In perhaps the most shocking trade in the history of sports, the Dallas Mavericks traded superstar Luka Dončić early Sunday morning to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package that included Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers 2029 first-round pick. Additionally, the Mavericks sent the Lakers Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, and the Utah Jazz were able to acquire Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-round picks.
By every account, the trade was an unexpected nuclear bomb that is sure to send shock waves across the NBA for years to come. There had been no mention from league sources indicating the Mavericks were entertaining the idea of trading Dončić, and the prospect of trading the 25-year-old MVP candidate was unfathomable prior to Saturday night.
When the trade was announced on X, a majority of people across social media were stunned to the point of believing ESPN reporter Shams Charania, who first broke the news, was hacked. In his follow-up post, Charania had to clarify: “Yes, this is real.”
Dozens of NBA stars reacted immediately to the trade, including the likes of Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant and even NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In his postgame press conference on Sunday, Durant said, “Players are held to a different standard of loyalty and commitment to a program, but the organizations don’t get held to that same standard from the outside world, whether it’s from the media members or fans…We all should be held to that same standard.”
For the Mavericks, this deal sends a message of an organizational shift. Following the news of the deal, Dallas general manager Nico Harrison spoke at length about how he believes this move puts them closer to a championship. “I do believe that we positioned ourselves to win now and also win in the future. And that’s ultimately the goal and why we’re here,” he said.
Following the deal, fans of both the Mavericks and the NBA were left searching for answers on why Harrison made this deal now. Reports surfaced online, including from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, that the team was concerned about Dončić’s weight and conditioning, who is now reported as being close to 260 lbs.
Regardless of his weight, there is no denying Dončić’s talent. The Slovenian star has been named to the All-NBA’s First Team five times, and led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals just seven months ago.
As for Davis, the nine-time All Star joins Kyrie Irving and his former head coach Jason Kidd in Dallas. Davis won a championship with LeBron James and the Lakers in 2020, one year removed from his trade from the New Orleans Pelicans.
wjackso2@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @lucadoncic, Instagram
