Blockbuster Trade Sends AD to Dallas, Luka to LA

Published: Sunday, February 2, 2025

by Jacob Marcial

In a move unexpected even by the players involved, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks confirmed a trade that will swap superstars Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania. 

Charania broke news of the deal on X just past midnight on Sunday, which will send Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Lakers, while the Mavericks are acquiring Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ first-round draft pick in 2029. The trade also included the Utah Jazz, who will get Jalen Hood-Schifino from the Lakers and two second-round picks belonging to the Los Angeles Clippers and the Mavericks.

To call the trade unanticipated would be an understatement. Immediately following the news, the NBA community took to social media with collective confusion and shock, even players themselves such as Joel Embiid, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart posting their reactions. Even athletes from other sports could not believe it. 

“Wait what?”, was the initial reaction from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and Mavericks fan, Patrick Mahomes, on his X account after the trade was reported. This sentiment was shared across the sports world, even by the teams themselves.

“This deal materialized in the shadows”, said Charania in an interview on SportsCenter. “Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, the players, coaches… had no idea”.

This is an age in which many people, even players, get their sports news broken to them by social media, and this seems to be the latest, and biggest, example of that.

Perhaps the most shocking development was that the Mavericks approached the Lakers with the deal, signaling they felt they should move on from Doncic. 

Doncic, who turns 26 at the end of the month, has been hampered by injury this season. In a limited 22 games, he is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. Davis was recently named an All-Star reserve and is averaging 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds, adding over two blocks per game as well. That last stat could offer a well-sought-after reason for this otherwise questionable trade from Dallas.

“I believe that defense wins championships”, said Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison. “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance”.

Davis is indeed a much better defender than Doncic. He has been named to the NBA All-Defensive team five times in his career, while Doncic garnered concerns about his effort and capabilities on defense in last year’s NBA finals. He allowed the highest blow-by percentage in a single playoff series in history at 67.7%.

Other issues the Mavericks had with Doncic were related to his health. The team had reportedly grown frustrated with Doncic’s conditioning habits, with his weight supposedly reaching 270 pounds recently, contributing to his trend of injuries over the last few seasons. He has not played since Christmas Day after straining his calf, an injury he has suffered multiple times since September. Yet swapping superstars so far apart in age and talent feels ill-advised, both for the present and the future.

This move marks a look toward the future of Los Angeles. Trading the aging Davis for the younger Doncic gives them something to build around, when now 40-year-old LeBron James eventually retires. 

However, pairing the reigning scoring champ with the seemingly ageless James still poses a threat to the top teams in the league right now, as the Lakers keep pace in the Western Conference standings. They will now pivot to fill the gap at the center position, with other trades being discussed. 

For Dallas, it seems as though nobody understands what their vision is. Trading away the face of a franchise in their prime never really makes sense, but the Mavericks just did it. Clinging onto the eighth seed in the West, they hope Davis can provide what Doncic and others couldn’t; defense and presence in the frontcourt. 

It is almost impossible to replicate Doncic’s offensive prowess, but Davis is still a premier player on both ends of the court. The new pairing with star Kyrie Irving will also be exciting to watch. Yet the future of the team now seems hazy without the young superstar.

Stuck in a tight playoff race, the Lakers and Mavericks struck one of the biggest deals in NBA history days before the trade deadline in hopes of helping their championship odds. Nearing the final stretch, we will soon learn whether it was worth it for either team.

Jacob Marcial can be reached at jacob.marcial@student.shu.edu. 

 

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