Very seldom does a sports trade in today's social media-crazed society both fly under the radar and stun the entire sports landscape from the players, owners and fans alike. Yet the recent blockbuster trade between the (31-19) Los Angeles Lakers and (26-25) Dallas Mavericks did just that, leaving everyone who caught wind of the deal in utter disbelief even to this day now a week later. Just hours after the Lakers defeated the New York Knicks 128-112 at the famed Madison Square Garden, the Lakers and Mavs agreed to a deal that sent Luka Doncic to L.A. for Anthony Davis. The trade initially surfaced on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, and was immediately assumed to be fake with initial reactions assuming someone had hacked ESPN's account. Once league sources confirmed the trade was in fact legit, the deal sent shockwaves that were unprecedented and unlike anything the NBA or any other major North American sports league has ever seen, marking the first time in NBA history that two reigning All-NBA players were traded for each other in the middle of the season. The trade was so big and so out of left field that it would even steal the spotlight as the talk of the town in the week leading up to the NFL's Super Bowl.
Once the smoke began to clear and we learned more about the trade details, things only got weirder as it was learned that the Lakers were the only team approached by the Mavericks regarding a trade for the 25-year-old Doncic. Dallas GM Nico Harrison says the conversation started weeks ago over coffee between him and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka before materializing and becoming a reality. This would come off as quite the surprise given Harrison who has been made out to be a complete fool, could've possibly gotten a bigger package in return elsewhere, or at the very least gotten other teams involved to create a bidding war to up the ante. It's also hard to believe that there would be a single team in the league that wouldn't at least kick the tires on acquiring a generational talent in the middle of his prime like Doncic. Instead, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka made out like a bandit in the night. Also included in the trade were the Utah Jazz. With power forwards Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris also landing in L.A., the Lakers shipped guard Max Christie and their 2029 1st-Round Draft pick to Dallas. Meanwhile, Utah received guard Jalen Hood-Schifino from the Lakers as well as 2025 2nd-Round picks from the Mavs and Los Angeles Clippers. The deal was so clandestine that Jazz GM and former Celtics legend Danny Ainge had no idea he was helping a former rival acquire Luka and by the time he got wind of it, it was too late. Who knows whether or not he might've pulled the plug on his team's involvement if he was aware of the trade details and the Lakers reaping the benefits.
While the Lakers appear to have gotten away with highway robbery in the trade by making out with a player as young and as talented as Doncic, the Mavericks who are just a season removed from winning the West and making an NBA Finals appearance, do stack up very well on paper with the addition of Anthony Davis who now joins a lineup that also includes Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford and Quentin Grimes. In acquiring Davis, Mavs GM Nico Harrison had this to say: "I believe that defense wins championships. I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We're built to win now and in the future." However, Mavs fans aren't buying it. Having held boycotts all week outside of the team's arena since the day the trade took place and demanding Harrison to be fired, the Mavericks have begun offering refunds to fans who cancelled their season ticket packages following the trade of their favorite player. But it doesn't end there. The team has had to beef up security for their front office staff due to death threats made by fans. The fact that the Mavs would ship out their best player has left many executives around the league puzzled. But Luka's conditioning or lack thereof is rumored to be one of the main reasons Dallas was willing to move on from him as the team was not exactly sold on committing a super max contact extension worth $345 Million due to his weight, lack of defense and his continuous head-butting with officials.
Blindsided by the trade, Luka says he heard nothing from the Mavericks ownership or the coaches regarding a potential trade and thought that he would spend his entire NBA career with the franchise that drafted him 3rd overall in 2018. Luka admitted to crying when he got the news and was not the only one taken by surprise as his new teammate and idol LeBron James was out at dinner with his family in New York City when the news came across. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis was getting ready to watch a movie with his wife when the news broke. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd also admitted to being unaware of the situation until the trade was already agreed upon. Former Mavs majority owner Mark Cuban shared a similar sentiment and said he was "confused" about the trade. Luka's father also criticized the Mavs organization for the way they went about the trade that will cost his family a few pretty pennies. Another heartbreaking aspect is the $15 Million mansion that Luka reportedly purchased in Dallas just days before being sent to Hollywood. While he can still sign a 5-year contract extension with the Lakers in the summer, Luka will miss out on $117 Million after the trade as he is no longer eligible for the $345 Million super max extension.
Elsewhere, Laker fans won't have to think too hard into what life might look like after LeBron James decides to hang 'em up as they now have their new young superstar and a face of the franchise that they can build around. Anthony Davis was expected to be that guy, but with an lengthy injury history and six years older at the age of 31, it's safe to say Lakers GM Rob Pelinka made the right move. NBA's reigning scoring champion from a season ago (33.9 PPG), Luka has made five All-Star Games and has been named to the All-NBA First Team five times already in his young career. In comparison, Davis who is a 10-time All-Star has been named to the All-NBA First Team only four times despite being in the league nearly twice as long as the younger Doncic. The Slovenian-born superstar will be at the forefront of the Lakers' future plans in the franchise's changing of the guard with only two players on the roster over the age of 27 at the time of the trade. Ranked third all-time averaging 28.6 points-per-game throughout his career, Luka is averaging 28.1 PPG on the season and will now be coached by his former Dallas teammate JJ Redick who is in his first year at the helm in L.A. and spent his final NBA season alongside Doncic in 2020-21. Doncic was quick to win over the hearts of fans in L.A. after the Luka Doncic Foundation, which was launched in December, donated $500K to the wildfire relief efforts that devastated much of the area just last month.
As for Davis who is averaging 25.7 PPG and 12.0 rebounds, his departure from the Lakers will be bittersweet as the often-injured big man had entered the season coming off his best year yet in terms of games played with 76 starts a year ago. A perennial All-Star, Davis was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Team 5-times and was consistently named a finalist for the league's Defensive Player of the Year Award despite never taking home the hardware. AD helped the Lakers capture the NBA title during the Covid-plagued 2019-20 season in his first year with the team after coming over from the New Orleans Pelicans via trade. As shocking as the news was for Davis, he did waive his $5.9 Million trade kicker as part of the deal, giving his new club some flexibility. Unfortunately, Davis did have to leave the game early when making his Mavericks debut after suffering an abductor strain that will keep him sidelined for multiple weeks and might even require surgery. Prior to leaving the court, Davis was off to an impressive start with his new team, scoring 26 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in 31 minutes. After the trade and before Davis's injury, the Mavericks saw their playoff chances drop to 57.2 percent according to ESPN analytics. Meanwhile, the chances of the Lakers making the playoffs jumped to 96.5 percent. Adding insult to injury, the final grades given by ESPN for each team's involvement in the trade included an F for the Mavs, a B for the Jazz and an A for the Lakers.
While time will tell who the ultimate winner of the trade will be, all early signs are pointing to the Lakers who have once again relied on acquiring superstar talent via the trade market. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant are just a few names that come to mind who have landed with the Lakers via trade over the course of history and have made quite the impact. Luka is the latest player who will have a shot at cementing his legacy and forever etching his name into Laker lore.
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