Even though it's 16 months away, summer 2026 was the dominant factor in this week's surge of deadline dealing.

The Dallas Mavericks made some mistakes with their pre-2025 trade deadline moves, including an absolutely glaring one.

Having the Lakers as the biggest winner of the trade deadline may seem obvious because Doncic — the best player who moved at the trade deadline — is now a member of the organization, but this move illustrates the thought process for this team moving forward.