When it comes to making a big splash in trades, the Cowboys have made some historic moves. The big news in Dallas over the weekend did not come from a move Jerry Jones made as that honor belongs to Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison after he traded the face of his franchise, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers. While this huge head-scratching moment doesn’t come from the Dallas Cowboys, it doesn’t stop people from taking a shot a Jerry Jones. This is dirty work… pic.twitter.com/YZ1g48M6SG — Newy Scruggs (@newyscruggs) February 3, 2025 Sorry Mavs, you guys are on your own with that one. People won’t waste an opportunity to criticize the Cowboys owner/GM, but when you’re talking about blockbuster trades, Jones is sitting pretty as he’s done more good than bad in this department. Yes, the Trey Lance and Jonathan Mingo deals are fresh in our minds and most people are still caught up on the fifth-round draft capital with the Amari Cooper trade, but when you think about it, the Cowboys aren’t as terrible as some think when it comes to making deals. What are the team’s most successful trades? Which ones are their worst? In light of the Mavs’ big splash, let’s take a look at some of the biggest deals the Cowboys have made throughout their history. BEST TRADES Trading away Herschel Walker to the Vikings Most everyone knows all about this one. The Cowboys were terrible in 1989 so they leveraged their best player for a slew of draft picks that Jimmy Johnson turned into to valuable assets. There was also a lot of wheeling and dealing that shuffled around some of those picks, but the return the Cowboys got from that trade is as follows: Emmitt Smith – Hall of Fame Darren Woodson – Hall of Fame finalist Russell Maryland – 10-year starter, Pro Bowler Kevin Smith – eight-year starter That’s a pretty good haul. This trade known as “The Great Train Robbery” remains not only the best trade in Cowboys history, but in NFL history as well. Trading up to select Tony Dorsett Both the Cowboys Hall of Fame running backs were acquired through a big trade. In 1977, the Cowboys snookered the Seattle Seahawks out of the No. 2 overall pick that the Cowboys used to take Pittsburgh star running back Tony Dorsett. In return, the Seahawks got the 14th overall pick and three second-rounders. The Seahawks got a slew of picks, but nothing manifested from them compared to the career that Dorsett had. When he retired, he was second all-time on the NFL rushing list, trailing only Walter Payton. Trading for Charles Haley Everything came together for the Cowboys in 1992, and the final piece was acquiring pass-rushing stud Charles Haley from the San Francisco 49ers for a second- and third-round pick. Despite three Pro Bowl seasons (six seasons total) and two Super Bowl wins with the 49ers, Haley had become a headache, allowing the Cowboys to swoop in and grab him for a discounted price. Haley immediately bolstered the Cowboys’ defensive line and was part of a defense that helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls in four years. Even more satisfying is that he helped them beat his former team twice in the NFC Championship when Dallas and San Francisco were the two top teams in the league. Haley was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015. WORST TRADES Trading for Roy Williams The Cowboys wanted to give Tony Romo another receiving talent opposite Terrell Owens so they traded away a first-round pick, third-round pick, and sixth-round pick to the Detroit Lions for Roy Williams. The 27-year-old receiver was just a couple of years removed from a Pro Bowl season where he had over 1,300 receiving yards. Sadly, he never was that same player in Dallas averaging just 33 yards per game. Making matters even worse is the Cowboys gave Williams a six-year, $54 million extension. He was released in 2011 after just two and a half seasons with the Cowboys. Trading for Joey Galloway After Michael Irvin suffered a career-ending spinal cord injury, the Cowboys tried to give Troy Aikman one last chance to make a run by making a trade with the Seahawks for their star receiver Joey Galloway. Dallas gave up two first-round picks to get Galloway. While the plan seemed okay in theory, everything blew up in their face. Galloway got hurt in his Cowboys debut and was lost for the year with a torn ACL. When he returned the following year, Aikman had retired, leaving the offense in dire straits. With older players leaving and no premium draft capital to help replenish the team, it set the stage for some disappointing seasons at the turn of the century. Trading up to get Morris Claiborne The Cowboys are stingy with premium draft capital these days, but as you can see from these examples, that wasn’t always the case. In 2012, the team gave up a second-round pick to move to the No. 6 overall pick to select LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. Like the others, the idea wasn’t terrible and Claiborne was highly regarded coming out of college, but the outcome wasn’t favorable. Claiborne dealt with numerous injuries and never lived up to the hype. Additionally, we learned through the grapevine that the Cowboys’ second-round pick would have likely been eventual All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner.

Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images Here is our scouting report on James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee We continue our 2025 NFL Draft preview of draft prospects that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we are looking at edge rusher James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee. James Pearce Jr. DE/OLBTennessee Volunteers Junior4-star recruit 6’5”212 lbs Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images History James Pearce Jr. attended Julius L. Chambers High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was a four-star recruit after his impressive senior year where he recorded 14.5 sacks. His recruitment was somewhat unheralded until late in the process, but he received offers from several prestigious programs before committing to Tennessee. As a true freshman, Pearce Jr. appeared in 13 games mostly in a reserve capacity, rotating in but credited with three starts. He showed flashes of potential with two sacks and two tackles for loss. His sophomore season saw a significant jump in performance, leading the SEC in sacks with 10 and ranking second in tackles for loss (15). He also made one interception which he returned for a touchdown, showing off his unbelievable athleticism on the play. His notable achievements included being named to the All-SEC First Team. Last season, Pearce continued his impressive trajectory, recording 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and leading Tennessee in pressures with 55. His performance helped Tennessee reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. He was again honored with first-team All-SEC accolades and was a semifinalist for Bednarik award. Even though he had a productive season there was clear issue between him and the coaches in the way they utilized the elite pass rusher.. 2024 Statistics 464 Defensive Snaps38 Total Tackles13 Tackles For Loss55 Total Pressures 8 Sacks1 Forced Fumble1 Fumble Recovery5 Penalties NFL Combine/Pro Day TBC Awards First-team All-SEC (2024)First-team All-SEC (2023) Scorecard Overall- 89.1Speed- 86Acceleration- 97Agility- 86Strength- 82Pass Rush- 88Run Defense- 86Tackling- 81Discipline- 98 THE GOOD He possesses exceptional speed and acceleration off the edge, making him a formidable presence in pass-rushing situations. His burst off the line is the best in this year’s draft class His burst combined with exceptional snap anticipation makes him the first guy in the backfield on a regular basis. Elite as a speed rusher and has a solid spin move. Clearly a high motor player. Can play both as a stand-up linebacker in the two-point and with his hand in the dirt, showing flexibility in defensive schemes. TAPE TIME DE/OLB James Pearce Jr.Tennessee Volunteers ✅ THE GOOD✅#scouting #NFLDraft #Vols #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/t4nL7Sg2oM — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) February 2, 2025 THE BAD Undersized for the position. He sometimes struggles to disengage from blockers in the run game, leading to missed tackles or being taken out of plays. Doesn’t have a wide range of pass rush moves at his disposal. While generally a good tackler, his technique can occasionally falter, particularly in open-field situations where he might miss or not wrap up securely. His run defense needs some refinement. While he has good strength for his position, he could benefit from further development to handle NFL-level offensive linemen more consistently. TAPE TIME DE/OLB James Pearce Jr.Tennessee Volunteers ❌THE BAD❌#scouting #NFLDraft #Vols #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/4X2i249Au5 — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) February 2, 2025 THE FIT James Pearce Jr. is seen as a high-upside edge rusher with the potential to develop into an NFL high-caliber starter. His combination of speed, agility, and a non-stop motor makes him an exciting prospect, though he’ll need to work on his strength and run defense to be fully effective at the next level. His performance at Tennessee has been marked by significant growth, suggesting he could continue to rapidly develop with the right coaching. How he would fit in Dallas is a vital consideration. His quickness and bend could be utilized effectively. The synergy between Pearce and Micah Parsons would be wildly significant. Parsons’ ability to draw double- and triple-teams means Pearce could often go one-on-one with tackles, leveraging his speed to his advantage. If Pearce is available in the first round the Cowboys might consider him, especially if they prioritize defensive line in the draft. His value could be seen as a high-reward pick if they believe in his developmental potential. Pearce would be an exciting prospect for the Cowboys, particularly to bolster their pass rush given the lack of depth at the position for the upcoming season. His athletic gifts align make him a tantalizing prospect, but his development in run defense and strength would be key to his immediate impact. COMPARISON Brian Burns, New York Giants BTB GRADE 10th CONSENSUS RANKING 14th(Consensus ranking based on the average ranking from 90 major scoring services)

Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images Few NFL teams in 2025, if any, will have more chips on their collective shoulders than the Dallas Cowboys. From oft-criticized players to supposedly failed coaches to a much-maligned front office, Dallas won’t lack motivation to prove all of the doubters, naysayers, and haters wrong. Recent changes to the coaching staff bring this redemption theme to the forefront. Brian Schottenheimer wasn’t even an afterthought when the 2025 coaching changes began; he wasn’t a thought at all. After nearly 30 years in assistant and coordinator roles, and rarely being considered among the NFL’s best, Schottenheimer was shockingly named Dallas’ new head coach. Schottenheimer was immediately labeled a puppet and yes-man for Jerry Jones; a laughable hire for an unserious organization. He spent last week earning some new respect with how he handled the introductory press conference and other media, especially the notion that he will bring changes on offense after “biting his lip” during the last few years under Mike McCarthy. But those goodwill points will expire quickly if there aren’t some tangible results on the field, which unfortunately we all have to wait a while to see. The next big move was the hiring of Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator. Fired last November by Chicago, the first Bears’ head coach to ever be fired mid-season, Eberflus’ stock has fallen significantly from when he was a hot name as an assistant in Dallas and the Colts’ defensive coordinator. Now free of the burdens of being head coach, Eberflus is here to prove that he’s still one of the NFL’s top defensive minds. Even further down the coaching staff, you’ll find a guy like new special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen. He had one year as the defensive coordinator in San Francisco in 2024 and was quickly dismissed, and now returns to his roots with special teams work in Dallas. Still just 46, Sorensen has big shoes to fill from John Fassel’s departure and a great opportunity to get his career moving back in the right direction. If you agree that the coaching staff has a bit of a misfit vibe, the Cowboys’ roster should feel similar. You can start right at the top with Dak Prescott, who after placing second in MVP voting in 2023 had a disastrous campaign last season. From all of the criticism of his record-breaking contract extension to down performance over the eight games he played, capped by another season-ending injury, Prescott’s stock feels like it’s at an all-time low going into 2025. What about Dallas’ key defensive player, Micah Parsons? While he had an excellent second half to last season after getting healthy, he still gets tons of heat for having an active social media presence and accusations of not being focused enough on his craft. Baseless as those complaints seem, perception is still critical for Parsons with his rookie deal close to expiring. He wants to leave no room for doubts this season. We could find so many other examples among the players. Lots of guys looking to bounce back from down seasons: Jake Ferguson, Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, Terence Steele (if he’s still around), and others. Plenty of third- and fourth-year players trying to prove what they’ve got while they still can like Mazi Smith, Jalen Tolbert, Damone Clark, Luke Schoonmaker, Sam Williams, and more. This is true of most teams coming off a bad year, but it feels especially pervasive throughout Dallas’ roster right now. The need for redemption carries up through the front office, perhaps there more than anywhere else. Jerry and Stephen have well-earned animosity from fans for how they’ve handled the organization, not just from “the drought” but especially the more recent swing toward quiet, effort-lacking offseasons. Even the generally revered Will McClay, who just signed a new contract to stay in Dallas, has taken a lot of hits lately for the lack of impact from recent draft classes. Cowboys Nation’s depression and disengagement are seemingly reaching new highs (or is it lows), and nobody catches the vitriol from that more than these executives. Given the last three decades, redemption has been needed around Dallas for a long time. But with the influx of new coaches coming off demotions and firings, a head coach nobody else wanted, a roster full of guys with depressed stocks, and a front office that takes shots from all directions, it just feels like everyone around the Cowboys needs to either put respect back on their names or get some for the first time. Hopefully, this has a unifying, galvanizing effect on a team that needs every edge it can get in 2025.

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Notable headlines surrounding America’s team. Cowboys new offensive coaching staff is missing an important piece – Shane Taylor, Inside The Star Klayton Adams needs his guy. The bulk of Adams’ coaching history took place in college, where in 13 years he maneuvered his was up from a graduate assistant at Boise State in 2005 to the Colorado’s co-offensive coordinator and OL coach in 2018. What Are They Missing? So both of these guys love to run the football, yet what are the Dallas Cowboys missing? A running back that they can trust under contract. Rico Dowdle’s future in Dallas is murky at best as a free agent, but after rushing for 1,079 yards as part of a running back by committee for the first half of the season, he will have admirers for his services. Dowdle, per Spotrac.com, is likely to get around $6 million APY on the open market, and that seems easily doable for the Cowboys, but let’s remember who is running the team. The man who doesn’t spend money at all. Deuce Vaughn is currently the only running back that the Dallas Cowboys have under contract, and he is not going to be the one leading this team’s backfield, I can tell you that. With that said, we do have the NFL draft coming up, so maybe we see Dallas take a back there. This class is loaded. Dallas Cowboys zeroing in on running backs coach candidate – Tyler Reed, Sports Illustrated A candidate for running backs coach. The Cowboys have added Matt Eberflus as the defensive coordinator and Klayton Adams as the offensive coordinator. Schottenheimer is still filling out other assitant openings, including the running backs coach opening. The Cowboys may already have their choice set to interview. Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting that the Cowboys are bringing in Oregon Ducks running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples to interview for the same position. A Texas native, Samples has been the running backs coach at SMU and Oregon. Samples was also the wide receivers coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 and has coached wide receivers at Texas and Arizona State. This season, the Ducks rushed for 2,234 yards, averaging 171.8 yards per game. Oregon was also the number one seed in the College Football Playoff. 4 bold 2025 offseason predictions for the Dallas Cowboys – Maitland Rutledge, The Landry Hat Maybe, this offseason will be different. 1. Cowboys sign Tee Higgins This might fall more into the “wishing” category, but it is not impossible. Dallas has the opportunity to clear money off the salary cap if they want to. There would have to be a few cap casualties, but the team has done that in years past. If they make some room, Tee Higgins would be a big weapon to help this offense. The Cowboys had another season where CeeDee Lamb was the only good option at receiver. He put together another 1,000-yard season before he sat out at end of the year due to injury, but did not see a lot of other production around him. Dallas’ second-leading receiver was Jalen Tolbert and while he had his moments in 2024, there is belief he will not be back. Getting Higgins would give Dak Prescott more confidence and new head coach Brian Schottenheimer a reliable asset. While his production dipped in receiving yard the past two seasons, Higgins had a career-high ten touchdowns in 2024. With Ja’Marr Chase as the main man in Cincinnati, many believe Higgins will be playing elsewhere in 2025. That could be Dallas if Jerry wants to make it happen. He splurged a few offseasons ago by trading for Brandin Cooks so a move like this would not be too out of the question. While money would be the biggest obstacle, the Cowboys could make this happen. Signing Higgins would be a bold move, but it would pay off immediately for this offense. Senior Bowl riser seems like the perfect Cowboys draft target for Dak Prescott – Russel S. Baxter, FanSided Dallas needs to invest in adding weapons this offseason. Williams could be that guy. According to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams showed him something that may have surprised him a bit. “I knew Williams had good speed, but what impressed me in practice was the polish he showed in his release. He created separation throughout the week and caught the ball well. He’s put himself in the mix to be drafted on Day 2 and he should benefit from this receiver class not being quite as strong as others we have seen in recent years. Williams helped himself a lot,” Jeremiah said. While three-year pro Jalen Tolbert comes off the best season of his young career, Dallas’ aerial game could use another downfield threat. Williams may wind up being a real bargain in the second or third round. Dallas Mavericks take bad spotlight from Dallas Cowboys with Luka Doncic trade – RJ Ochoa, Blogging The Boys In other Dallas news. We are gathered here today to discuss the horrible decision-making of a Dallas professional sports franchise, but today it is the Mavericks who are the subject of worldwide ridicule. Late Saturday night, the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic – one of the best players in the world – to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. Yes, this is real. Sources tell ESPN: Full trade: – Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris – Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 LAL 1st – Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers 2nd, 2025 Mavericks 2nd https://t.co/bltojdTaQj — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025 ESPN’s Shams Charania had to say “yes, this is real” because in the moment the trade seemed so outlandish that the entire internet assumed his account had been hacked. When that is the response to the trade that you made, looking at you Nico Harrison, it doesn’t exactly suggest that you are on the right side of things. Maybe

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Cowboys need to be monitoring the trade market this offseason. It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys need to add some offensive firepower this offseason. The shortcomings of Dallas’ offense last season were a big reason why the Cowboys underperformed as a team. Outside of CeeDee Lamb, Dallas lacks any other real offensive weapons that strike fear in opposing defenses. It was reported early last week that the Cowboys are focused on adding a wide receiver in the first two rounds of the draft to pair with their All-Pro. Per @TonyPauline, the #Cowboys may be taking a hard look at wide receiver early in the draft: “I’m told the team will look for a receiver during the first two rounds of the draft to pair with CeeDee Lamb…” Full article: https://t.co/hukR0dsxCu — Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) January 30, 2025 While, in theory, this does make sense, there are some potential problems with relying on a first- or second-round receiver to be the missing piece in the offense. The 2023 NFL Draft is an excellent example of the risk involved with expecting a rookie wide receiver to come in and make an immediate impact. In that draft, eight receivers were drafted in the first two rounds. Of those eight, only three recorded 800 or more receiving yards in their rookie year, the type of production the Cowboys would need out of their number two wideout. Two of those players drafted, new Cowboy Jonathan Mingo and Marvin Mims of the Denver Broncos, were busts in their rookie years and provided virtually no positive impact on their offense. The Cowboys 100% need to find a talented receiver to pair with Lamb this spring; there’s no denying that. But there is a way to do so without taking the risk of relying on a rookie wideout to produce in a big way in year one: exploring the trade market. In the spring of 2023, the Cowboys went out and made a deal to acquire veteran wideout Brandin Cooks from the Houston Texans. That turned out to be an A+ move, as Cooks had a great season during his first year in Dallas. Cooks scored eight touchdowns during that campaign, and Dallas was a perfect 9-0 in the regular season when he recorded 35 or more receiving yards. Cooks cost Dallas just a fifth- and sixth-round pick, so the deal ended up being a sure win for the Cowboys. With the current state of the Cowboys’ offense, they’d need to be willing to part with more premium draft capital to find a receiver capable of being the x-factor to turn their unit around. Thankfully, there’s a player who seems to be very available that would fit that role perfectly. That guy is Jets’ wide receiver, Garrett Wilson. Wilson came into the league after being drafted with the 10th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and immediately produced in a big way. Wilson has put up some great numbers in his three years with the Jets despite dealing with mostly poor quarterback play. Wilson has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and recorded at least 83 receptions in all three of his seasons in the league, serving as the lone model of consistency in a very rocky Jets offense. The former Ohio State Buckeye has also been as consistent as it comes when relating to being on the field, never missing a regular season game in the 51 he’s played in during his career. The star wideout is widely expected to request a trade this offseason, and the Cowboys would be very wise to get in the mix for acquiring Wilson’s services. Many insiders believe that Jets WR Garrett Wilson will still request a trade out of New York due to the team’s constant turnover at QB and Head Coach, per @JamesPalmerTV pic.twitter.com/KLZAJsvwSQ — Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 31, 2025 If the Cowboys were to seriously consider a deal for Wilson, the price to acquire the wideout wouldn’t be cheap. With Wilson’s services likely being in high demand, the possibility of a first-rounder for compensation is not out of the question. That price is too high for the Cowboys at pick #12. But, if the Jets are willing to look at multiple picks plus a player, Dallas would likely have to start the negotiations by offering New York this year’s second-round pick, number 44 overall, plus multiple other 2025/26 draft picks. Add in a 2026 second-round pick plus a mid-round pick along the way, and/or a young player, potentially wide receiver Jalen Tolbert, and you might present the Jets with enough of an intriguing package to make the deal work for both sides. While giving up potentially multiple top-50 picks for a receiver with just two years left of team control may seem like a risky move, let’s take a look at what the Cowboys have done with their second-round picks in recent memory. Below are Dallas’ last six second-round picks. 2024 – Marshawn Kneeland 2023 – Luke Schoonmaker 2022 – Sam Williams 2021 – Kelvin Joseph 2020 – Trevon Diggs 2019 – Trysten Hill Looking at the list above, no player has had close to as productive a career as Wilson has. While Trevon Diggs was an outstanding selection in 2020, the other five players have contributed virtually nothing to the Cowboys since being drafted, and two are not just off the Cowboys roster but completely out of the league altogether. There are absolutely no guarantees with any draft picks, especially Cowboys’ second-round picks. If the Cowboys were to acquire the star wideout, they would take the unknown out of the equation and instantly have a star-caliber player who could completely change the dynamic of their offense. Time is dwindling for the Cowboys to make another serious run at a Super Bowl. Dallas has four more years with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, both under contract. The Cowboys have to be bold to take advantage. You want to make Brian Schottenheimer’s

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images Stefon Diggs is a name to pay attention to this offseason. After a disappointing season for the Dallas Cowboys, they’ve attempted to fix things by hiring a brand new coaching staff led by Brian Schottenheimer. While a fresh new coaching staff is certainly a step in the right direction to change, it’s just the first part of improving the team’s chances to contend next season. The second part is roster improvement. It’s no secret that the Cowboys are typically not heavy spenders in free agency. They tend to focus on retaining the players they draft, and bargain-shop in free agency. Knowing this, it’s not realistic to expect the team to bring in a marquee free agent such as Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. However, there is a big name that the team could realistically pay for in free agency who would improve the wide receiver room. He’s already been heavily linked to the Cowboys throughout his career. Stefon Diggs didn’t have the season he was hoping for this year with the Houston Texans. He played just eight games before tearing his ACL, having his season end prematurely. He finished with 47 receptions for 496 yards and three touchdowns. While on a one-year, $22.5 million contract last season, he is set to enter free agency. The Cowboys aren’t in a position where they should be signing receivers to this amount of money this offseason, especially after paying CeeDee Lamb the amount they are. But after a disappointing season and suffering an injury, the Cowboys could likely get Diggs at the bargain price they like. Over at Spotrac, they have his value at a one-year contract at $13.5 million. That seems low for a player of Diggs’ capabilities, but age and injury have played a role in this valuation. Back in February 2023, CB Trevon Diggs talked to RJ Ochoa, expressing his desire for his brother to join him in Dallas. “We need Cowboys Nation to go and help and tweet to get bro here. We need everyone to know. We need to put it on notice that we need to get bro to Dallas.” While Stefon certainly isn’t in his prime, prior to suffering injury this season he had six straight 1,000+ yard seasons. He is an established veteran and would require attention from opposing defenses, giving CeeDee Lamb some help in the wide receiver room. He is a big name that actually seems financially realistic for the Cowboys this offseason.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The Mavericks have outdone the Cowboys and lately that is not a good thing. It has been a very long year and change for the Dallas Cowboys. From the moment the Cowboys lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round of last season’s playoffs, just about anything and everything they have done has been met with disaster and chaos. The hope is certainly that the new head coach in Brian Schottenheimer can change that, although the process that led to him was hardly peaceful and universally agreed upon. We are gathered here today to discuss the horrible decision-making of a Dallas professional sports franchise, but today it is the Mavericks who are the subject of worldwide ridicule. Late Saturday night, the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic – one of the best players in the world – to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. Yes, this is real. Sources tell ESPN: Full trade: – Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris – Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 LAL 1st – Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers 2nd, 2025 Mavericks 2nd https://t.co/bltojdTaQj — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025 ESPN’s Shams Charania had to say “yes, this is real” because in the moment the trade seemed so outlandish that the entire internet assumed his account had been hacked. When that is the response to the trade that you made, looking at you Nico Harrison, it doesn’t exactly suggest that you are on the right side of things. Maybe you are a Cowboys fan who is not a Mavericks fan. The Cowboys have a worldwide fandom and we all have different interests outside of our favorite football team. Personally I am a San Antonio Spurs fan so I get it, maybe you are even a Lakers fan so this is an incredible thing for you. But Mavericks fans, and particularly those who are DFW strong with all of the teams that they root for, are really going through it. The trade seems like s slap in the face to Mavs loyalists, so much so that our friends at Mavs Moneyball called this one of the worst moments in DFW sports history. This makes zero basketball sense, zero cultural sense, and zero fanbase goodwill sense. Then as if on queue, the Mavs via Tim MacMahon of ESPN relay some organizational justification that is downright bizarre. If Doncic’s conditioning was a major issue for the Dallas brain trust, you ride out the storm and find ways to help make it better given that the top 5 players in the league who are smack dab in their 20s do not grow on trees. Instead, they originate a trade that if pushed through on NBA 2K would rightfully cause your PlayStation to instantly combust. … Tonight, I pulled my “Opening Night” coin from the first Maverick game ever in 1980 out of its original plush drawstring pouch and looked at it. Zales Jewelry sponsored that opening night promotion and my grandmother worked for them at the time. For some reason, she thought her five-year-old grandson should have it. I held that coin and thought about all the bad basketball I watched as a teenager in the ‘90s when Mike Iuzzolino started at point guard and Dallas spent first-round picks on guys like Doug Smith and Cherokee Parks. The era when winning that night’s game was a remote fantasy, let alone the playoffs, to say nothing of a championship. Then Mark Cuban (who has no decision-making power as a minority owner to prevent this travesty) saved us, Dirk redeemed us, and Luka prevented a trip to the basketball wilderness. In one fell swoop, Nico Harrison must have said to himself…ya know, the Sahara desert in a couple of years sounds lovely. A team, a future, and an era undone for naught. It has been a very tough few weeks, months and year at large for the Cowboys as previously noted. Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones should send Nico Harrison and the Mavericks an edible arrangement for taking the heat off of them, particularly in the run-up to Super Bowl week where the Schottenheimer hire will be discussed all over the place. Sorry, Mavs fans.