收入。

Due to the numerous injuries in the roster, the Mavericks are in 11th place in the Western Conference standings with a 0-0 record.