This trade has taken an emotional toll on the fans, players, coaches, and many team personnel in a way Nico Harrison and the Adelson family likely never expected. Jason Kidd understood the fans' perspective in his postgame interview following their big win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

Doncic, who had dragged an otherwise unremarkable Mavericks team through the Western Conference, became the face of their failure. Dallas coach Jason Kidd was forced to come out and defend his maligned star, even though without Doncic, the Mavericks were a faded Kyrie Irving and a bunch of role players.

THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS A trade so shocking the reporter who broke it had to ensure us he wasn't hacked. A trade so wild other NBA stars couldn't comprehend it. A trade so extraordinary that it actually is unprecedented -- a word we throw around a lot,