Mavericks star didn’t want to play alongside star acquired in Luka Doncic trade, and forced exit claims NBA insider

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Mavericks star didn’t want to play alongside star acquired in Luka Doncic trade, and forced exit claims NBA insider

The Dallas Mavericks made a bold choice at the trade deadline that changed the course of their future.

Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts admitted to being taken aback at the severe backlash to the decision to trade away Luka Doncic.

It was the trade that rocked the NBA world, sending Doncic to the LA Lakers, prompting fan protests inside and outside the stadium.

The Mavericks acquired Anthony Davis and Max Christie in return, with the former picking up an injury on his first appearance that kept him out for several weeks.

But the Doncic trade was not the only one the Dallas Mavericks were criticized for.

They traded Quentin Grimes to the Philadelphia 76ers for Caleb Martin, which was widely viewed as another deal where they were left weaker.

Quentin Grimes‘ exit was a sudden one, and the only real logic to it was that his contract was expiring. He remains a free agent, trying to land the best situation ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Speaking to Yahoo, NBA expert Kevin O’Connor claims the reason Grimes wanted out of the Mavericks was because of the roster construction created by the trade.

He claims that Grimes did not want to play alongside another guard, Max Christie.

O’Connor said: “I heard last year, Quentin Grimes didn’t want to be in Dallas after Max Christie got there, and that there was kind of a mini trade request.

“That’s one of the reasons why he ended up getting sent to the 76ers.”

Grimes wanting to find a new situation is somewhat understandable considering he was in a contract year, and wanted to maximize his playing time.

But considering the injury hell the Mavericks went through after the trade, which had some wondering if they were cursed, Grimes would have got plenty of playing time if he stayed.

Grimes spoke about the shock the Dallas Mavericks players experienced after learning Doncic had been traded.

They were in Cleveland at the time preparing for a road game. He told The Young Man And The Three: ““I didn’t go to bed until 3 in the morning, friends hitting you up. I’m scrolling through twitter all night, crazy.”

He was later traded to the 76ers and was praised for his performances, which included two 40+ point games.

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