![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
The Dallas Mavericks sent shockwaves through the NBA by trading their young franchise cornerstone, Luka Dončić, to the Los Angeles Lakers for veteran All-Star Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and picks on Feb. 1. Now, a month later, the league community at large has weighed in regarding the incredible ramifications for each franchise. Dončić has begun to play with the Lakers, who now possess the 2nd seed in the Western Conference. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison lies beneath striking criticism, from purported acts of dissent from team Greatest of All Time Dirk Nowitzki to harrowing threats made by crazed fans. The question remains, though: just how much damage will this cause for the Mavs?
Harrison’s reasons for trading Dončić remain murky. Various league insiders have stated that Dallas viewed fitness as a major negative for Dončić’s future as a franchise player, but despite varied claims about poor weight management by the European superstar, his production never slowed. Some have claimed that Dallas wanted to avoid paying Dončić the 345 million dollar supermax that he would have been eligible for in a year, but considering the massive contract owed to Davis, that reason fails to hold up under scrutiny.
To the disappointment of Mavericks fans, the Dončić trade will probably resonate in league history as a generational screw-up by the front office. The deal, which remained private between the uppermost management of the Mavericks and Lakers until its finalization, hinges on a false reality that Doncic’s health is a bigger risk than Davis’— one that would continually deny Dallas a championship. It seems unlikely that any professional general manager of a basketball team could believe this, but considering Harrison’s bullish public stance on the trade, it remains possible.
Unfortunately for the new-look Mavs, the star power of Davis has never reached the heights of what the 25-year-old Dončić has already achieved. The former only reached the promised land of the NBA Finals playing sidekick to LeBron James, while the latter led an understaffed team to an NBA finals appearance last year. Now, Davis joins the same flimsy roster that Dončić carried.
Barring an improbable career-defining performance from Davis, the Mavericks do not have the firepower, financial freedom or secondary assets to build or maintain a championship roster. With Dončić, they could have bet on the Slovenian scoring machine’s incredible output to elevate their mediocre team to championship heights. Now, due to the fan outrage over the trade, and under more pressure than any front office or roster in the league, they must make do with an aging, injury-prone star.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, can now hand the keys to the kingdom of Lakers basketball from James to Dončić, maintaining the level of superstardom at the face of their franchise. Judging by the latter’s more slow-paced, technique-reliant playstyle, the Lakers could be looking forward to a decade-plus of high-level performance from their new star.
On top of that, a newly motivated Dončić, disrespected by the franchise he led for the opening portion of his career, will look to prove doubters wrong through the revitalization of a roster with his scoring and playmaking talent. All Dallas, Nico Harrison and the rest of the league can do is watch, and fruitlessly hope that far-fetched, negative idea the Mavericks had regarding Dončić Magic’s future as a franchise definer comes true.
