If you haven’t heard the news, the Dallas Mavericks traded their five-time All-NBA player Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber & Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis, Max Christie & a 2029 unprotected first round pick on Saturday night. The Utah Jazz got their hands upon the trade as well, acquiring Jalen-Hood-Schifino and a pair of 2025 second round picks from both the Lakers and Mavericks. To say this a block-buster trade would be an understatement.

This is a decade-plus, franchise altering decision for both teams. Dallas fans truly believed they had their second version of Dirk Nowitzki, and it’s hard to fault them considering the Mavericks were in the NBA Finals just last year. The Mavericks engaged the Lakers about doing this, which is especially shocking considering any trade in this type of stratosphere usually has the buyer paying market premium and engaging the team with proposals. 

It is hard to work a precedent off this trade’s magnitude because this very well could be the highest profile mid-season move (or move in general) ever in NBA history. Hell, maybe even sports history.

To be a player of Anthony Davis’s magnitude and be considered “robbing” a team in a trade is unprecedented. Davis is a ten-time All Star, Olympic and NBA Champion, who is barely on the other side of 30 years old. Luka is that good, and he’s only 25 years old. The trade is so bad, fans and even league executives are questioning collusion. In an article that could go on for days, I will try to break it down for both sides of the trade, as well as the future for Luka Doncic. 

 

Dallas Mavericks

To think the trade just happened in a day like it is ‘NBA 2K’ would be ludicrous, but even Luka is wondering where it went south with him and team management. Reports came out shortly after the trade, from what I would imagine were the words of general manager Nico Harrison’s thoughts, saying Dallas was concerned about his weight and “being in game shape”. There had also been discussion about how the Mavericks were on the fence about signing him to the super-max extension he was due for.

Harrison also discussed how the trade strengthens their defense and gives Dallas what they need to win a championship. Saying all of these things, giving away a top five (at absolute worst) player, not even in the prime of his athletic abilities, especially for a player six years older and injury ridden, is incomprehensible.

We’ve never seen a player of Doncic’s caliber traded in NBA history, period. Kobe Bryant asked for a trade  from the Lakers but that did not come to fruition. Shaquille O’Neal was not at his prime by the time he got moved to the Miami Heat. Every player that has come close to his caliber asked for a trade or there was an obvious situation happening that they were getting moved.

It’s simply unfathomable to think an NBA front office thought this through. And oh, have I mentioned they only talked to the Lakers? If they had leaked that he was available, the Mavericks could’ve landed triple the value of what they got. It’s such terrible negotiating tactics, that it should be considered GM malpractice. Fans of the NBA are so shocked, they’re questioning whether Adam Silver made this happen or if this is collusion. 

Speaking of fans, Maverick fans are absolutely gutted. There were protests outside the arena as early as Sunday Morning for a trade that happened at 11:12 PM Central Saturday Night. Viral videos have come out showing bars and clubs announcing the deal, and Mavericks fans absolutely losing their mind. They believed this guy was going to be around for a decade to come, and at the very least, the next two seasons (where he’s scheduled for free agency in 2026).

Kids in Dallas just lost their favorite athlete over a team destroying the future to “win now”. Jason Kidd said he was shocked, as were we all. The Mavericks now have three to four years tops to win as much as they can before they start a rebuild, but if they kept Doncic, that window would be ten years at least. Doncic never indicated that he wanted to leave, stating in his departing post from Dallas that he wanted to be there his entire career.

The move just makes no sense, and Nico Harrison is not making himself look any better by what he’s stated publicly. The team they have now is still a competitive team. They now have a very strong front court, and Kyrie can take primary ball handling duties again. It is no secret that Anthony Davis and Kyrie have wanted to play together for seven to eight years now, but I doubt either of them imagined it would happen this way.

Jason Kidd has strong depth to work with and could make a push to win the West this year. They currently stand ninth in the West, with only 2.5 games back of making the sixth seed. To get to a top three seed would be a large hill to climb but there’s hope in still getting the fourth seed. But in the end, the fans won’t really care how well this team does this year because they lost their franchise player. 

 

Los Angeles Lakers 

They’ve done it again! The Lakers haven’t drafted a home grown star player since Kobe in the 1996 (who they acquired on draft night from the Charlotte Hornets). Time after time, star’s have been drawn to the bright lights of Hollywood and joined the Lakers, the most well known franchise in the NBA. Prior to the trade, the Lakers had a rebuild coming on their horizon, with Davis getting close to the end of his Prime and LeBron James at the final mile of his marathon career.

They haven’t drafted anyone that could get to the star threshold since their acquisition of LeBron, so the gap of competing for championships looked to be on the precipice for the franchise. With this trade, it can only be assumed Doncic will sign an extension and be the face of LA for the next decade, because why wouldn’t he? The only way he could possibly want to leave is if he just doesn’t like the city, or is too enticed by the idea of teaming up with his superstar, and good friend, Nikola Jokic. When stars get to LA they rarely leave, especially for the marquee teams like the Lakers and Dodgers. There was a time after last year’s championship that the Boston Celtics could take a sizable advantage of the championship leader in the NBA but this trade has closed that thought. 

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has done his best work yet in his career being with the Lakers. Year after year, demands are asked for him to deliver time and time again the best roster possible for LeBron to strive for another championship, and now, it’s no longer LeBron’s team. This fell into Pelinka’s lap in all honesty, as the Mavericks proposed the idea to him. Initially when he was enquired by Nico Harrison, Pelinka thought he was joking. The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind and here he was with the team with that asset willing to just give it up.

In fact, the initial offer the Mavericks had in mind was much better than what they accepted, but Pelinka negotiated them down by selling the Mavericks on how much risk he was taking by doing the deal. The reported first deal would’ve included multiple first rounders and Dalton Knecht or Austin Reeves. An absolute masterclass by Pelinka, he certainly locked himself up the ‘Executive of the Year’ award even if the Lakers don’t go far in the playoffs.

He certainly just locked his job up for the foreseeable future by acquiring Doncic while returning under minimal assets for the player of Doncic caliber. Mikal Bridges, forward for the New York Knicks, got traded this off-season from the Brooklyn Nets for five (5) first round picks. The Lakers only traded one. A truly astounding job to make such a trade happen. The Lakers franchise has become a marquee (like if it ever wasn’t) destination for free agents to join. Once Luka steps in the building, it’s very hard to see him leaving the building that two of his basketball idols (Kobe Bryant & LeBron James) have played or still play at. LeBron had no idea of the trade happening, as most of every other person in either organization. From early reports, it is clear he’s upset to see his friend Anthony Davis leave, but cannot help himself from being excited to work with Doncic. The Lakers have an incomplete roster as of now so Pelinka is going to have to work extra to get this team ready to compete this year. 

 

Luka Doncic

Luka was absolutely shocked. As stated previously, he expressed that he wanted to spend his career in the North part of the ‘Lone Star State’, and would sign the super-max extension if it was offered to him. Unfortunately for Doncic, now he is no longer eligible to earn the super-max by being traded. That ultimately cost him an estimated $117 Million over the 5 years of his next deal. He has every reason to feel slighted, as the Mavericks have already started a smear campaign with his departure of why it wouldn’t work out for them. They cost him over $100 Million. Yes, it is hard to feel bad for athlete’s or public figures that make exorbitant salaries, but losing $100 million is tough no matter how much money you make.

I believe we will see a version of Luka Doncic that we have never seen before. First of all, you’re giving a top three NBA player extra motivation by calling him something that pisses off any athlete: Fat and lazy. The Mavericks leaked he weighed 270 pounds when they traded him. They made it seem like he was so inept at conditioning and nutrition that he had to be sold for pennies on the dollar. He is going to put up a second half this season that will stand against any player in NBA history’s work.

Initially when the trade happened, I looked at this as not caring about this year and looking towards the future, but with a trade or two, this team could be the Western Conference Finals representative. A fired up Doncic matched with a rejuvenated LeBron could spell trouble for the rest of the league. The Lakers still have plenty of depth to have pieces around those two to compete. They just need a big man or two and they’re set. The Lakers currently stand fifth in the West and if they go on a hot tear, could still get a top three spot. 

While Doncic should feel angry about losing $120 Million in on-court earnings, he shouldn’t be too upset because he just made hundreds of millions in off-the-court earnings through endorsements. Becoming the face of sports Hollywood is extremely lucrative, and with a likable personality like his, he just cashed in huge. Dallas is a large city in one of the richest states (Texas) but does not have the opportunities that LA has to give. Pair that with the fact he gets to work everyday with his sports idol LeBron gives him a situation he would’ve never imagined.

Getting to learn his health and conditioning habits first hand, as well as all the medical steps could add years to Doncic’s career with this move. He might be very upset about leaving Dallas, but once he gets settled into Los Angeles, his potential is limitless. The possibility of winning championships in his future has just intensified, and he will be the center of attention in the league whether he likes it or not. The significance of doing this could leave him on the all time greats list of not only Lakers, but NBA players in general. We could be seeing him be a dynasty leader by being moved to the Lakers, who constantly chase championships. 

Overall, this trade will go down as one of the biggest in sports history. We might not ever see a player of his magnitude get traded again at the age he is at. Often times do we overreact and hyperbolize the effects of a trade for the sports landscape but I think with this one it will be hard to do. Only time will tell.