The Mavericks brought in Daniel Gafford at the 2024 trade deadline to fill that exact role. And the fit was so seamless with Dončić that Dallas was jostling with the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals just a few months later.

The Los Angeles Lakers' 2024-25 season concluded with a disappointing first-round playoff exit, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games. Despite entering the postseason as the No. 3 seed, the Lakers failed to capitalize on homecourt advantage.

The Dallas Mavericks may have not had the same NBA Draft Lottery odds if Luka Doncic had never been traded away. But they won the lottery with a 1.8 percent chance at the top pick, anyway, so let's venture into the realm of a Cooper Flagg "What if?