Luka Doncic is a Los Angeles Laker. Yes, you heard that right. This is not fake. This is not a 2k MyLeague trade. Luka Doncic is a member of the Lakers.
In arguably the biggest shock in NBA history, the Dallas Mavericks traded Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. Those two are obviously the headliners, but here are the full details below.
BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
You don’t see trades like this happen often in the NBA and this was so quiet that not even Doncic, Davis, or LeBron James knew about this move until it happened. With that said, there is a lot to unpack. Let’s start with the obvious.
The Mavericks are clear losers in this trade with the Lakers.
The Mavs had reportedly grown concerned with Doncic’s ability to stay healthy and then having to pay him supermax money next summer. Doncic has been out for more than a month due to a calf strain, but was targeting a return on February 8th.
Even with all of those concerns, Doncic changed the Mavs’ long-term outlook. He got them to a conference finals in 2022 and an NBA Finals last year. He is one of the best scorers in the NBA. He’s been on the All-NBA first team five consecutive times.
He’s turning 26 at the end of the month. Why make this move NOW? Why trade someone who is one of the best young players in the NBA for a star in his 30s with a history of lower leg issues?
Even if they couldn’t wait to get rid of Doncic, why contact the Lakers first? Why not contact Milwaukee for Giannis, as we know that there have been rumblings that he may be looking to leave for the last couple years.
Why not contact Phoenix for Kevin Durant and reunite him with Irving? Why not contact San Antonio and ask for every pick and young player they have for Doncic? Why not start a bidding war around the league? They could have gotten short-term AND long-term assets for an elite talent.
The Mavericks completely mismanaged the blockbuster package they could have gotten for Doncic.
In addition to that, while the Mavs got to keep their frontcourt of Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington, adding Davis to the fold is not the easiest fit. If you run him at the power forward, which is his desire, you have two non-floor spacers on the court. That does not work come playoff time. In order for Dallas to have success, they are likely going to have to run Davis at center. Will they get him on board with that?
As for the fit between Doncic and James, that does not matter. These guys are two of the best offensive players in the NBA. James won’t have to be as much of a primary ball handler with Doncic in the fold, and that’ll keep him fresher for the postseason.
Even if the fit doesn’t work in the short term, once James retires, Doncic becomes the face of LA. Dallas provided them with a blueprint on how to build a Finals-worthy team around him, and that’ll likely be easier to do when James retires.
LA also only gave up ONE unprotected first-round pick in this deal. They still have control of their 2031 first. They can still make another move for a big man with that pick and a player like Rui Hachimura. Rob Pelinka did a masterful job keeping this under wraps while setting up the franchise for long-term success and the chance of competing for a championship in the short term.
Dallas is a clear loser of this trade, and even if you want to argue they win in the short term because they pair Irving with Davis, what about five or even seven years down the line? We know a guy like Doncic takes everything personally. The Mavs not wanting him or believing in him as a superstar is going to fuel his career for the next decade, and the NBA can thank Dallas for poking the bear.