Mavericks Trade Luka Doncic to Lakers for Anthony Davis
On a late Saturday night, a blockbuster trade took place that sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 1st round pick to the Dallas Mavericks, in exchange for 25 year old global superstar Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Wow.
This trade is already being considered one of the most shocking trades of all time in any sport.
Luka Doncic is a generational talent and at the age of 25, he arguably has not reached his prime yet. Last season, Luka led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals and finished third in the MVP voting after averaging 33.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds per game. He also put up a 73-point game against the Atlanta Hawks last season, tying the fourth-highest scoring total ever in an NBA game. Only Chamberlain (100), Bryant (81) and Chamberlain (78) scored more. His career accolades include Rookie of the Year (2019), All-NBA First Team (2020,2021), five time NBA All-Star, and became the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in triple-doubles (2020).
In order to get a player like Luka, you have to give up a player like Anthony Davis. At 31 years of age, Davis has won the NBA Championship with the Lakers (2020), is a nine time NBA All-Star, four time All-NBA First Team, five time All-Defensive Team, and led the NBA in blocks three times (2014, 2015, 2018). Davis is still considered one of the best centers in the league and one of the best defenders in the league. Even though Anthony Davis could be considered an “un-tradable” asset to the Lakers, his future potential does not compare to Luka Doncic.
One of the more shocking details of this trade is that Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison initiated the trade and reached out to the Lakers about a potential trade that included Luka. In his words, "I believe that defense wins championships, 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." Another shocking development was that this deal was done completely in the shadows and nobody, including Luka or Davis, knew they were getting traded before the deal went public.
With Luka being a top-3 player in the NBA and Davis being a defensive powerhouse, I believe this trade will ultimately benefit both parties as intended. Dallas fans are heartbroken that they traded away a franchise player, but Nico’s plan is to win a championship now and believes trading Luka is the way to do that. Instead of having a power grab situation with two guards in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks bring in one of the most dominant centers to create a more dynamic and balanced roster meant to win games immediately. On the other hand, the Lakers have acquired their new face of the franchise that will be around for many years to come.
