By Tyler Morello
Staff Writer
Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. Yes, this is real, and yes, this is perhaps the most surprising trade in NBA history.
At 12:12 a.m. on Feb. 2, NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news via X, breaking down the full trade which also included the Utah Jazz.
Lakers get: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
Mavericks get: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 Lakers first-rounder
Jazz get: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers second-rounder, 2025 Mavericks second-rounder
Social media was in a frenzy immediately, questioning how this even came about in the first place. Doncic, who turns 26 at the end of the month, just led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season and has been named to the All-NBA First Team each of the last five seasons. Dallas is seemingly one of the favorites to come out of the West, but they have yet to get their entire team healthy this year, including Doncic, who has only played in 22 games.
Reports have circled since the trade stating there was growing fear that Doncic had no interest in extending his contract with Dallas when it expires after the 2026 season. There were also reports that Dallas had concerns about Doncic’s conditioning problems as he had gotten up to 270 pounds, according to ESPN.
Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison approached the Lakers regarding a Doncic for Davis deal not much prior to the trade going down. Neither Doncic, Davis nor even LeBron James had any idea about the possibility of this blockbuster.
Harrison apparently thinks highly of Anthony Davis, and rightfully so. He is a world champion and All-NBA player. “I believe that defense wins championships,” Harrison told ESPN. “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.”
That final sentence causes fans to raise an eyebrow. Are the Mavericks better suited now and in the future than they would have been with Doncic? Looking at the trade on paper, the immediate answer would be an emphatic “no.”
However, if the Mavericks were so confident that they were not going to attain Doncic long-term, then they are allowed to try to get as much value out of him as possible. Still, if they wanted to move on from him, why not go for a complete rebuild?
Getting a 31-year-old and only one first-round pick for a top five player in the league who is 25 does not seem right. The Mavs now find themselves in an awkward situation with their two best players turning 33 and 32 in March and not having that much draft capital. Despite this, they still are set up to win now and have the roster to compete — just maybe not as well as if they had kept Doncic.
From the Lakers’ perspective, it is impossible to think they would ever turn down this deal when it was offered to them. The Lakers believe Doncic can be the face of the franchise for the next decade, as they have every intention of giving him an extension.
Even with acquiring a player of Doncic’s stature, this current Lakers team still has question marks. There is now no (good) center on the roster.
Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka can go a few different ways with making changes to the roster before Thursday’s trade deadline. The Lakers only have one first-round pick in 2031 and two seconds available to trade.
If they want to still compete for a championship this season, they can use the remaining draft assets along with salary filler to get a starting quality center to round out their starting five. They could also just rock with their current roster and run a lot of Dorian Finney-Smith, Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber and even James at center.
Obtaining Doncic also gives Los Angeles the flexibility to focus solely on their future, maybe even trading James for future assets. Perhaps the most realistic option they go with is keeping James through this season, and then looking to add another star next to Doncic once players like James, Hachimura, Vincent and Kleber come off the books in 2027.
At this point, it seems there is not a player on the Lakers who is safe from a trade. We will be able to tell which direction they are heading in as we get to the trade deadline.
