1. Luka Doncic
Round two in New York? Not if Mark Cuban can help it! The Mavericks already lost Brunson for nothing to the Knicks, so the last place Dallas should want to see Doncic play is The Big Apple.
For there to be a shot of that happening, the Mavericks superstar will have to request a trade. He's signed through the 2026-27 season, a $48.9 million player option.
Since Doncic was drafted in 2018, Dallas has made it to the Western Conference Finals once, with Brunson. Doncic spoke highly of Brunson's impact in the 2022 playoffs when he was sidelined for a couple of games. If it weren't for the current New York guard, would Dallas have made it that far?
Doncic is a superstar, but more than that, he's a competitor. The Mavericks purposedly missed the Play-In Tournament last year and are currently the No. 7 team in the West. Dallas won six straight games before the All-Star break, so there's no reason for Doncic to think about leaving the organization.
However, depending on what happens in the playoffs, it could be a thought that crosses Doncic's mind in the offseason. If so, Brunson and the Knicks will be here.