While simply moving off of Doncic was shocking, the Mavericks’ run to the NBA Finals only a few months earlier made it even more difficult to believe. Dallas lost that NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics, and one of the key themes in that matchup was Kristaps Porzingis’ opportunity to face his former team.

Dallas Mavericks fans still have not gotten over February's trade, where Luka Doncic was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. Mavs fans believed they'd have 35-40 years of the Dirk Nowitzki era rolling right into Doncic, but Nico Harrison had other ideas.

Learn how Luka Doncic's body changes this offseason reflects the Dallas Mavericks' past conditioning concerns.

Here are six takeaways from the Mavericks’ 2025-26 regular season schedule:

The Dallas Mavericks are figuring out the logistics of their 82-game schedule for the upcoming season. Out of those 82 games, three stand out above the rest, in

Luka Doncic had been diagnosed with a right knee contusion in EuroBasket, but fortunately, the injury is “not expected to be serious.”

The teams now forever intertwined by last season’s shocking trade are set to match up four times next season, beginning with an NBA Cup matchup in Los Angeles on Nov. 28. However, Dallas fans will have to wait until Jan. 24 to again welcome Doncic back to Texas when the teams face off for the second time.