Luka Doncic Trade to Lakers - Why it Happened
Mavericks and the Lakers made a stunning trade this weekend involving Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis.
By Grant Lang
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In what was a stunning trade between the Lakers and the Mavericks, Anthony Davis has been traded to the Mavericks and Luka Doncic has been traded to the Lakers. Yes, the Luka Doncic who is coming off a finals run that involved going through 3 different 50-win teams, has been traded to the Lakers of all teams. I think it is fair to say that nobody in the entire country saw this news coming. Everyone thought it was a joke at first, and went back to what they were doing before double-checking just in-case to find out how real it truly is. For Lakers fans, they are ecstatic. For Mavericks fans, they are devastated and likely on suicide watch as we speak.
The trade itself is not the only thing that is surprising, as once the finer details of the trade are worked out, it becomes more and more clear how little this trade made sense for the Mavericks. Nico Harrison, GM of the Mavericks, seems to have gone on an inexplicable power trip that now leaves him with an unhappy fanbase, city, and Anthony Davis. The finer details of the trade are below:
Los Angeles Lakers get:
Dallas Mavericks get:
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2029 first-round pick
Utah Jazz get:
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2025 second-round pick
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2025 second-round pick (via Clippers)
X.com
What was once a time of misery for the Lakers has turned into one of hope and future, whereas what was once a time of hope for the Mavericks has turned into one of misery.
Tim McMahon specifies that very few other teams were approached with the prospect of a Doncic trade, with those that were contacted rejecting Harrison's trade proposals (suspected to be Bucks).
The shocked Doncic claimed that he never heard anything about the trade prior to it being made, did not understand it, and very much seemed like he did not appreciate it either. Luka had made the NBA finals the prior season with the Mavericks, in which they fell 4-1 to the Boston Celtics in what was, by all accounts, a very lopsided series overall. Luka claims he made no indication that he would not resign with the Mavericks when provided the opportunity, which has led to speculation among people on the internet as well as sportscasters that the Mavericks primary concerns were rooted in the expensive contract that they would eventually pay Luka.
He sent a goodbye letter to Dallas in which he thanked the fans for their support and his time with the franchise. Luka looks forward to the new beginnings with the Lakers as well as the opportunity of playing in Los Angeles, but seems to be dissapointed with the sour terms that he ended his tenure in Dallas with.
Luka Dončić has garnered numerous accolades since entering the NBA. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2019 and has been selected as an NBA All-Star multiple times, showcasing his elite talent. Additionally, Luka earned the All-NBA First Team honors 5 years straight. His impressive performances have also made him a key player in playoff scenarios, further solidifying his status in the league.
Opinions on the trade generally revolve around the lopsided nature of it, but without Anthony Davis or Luka playing a game up until this point, it is very difficult to gauge the actual quality of the trade for both teams; time will tell.