Luka Dončić is gone. A generational talent. A player you build around, not trade away. Yet, the Dallas Mavericks made the decision to trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers based on financial constraints and roster fit concerns.
History suggests they will regret this. But they are not alone.
The Portland Trail Blazers selected Greg Oden over Kevin Durant in 2007, believing he fit their system better. He played just 105 NBA games. Kevin Durant became one of the greatest players of all time.
The New England Patriots let Tom Brady walk away in 2020, believing they could replace him with a younger, cheaper option. He promptly won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay while the Patriots have continued to struggle.
The Minnesota Vikings once traded multiple first-round picks for Herschel Walker, believing he would lead them to a championship. Instead, the Dallas Cowboys built a dynasty with those picks.
The parallels in healthcare are striking.
A hospital cuts nursing staff to save money, only to see patient outcomes decline and turnover skyrocket. A health system lets experienced physicians leave, assuming replacements will be just as effective, only to lose patient trust and institutional knowledge.
These are not just operational missteps. They are franchise-altering mistakes.
What leads to these miscalculations, and how can healthcare leaders avoid them?
1. Failing to defer to expertise: The cost of ignoring front-line voices
The Mavericks had a generational talent in Luka Dončić. They just did not listen.
Great organizations build around their difference-makers rather than restructuring them out of the picture. The best sports teams recognize that winning is not just about strategy but about trusting the players who make the biggest impact.
Healthcare faces the same challenge when executives fail to include caregivers, physicians, nurses and front-line teams in decision-making. Top-down strategies that overlook clinical expertise often lead to disengagement, operational inefficiencies and unintended harm to patients.
What healthcare leaders must do instead
- Ensure that clinicians play a meaningful role in shaping strategy and workflow decisions
- Engage caregivers early in policy and operational changes rather than introducing them after the fact
- Recognize that those closest to patient care often have the best insights into improving outcomes and avoiding unintended consequences
Example: Adhering to high-reliability organization principles
Many health systems are embedding high-reliability principles across their organizations. At Ballad Health, the rollout of the high reliability organization journey is reinforcing a culture where zero harm, psychological safety and deference to expertise guide leadership decisions. This ensures that front-line caregivers are not only heard but have a direct role in shaping patient safety policies and operational strategy. The best healthcare organizations, like the best teams, listen to their most valuable players.
2. The Illusion of Replaceability Valuing Difference-Makers
The Mavericks thought they could trade Luka Dončić and still contend. The Patriots thought Tom Brady's departure would not impact their success. The Blazers assumed they could pass on Kevin Durant and be fine. They were all wrong.
Healthcare leaders make the same mistake when they assume physicians, nurses and other clinicians are interchangeable. Talent, institutional knowledge and patient relationships are not commodities. When key caregivers leave, the impact on morale, patient safety and culture can be severe.
What healthcare leaders must do instead
- Retain and develop key caregivers by investing in leadership training, career growth and clinician well-being
- Recognize the value of experience in maintaining patient trust and organizational stability
- Some organizations are prioritizing structured workforce development programs to strengthen engagement and retention
Example: Investing in caregiver development
Rather than assuming talent is easily replaceable, some healthcare organizations are investing in professional development to strengthen engagement, retention and leadership capabilities. One such example is Ballad Health's B Excellent initiative, which is focused on developing all team members across the system to enhance patient experience, team engagement, leadership effectiveness and clinical excellence.
Through B Excellent, caregivers receive structured coaching, skill-building opportunities and leadership development training to support continuous professional growth. By aligning leadership development with front-line needs, organizations like Ballad Health are not just filling roles but strengthening the foundation of patient care.
The best healthcare organizations build around their difference-makers rather than assuming they can easily be replaced.
3. Overreliance on operational efficiency at the cost of stability
The Mavericks believed they could achieve better team balance by moving Luka Dončić. The Patriots thought Tom Brady's departure would allow them to reset financially. The Vikings gave up their future for a short-term fix with Herschel Walker.
Healthcare organizations fall into a similar trap when they prioritize cost-cutting over long-term sustainability. Hospitals that reduce nursing staff may see short-term savings but suffer increased medical errors, readmissions, and higher recruitment costs. The irony: the financial burden of these consequences often exceeds the original cost savings.
What healthcare leaders must do instead
- Balance efficiency with resilience: Cost reduction efforts should not compromise patient care or clinician well-being
- Establish decision-making guardrails that ask"
- Will this decision strengthen or weaken patient care in three to five years?
- Have we engaged front-line caregivers to anticipate unintended consequences?
- Instead of focusing on short-term labor cost reductions, some health systems are investing in sustainable improvements that enhance both patient care and clinician well-being
Example: Investing in nursing efficiency and competitive wages
Some hospitals have implemented EHR workflow enhancements to reduce documentation time, minimize administrative burden and allow nurses to focus more on patient care. Ballad Health's initiative led to a significant reduction in CNA documentation time and saved over 15 million clicks in seven months.
Recognizing that retention is key to patient care stability, some systems have increased starting wages for nurses and key clinical staff rather than relying on temporary staffing solutions. In 2024, Ballad Health invested $33 million to raise nurse salaries, benefiting more than 5,600 employees.
These efforts show that true efficiency is about strengthening caregivers, not replacing them.
4. Avoiding the Luka mistake: Building a culture of smart decision-making
The Mavericks handed another team a generational talent. The Patriots let a franchise icon walk away. The Vikings gave away their future. The Blazers ignored a generational player in Kevin Durant.
Organizations that fail to recognize and protect their most valuable assets, people, pay the price.
To avoid these pitfalls, healthcare leaders must
- Listen to their difference-makers rather than imposing top-down mandates
- Retain and develop top clinical talent rather than assuming they are replaceable
- Balance operational efficiency with long-term resilience to protect patient care
- Build decision-making guardrails to prevent reactionary moves with unintended consequences
Great healthcare organizations do not just optimize for the next fiscal year. They make deliberate, forward-thinking choices that strengthen patient care, caregiver engagement and long-term success.
Final thought: What healthcare can learn from sports leadership
Every great sports franchise builds around its best players. Healthcare organizations must do the same with their best clinicians.
A well-run hospital or health system, like a championship team, thrives not just on efficiency and financial models but on culture, trust and leadership.
The Mavericks lost sight of that with Luka Dončić. The Patriots with Tom Brady. The Vikings with Herschel Walker. The Blazers with Kevin Durant.
Healthcare leaders must ensure they do not make the same mistake.