March 2025 NBA Power Rankings: Texas Held ‘Em- The Probability of Why Dallas Dealt Away Luka Doncic

There’s irony in the biggest trade of the NBA season taking place less than a week after I published the last power rankings. For those who read the January rankings, you knew something was off after Dallas lost to Charlotte and New Orleans. These were the same Mavericks who beat Houston, Cleveland, Memphis and Denver before those losses. Everyone assumed Dallas had to make a minor move near the trade deadline and adjust their mindset given the opponents on the late February and early March schedule. The Mavericks made changes all right, but not the expected ones.

By now, you’ve heard Dallas traded face of the franchise and star point guard Luka Doncic and forwards Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris late night February first to the Los Angeles Lakers for former league MVP center Anthony Davis, shooting guard Max Christie, and a 2029 first round pick. Utah was involved and got point guard Jalen Hood-Schifano and two 2025 second round picks from each team.

Since the trade happened on a Saturday night, regular sports programming was disrupted. Everyone in the U.S. found out about it in different ways and each one left the announcers, reporters, fans, and even Utah Jazz general manager Danny Ainge in shock. Why and how could the Mavericks decide to trade their franchise cornerstone star to the LeBron James-led Lakers? Was general manager Nico Harrison as dumb as fans first thought? What happened behind closed doors that made Dallas decide to give up not just one talented star, but two talented forwards not even a full season after reaching the NBA Finals?

There are still no clear answers to any of these questions despite what Harrison and majority owners Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont publicly said. Many speculated Adelson, a big donor to the State of Israel, needed to recoup personal funds after the year and a half long war. That meant giving up the Mavericks’ biggest asset. When asked about the trade, Harrison remained adamant that Luka’s health and eating regimen were detriments and could no longer be tolerated. If that’s the case, Harrison shouldn’t have let go of the team doctor almost two seasons ago after forward Jalen Brunson was traded to New York. (The doctor reunited with Brunson shortly after.) Regarding the weight issue, one could reasonably argue that New Orleans’ Zion Williamson should be traded, and he’s never led the Pelicans to a conference championship.

Perhaps the main reason Doncic was traded stems from legal battles taking place between Miriam Adelson versus the state of Texas. Many were confused when one of Adelson’s responses about Nico Harrison trading their star point guard was, “the team isn’t moving to Vegas.” Not only was Adelson not asked about the status of the team, but the answer was at an inconvenient moment. It turns out the reason she said it stems from an ongoing lawsuit with state authorities over planned casinos in Dallas’ home stadium, American Airlines Center. Miriam Adelson has a point saying legalized gambling brings massive profits to professional basketball. She wants to make more money by adding the “Vegas experience” and two casinos within the stadium. Texas however still has laws in place that prohibit this despite the recent pushes by the state legislature and governor Greg Abbott. It was reported as far back as 2023 that Adelson and former majority owner Mark Cuban (who helped push the campaign) wanted to expand gambling within the state. Casinos were seen as an option.

Despite these pushes, the Texas judiciary hasn’t budged. The most likely reason for the Luka Doncic trade might be because the trio of Miriam Adelson, Patrick Dumont and Nico Harrison decided to force the public’s hand. That meant making a radical decision. If that meant trading Doncic to the league’s most popular team, so be it. It would throw the Dallas-Fort Worth area in chaos, but it would also let the state know how serious ownership is about making more money than it is about winning. Legalized gambling would make fans feel upset if the team gets worse, but the opportunities to win more money tempts other residents.

While this theory (and court case) may hold up as the main reason, it’s also possible Harrison thought the roster would be more balanced with bigger forwards and needed center depth. Kyrie Irving could go back to playing point guard while Klay Thompson returns to his starting role at shooting guard. It’s not a bad idea and there’s enough talent to make the postseason. However, the loss of Doncic and two talented forwards while getting an injury prone center may very well eliminate any chances the Mavericks have of returning to the NBA finals for at least a decade. Players now know the organization doesn’t reward nor respect loyalty despite their constant messaging for over 25 years. Miriam Adelson could be the real winner in the end, but the team and fans are the biggest losers.

Here are the second power rankings of the calendar year. This will be the third and last time you see this notification in the regular season. Like the NHL rankings, some have tiebreakers based off how teams perform on a neutral site.

#30 Washington Wizards (last ranking: 30)

This is starting to be a destination players go to end their careers. First Khris Middleton was traded to the Wizards, then Marcus Smart. The veteran leadership could help younger talent develop but it’s more likely one of the two retires once the regular season ends.

#29 Utah Jazz (last ranking: 29)

The oddest part of the Dallas-Los Angeles-Utah trade might have been when general manager Danny Ainge said he only knew the specifics of the trade 30 minutes before it happened. There are league rules that can override and veto trades if they aren’t seen as fair or well-balanced. Ainge could have let the league know even by text ahead of time but chose not to.

#28 New Orleans Pelicans (last ranking: 27)

It is unfortunate Dejounte Murray suffered another serious leg injury this season. Murray’s season ended after he tore his achilles February first versus Boston. It’s been a brutal season of injuries for New Orleans.

#27 Charlotte Hornets (last ranking: 28)

Charlotte became the first team in NBA history to lose three straight games by 35+ points. One factor in those losses is the lack of talent the Hornets have outside star point guard LaMelo Ball and forward Miles Bridges. Charlotte sports fans should turn their attention to the Carolina Hurricanes the rest of this season.

#26 Toronto Raptors (last ranking: 26)

Toronto won three games in February. That is not a surprise given how hard the schedule was for the Raptors. What’s surprising is how that didn’t affect their postseason odds. Philadelphia and Chicago are awful and Brooklyn is inconsistent. Toronto has an easier month and a half left and could sneak into the play-in.

#25 Philadelphia 76ers (last ranking: 23)

Speaking of Philadelphia, this has to be one of the most disappointing teams we’ve seen. Former league MVP center Joel Embiid is shut down the rest of the season with lingering knee injuries, forward Paul George is still whining about mediocrity and having to stop side hustles from interfering with his play, and the 76ers have lost eleven of their last 12 games. The Trust the Process era is over.

#24 Brooklyn Nets (last ranking: 25)

It doesn’t help that despite a good February, Brooklyn lost to lowly Washington twice. Injuries and suspensions played a part in four of the five losses to end last month and could cost the Nets a play-in spot. Losing close games to Oklahoma City and Cleveland because De’Angelo Russell’s injured or Nik Claxton is suspended one game adds up after a while.

#23 San Antonio Spurs (last ranking: 21)

Outside of trading for Sacramento star forward De’Aaron Fox, February was one of their worst months in franchise history. San Antonio lost both sophomore star center Victor Wembanyama to blood clots in his right shoulder and future Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich to health setbacks after suffering a stroke in November. Then starting point guard Chris Paul said he was retiring after this season. The Spurs will miss the play-in, but it’s a rare time most viewers are relieved given the serious issues holding back San Antonio’s improvements.

#22 Chicago Bulls (last ranking: 22)

The Bulls kept Nikola Vucevic despite rampant trade rumors but dealt Zach LaVine to Sacramento when there’s no solid option at power forward. This again proves why Chicago’s one of the worst run teams in the NBA. It’s no wonder the Spurs see them as a great trade partner.

#21 Portland Trailblazers (last ranking: 24)

Don’t be fooled with this placement. Portland has improved as I talked about in the last rankings, but that doesn’t mean they’re close to being a top 20 team. If anything, this says more about the teams behind them and how far some have fallen.

#20 Phoenix Suns (last ranking: 20)

Hilariously, Miriam Adelson wasn’t the worst owner or loser at the trade deadline. That honor goes to Phoenix owner Mat Ishbia who relentlessly told the media all of 2024 there was no way star forward Kevin Durant would hit the trade market. When reports broke out days before the trade deadline that Ishbia was trying to see what he could get for Durant, it was understandable Durant’s reaction would be negative. Kevin Durant now wants out due to Mat Ishbia’s two-faced guarantees. The Suns might lose a lot more talent in free agency because their owner doesn’t know when to shut up.

#19 Atlanta Hawks (last ranking: 12)

Thankfully the Hawks came back to earth. Though they’re 28-34, Atlanta’s back in the play-in and the east has stabilized. We can all breathe relief.

#18 Miami Heat (last ranking: 18)

Jimmy Butler getting traded refreshed the locker room and let the players get back to playing hard. Yet Miami is 5-8 since trading Butler to Golden State (the Warriors are 9-2 with Butler). It might take a while for the team to fully move on from owner Pat Riley’s tantrum.

#17 Orlando Magic (last ranking: 13)

New Orleans gets a lot of heat for how poorly they’ve played despite injuries. Orlando is in a similar position, but they still won a lot of games due to great coaching and how younger stars like Paolo Banchero don’t want to lose. It may not look like it right now due to current struggles and inconsistency, but the Magic have improved. They’re just learning the hard lessons many teams go through before making deep playoff runs.

#16 Dallas Mavericks (last ranking: 14)

I originally wrote the Mavericks would be fine in the short-term due to how the current guard tandem of Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson would be enough to get them into the play-in, but after Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in a blowout home loss to Sacramento, I don’t know if Dallas can hang onto the last play-in spot. Imagine being a Mavericks fan since the Luka Doncic trade and seeing the series of events that have taken place after January. The first two months of 2025 must feel like two different years for Dallas.

#15 Sacramento Kings (last ranking: 19)

I’m also not sure pairing DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine is a good idea considering how things didn’t work out in Chicago. More importantly, LaVine isn’t better than De’Aaron Fox. At some point the Kings front office must decide if this roster is enough to get back to the second round of the playoffs.

#14 Minnesota Timberwolves (last ranking: 17)

Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards improved some of his play last month. However, the rest of Minnesota isn’t doing well. The Timberwolves turn the ball over a lot and have struggled against most playoff contending teams with better records. They didn’t have consecutive wins until this past week. It’s a bit surprising given some of the roster improvements, but general manager Tim Connelly has more work to do in the offseason.

#13 Los Angeles Clippers (last ranking: 10)

That was a disappointing month for Los Angeles. Losses to Toronto, Detroit and both the Pacers and Lakers (twice) knock them into the play-in. That’s a shame given how well they’ve looked most of the season.

#12 Golden State Warriors (last ranking: 16)

Golden State getting Jimmy Butler was the best, immediate impact trade at the deadline. The Warriors go from a play-in team to top five in the west. Golden State now has to make the decision of what seed they want. Some analysts believe the seed opposite of where Memphis lands in the first round. The Warriors should at least try for a top four seed and draw a team like Houston. It’s a better choice than drawing Denver on the road to start round two of the playoffs.

#11 Detroit Pistons (last ranking: 15)

Nobody could’ve predicted Detroit just outside a top ten power rankings or close to having a top ten league record to begin March. Not only is J.B. Bickerstaff a great choice as coach of the year, but Cade Cunningham could get some league MVP votes. He’s in the top three for almost every team stat.

#10 Indiana Pacers (last ranking: 9)

Their lethal offense is back. Indiana put up at least 110 points in all but one game in February and show no signs of letting up after their routs against Chicago and Houston. The defense has faltered but there’s still time to get back to the late 2024 improvements before the postseason.

#9 Milwaukee Bucks (last ranking: 7)

There was criticism over Milwaukee trading a veteran star like Khris Middleton to Washington for forward Kyle Kuzma. Before February ended, the Bucks had the highest scoring trio in the league with 72 points per game from Kuzma, Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. If Milwaukee keeps this production the next two months, there may not be a team that can stop them in a seven game series. That’s big for a team that lost forward Bobby Portis Jr. to a 25 game suspension.

#8 Houston Rockets (last ranking: 4)

I flipped Houston with Denver on this list because March is where veteran playoff teams start to distance themselves. The Rockets are a young, rising and well-coached team, but let’s keep in mind the teams listed below would win a best of seven series against them. Houston’s inexperience shows at times and that’s ok. Growing pains were predicted.

#7 Los Angeles Lakers (last ranking: 11)

For anyone who’s read this blog over the years, you know there’s caution exercised against teams (no matter the sport) that add at least one super-star. Just because Los Angeles added Luka Doncic, doesn’t mean they’ll go to the NBA Finals. The Lakers have a lot of holes on defense with Anthony Davis now in Dallas, though the Doncic-led offense cancels out most of those issues. Despite the winning streak, the Los Angeles has a lot to work on. Let’s see how things are in April.

#6 Memphis Grizzlies (last ranking: 6)

Memphis didn’t have a great February, but it wasn’t enough to knock them out in the rankings. The Grizzlies need to bounce back after some questionable losses. March will say more about where Memphis is headed than any month the last year and a half.

#5 New York Knicks (last ranking: 5)

It’s possible I leave New York at five in the next rankings too. Via ESPN, the Knicks are 0-7 against the Thunder, Cavaliers and Celtics. New York is stuck as the third best team in the eastern conference. While that says how good they are, it also says how high their ceiling is with this current roster.

#4 Denver Nuggets (last ranking: 8)

Every loss Denver took last month was against a really good or improved team. Playoff experience makes the ranking swap with Houston logical. The Nuggets will be hard to beat the next two months.

#3 Boston Celtics (last ranking: 3)

As a matter of fact, the first to third spots could stay the same next month too. The Celtics had some struggles last month and it’s more confusing than the previous ones. Sometimes teams get bored before the playoffs, but this isn’t a team that looks bored. It leaves one to wonder what’s going on behind closed doors.

#2 Oklahoma City Thunder (last ranking: 2)

The NBA Network had a great discussion after Oklahoma City’s overtime loss to Minnesota on February 24th. The Timberwolves found ways the last quarter and a half in regulation and all of overtime to constantly double-team MVP candidate point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It slowed down an offense that scored 102 points in three quarters, to 26 the last two. Watch for this to be the new method on how to stop the Thunder, especially in the playoffs.

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers (last ranking: 1)

Not only was Cleveland the first team to lock up a playoff spot, they’re the most fun team to watch every night and currently have a 12 game winning streak. Shooting guard Donovan Mitchell should win league MVP this year for how he has both elevated his game and made everyone around him better.