How does the Luka Doncic trade rank among all-time DFW pro sports trades?
The Dallas-Fort Worth market has seen many wild professional sports trades over the decades. Where does the weekend trade of Luka Doncic rank to some of the region’s all-time swaps?
Here’s our list of the DFW’s 10 biggest trades in pro sports history:
10. Fort Worth Cats traded to Dodgers
Feb. 21, 1957
In the wake of the Brooklyn Dodgers announcing their move to Los Angeles for the 1958 season, they traded their minor league affiliate Fort Worth Cats to the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs, in return, sent their Los Angeles affiliate in the Pacific Coast League, to the Dodgers.
9. Rangers trade Jeff Burroughs
Dec. 9, 1976
After five seasons with Texas, including a 1974 American League MVP award after batting .301 with 25 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBI, 1969 No. 1 overall pick Jeff Burroughs was traded to the Atlanta Braves for five players and $200,000. The players included Dave May, Ken Henderson, Carl Morton, Roger Moret, and Adrian Devine. In less than two seasons, all five were no longer with the Rangers and all but one was out of the Majors. Burroughs played nine more MLB seasons.
8. Jason Kidd returns to Mavs
Feb. 19, 2008
The Mavericks traded Devin Harris, Keith Van Horn, Maurice Ager, DeSagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, and 2008 and 2010 first-round draft picks to the New Jersey Nets for Jason Kidd, Antoine Wright, and Malik Allen. Neither Wright nor Allen stuck around, but Kidd, who the Mavs originally drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 1994, helped bring the team’s first NBA championship in 2011.
7. Rangers trade A-Rod
Feb. 16, 2004
After three last-place finishes despite extraordinary statistical seasons from shortstop Alex Rodriguez, the fledgling Rangers pulled the ripcord on his 10-year, $252 million deal and traded him to the Yankees. Texas received infielders Joaquín Árias and Alfonso Soriano in return. According to former Star-Telegram Rangers beat writer T.R. Sullivan, Texas first attempted to trade A-Rod to the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Manny Ramirez and pitcher Jonathan Lester. That deal, however, was nixed by the MLB Players Association, which took issue with the necessary restructuring of Rodriguez’s contract in the deal.
Soriano was traded after two good seasons and Árias was traded in 2010 after playing only 91 Major League games over four seasons.
6. Rangers trade Yu Darvish
July 31, 20217
With the Rangers struggling in 2017, general manager Jon Daniels attempted to shake things up by trading four-time All-Star and staff ace Yu Darvish for three prospects. None of the prospects flourished, although infielder Willie Calhoun spent nearly five seasons with Texas. Calhoun requested a trade after being sent to the minors in May 2022 and he was eventually traded to the San Francisco Giants for outfielder Steven Duggar and cash. He elected free agency after the Los Angeles Angels designated him for assignment in August.
Right-hander A.J. Alexy was designated for assignment in December 2022, and infielder Brendon Davis was claimed off waivers in December 2020.
5. Stars steal Tyler Seguin from Boston
July 4, 2013
Newly-appointed Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill pulled off a steal just months into his ongoing tenure. Less than two weeks after the Boston Bruins lost the Stanley Cup Finals in six games, they traded third-year center Tyler Seguin, along with Rich Peverley, and Ryan Button to Dallas for forward Loui Eriksson and prospects Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser, and Joe Morrow. Seguin is still playing for the Stars and ranks in the top five franchise history in goals, assists and points.
4. Rangers-Braves seven-player trade
July 31, 2007
The Rangers hadn’t made the postseason since 1999 and the future looked bleak. The club injected some life and changed the course of the organization with a massive seven-player trade that sent first baseman Mark Teixeira and left-hander Ron Mahay to the Atlanta Braves for shortstop Elvis Andrus, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, left-handers Matt Harrison and Beau Jones and right-hander Neftali Feliz. Although Teixeira had a standout career, mostly with the Yankees, the Rangers added four players who contributed and three invaluable parts of their first World Series teams in 2010 and 2011.
3. Mavs trade for Dirk’s draft rights
June 24, 1998
It’s often forgotten in the history of Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki’s storied 20-year career, but he was, technically, selected by the Milwaukee Bucks as the ninth overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft. Before draft night, however, Milwaukee and Dallas had agreed on a trade that gave the Bucks the rights to the Mavs No. 6 overall pick Robert Traylor in exchange for the draft rights for Nowitzki at No. 9 and Pat Garrity at No. 19. Garrity was immediately traded, along with Martin Müürsepp, Bubba Wells and a 1999 first-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Steve Nash. That eventual first-round pick was Shawn Marion, who was traded from Toronto to Dallas in 2009 and was a member of the Mavs’ 2011 NBA championship team. Traylor averaged 4.8 points a game with four teams over seven NBA seasons and died from a heart attack in 2011.
2. Cowboys trade Herschel Walker
Oct. 12, 1989
The Dallas Cowboys traded running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for five players and six future draft picks. The players included linebackers Jesse Solomon and David Howard, defensive back Issiac Holt, running back Darrin Nelson, and defensive end Alex Stewart. Among the players the Cowboys drafted with the picks, which were conditional on cutting the players they acquired in the trade, included running back Emmitt Smith, defensive back Darren Woodson, and defensive tackle Russell Maryland. The overhaul helped turn around the Cowboys and put them on a course towards winning three Super Bowls over four seasons between 1992 and 1996. Hall of Famer Smith is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, Woodson was a five-time Pro Bowler and potential Hall of Famer, and Maryland was a Pro Bowler. Along with Walker, the Cowboys sent the Vikings their 1990 third and tenth-round picks, their 1991 third-round pick, and the San Diego Chargers’ 1990 fifth-round pick after Darrin Nelson refused to report to Dallas and was traded to San Diego. Dallas ended up using six of the eight potential picks (four of them were conditional on cutting the newly-acquired Vikings players) from Minnesota.
1. Mavs trade Luka Doncic
Feb. 1, 2025
In a move that will be scrutinized for years and lamented by Mavericks fans for generations, the Dallas Mavericks traded perennial MVP candidate Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The move was part of a three-team trade that also sent Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. The Utah Jazz received Jalen Hood-Schifino from Los Angeles and 2025 second-round picks from both the Lakers and Mavericks.
At 25, Doncic is just entering the prime of his career. He has been called a generational player after leading the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals in 2024, their first appearance since 2011. Davis, who turns 32 on March 11, is a perennial All-Star but in his 13th season in the league and now with his third team.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 8:45 AM.