Imagine if your hometown sports hero were just gone – that was the case for Dallas’s sports fan base. During the past season and off-season, Dallas has made multiple moves that left their fan base in complete shock over their most beloved sports.
The Dallas Mavericks
Dallas’s first sports heartbreak of the year came when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić in February, their upcoming generational talent that’s remained with them for the entirety of his career since his third overall selection back in 2018. This trade, which is often referred to as “The craziest trade in sports history,” included the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, once a superstar who has been tarnished with injuries during the latter part of his career. Everyone was surprised by this trade, for the most part, because Dončić had led them to the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals just a season prior.
Davis still manages to produce at a decent level, but in the first game with his new team, he received a left abductor strain, causing him to lose a month of action, summing up why the Mavericks lost this trade horribly. The Mavericks lost a player that was dedicated to improving his team and someday bringing them another championship in exchange for someone who the NBA fanbase considers to be “made out of glass.”
“[I was] shocked. I was on the court. A fan told me at half court. It’s one of those moments you won’t forget. Like when Michael Jackson died or 9/11 happened. Those moments you just know are going to be forever ingrained,” said an anonymous player regarding the Dončić trade for the Athletic’s annual NBA player roll.
The Dallas Cowboys
The most recent shocking move by a Dallas sports team was this year on August 28 when the Dallas Cowboys traded their 2019 Big Ten Linebacker of the Year draftee Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Parsons was a Natinoal Football League (NFL) Defensive Rookie of the Year, had four Pro Bowl appearances, and multiple NFL All-Pro selections. This trade was another perfect example of what I would call the worst moves made by their city’s franchises of all time.
This move wasn’t exactly shocking, considering the fact that Parsons requested a trade from the organization on August 1, fueling a month-long feud with the owner, Jerry Jones, regarding contract negotiations. Most people thought that the Cowboys wouldn’t be the ones to pull the trigger on this and would eventually pay Parsons his much-deserved money. Everything is not all bad for Parsons, considering his deal with the Green Bay Packers for four years, $186 million will make him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
“This is [Parson’s] first big contract, and I feel like he needs to get everything he deserves, and he did,” Cowboy’s Wide Receiver CeeDee Lamb said.
It’s not all bad in Dallas?
After all the moves made by Dallas over the last few months, one referred to as “One of the worst trades in NBA history,” their future doesn’t look as bleak as many would have thought it would be. On May 12, the Dallas Mavericks received the first overall pick for the NBA draft in spite of their improbable 1.8% chance, but everyone knew what this meant for them. On June 25, the Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg, the top-year draft prospect, for their first overall selection. This draft pick, who many thought to be rigged in favor of the Mavericks, would turn out to be the diamond in the rough for upcoming Dallas’ sports this year.
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The future of Dallas
I believe that the future of Dallas will be vastly different from what it was supposed to be. The Dallas Mavericks were fresh off a finals run, and there was no immediate reason to trade him. The Dallas Cowboys did have more of an argument to justify the trade; his feud with the owner over his contract explains their reasoning, but many people, including myself, think they should have paid him his money. But the Cowboys did lose out on one of the best defensive players in the league. The future of Dallas relies on what they can do best with what they’re given such as their first pick overall, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Dak Presscot, and more.
