Major Trades in Two Leagues Could Leave the Carolina Hurricanes & Dallas Mavericks Second-Guessing
The NHL and NBA have recently been buzzing with high-profile trades involving star athletes. One of the biggest moves saw Luka Doncic traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and additional players. As one of the league’s top talents at his position, Doncic now has the opportunity to make his former team regret their decision in the years ahead. Similarly, the Carolina Hurricanes made waves by trading Martin Necas for Mikko Rantanen. While the players differ in style, there are undeniable parallels in the impact of these trades.
What stands out the most is the age of the players involved. Both are still young, with room to develop beyond their current levels. Their potential isn’t just about reaching their expected ceilings—it’s about surpassing them.
Doncic has already accomplished a lot at his age, whereas Necas still has more space to grow. At 25, Doncic led the NBA in several categories and made it to the Finals. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Necas is hitting his stride in his career. After struggling to fit into Rod Brind’Amour’s defensive system, he now has more freedom to play his style in Colorado.
Necas has been a key contributor for Carolina over the past two seasons, helping the Hurricanes reach the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the eventual champions, the Florida Panthers. His back-to-back 20-goal seasons elevated his status, leading to contract disputes with the team. This season, Necas has already surpassed his previous point total and is on track to break his career-high of 71 points.
While neither player is flawless—because no athlete is—these trades could haunt the Hurricanes and Mavericks in the next five to ten years if Necas and Doncic end up dominating their respective leagues and winning multiple championships. Carolina faces an even greater risk, as Rantanen could leave in free agency this summer, much like Jake Guentzel did last year.
