Jaylen Brown: Mavericks' Luka-to-Lakers "Worst Trade Ever"

Merlin sees the league flinch: NBA players were visibly stunned when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić to the Lakers, a reaction captured in Netflix’s Starting 5 trailer where Jaylen Brown called it, “That might be, like, one of the worst trades of all time.” The docuseries also follows Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, Tyrese Haliburton and James Harden — a season that ended with Haliburton tearing his Achilles in Game 7 — giving the moment wider context and making players’ reactions part of the public record. Merlin senses this is more than hot takes for a streaming show. When peers openly question a blockbuster, narratives harden: front offices’ decisions, team chemistry and legacies get rejudged. Expect long debates, film-room autopsies and a lasting stain or redemption arc depending on on-court results.