On a night where John Cena losing the WWE Royal Rumble should’ve been the biggest news of the night, the Dallas Mavericks said “hold my beer.”
In what has instantly become one of the craziest, unexpected deals in modern NBA history – maybe ever – the Mavericks’ franchise cornerstone, Luka Dončić has been dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team deal that also involved the Utah Jazz. Here is the full deal:
Lakers receive: Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
Mavericks receive: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 1st Round pick
Jazz receive: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 LA Clippers 2nd Round pick, 2025 Mavericks 2nd Round pick
Let’s break down what this means specifically for the Lakers and Mavericks; first, let’s start with Dallas.
WHY DALLAS GAVE UP ON DONČIĆ
There really isn’t a nicer way to say this: the Mavericks were convinced that Luka Dončić was never going to be “the guy”, so they sent him off. Now to be fair, this doesn’t qualify as a fire sale because you bring back equal value in Anthony Davis, who is a former NBA Champion and 10-time All-Star. But when this deal is shocking even the likes of Lebron James – who was out for dinner with his family when the news dropped – you likely are in the wrong.
But why now? According to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, the Mavericks had grown tired of his lackluster conditioning, and the threat of his upcoming supermax extension this summer, where he would’ve been eligible for a 5-year, $345 million extension. Seeing how they feel like they reached a ceiling with his play, they were honestly smart to make this move now rather than a) pay him or b) let him walk for nothing. This truly was a deal that no one expected – based on reports it was Dallas that reached out to Los Angeles, not the other way around.
With that being said, now that Dončić is no longer eligible for that supermax deal, this makes it less of a gamble for the Lakers, who clearly also felt that they’ve done the most they could have with the pairing of Davis and Lebron James, and are looking to maximize whatever window may be left for James and his opportunity for one more championship ring.
Dallas also shores up their defense, which GM Nico Harrison made clear was a priority in this trade. What this does is give the Mavericks another great pick-and-roll duo with Davis and Kyrie Irving, plus the opportunity to stretch the floor defensively in a way that Donĉić just couldn’t do.
Now, here is the confusing part: if the Mavericks were concerned about Dončić’s conditioning (in the same report, McMahon tweeted that he was pushing 270 lbs), who then make a deal for a 32-year-old power forward/center who has an injury list the size of Baskin Robbins’ ice cream menu? And to top, you’re trading a guy who at the age of 25, not only just took you to the NBA Finals, but is considered by many of his peers to be a GENERATIONAL talent that when he’s on is a top 5 player in the league.
WHY THE LAKERS TRADED DAVIS
Now, this side of the coin gets a little more hazy. Davis, as of this writing, was 9th in the league in points (25.7), 11th in rebounds (11.9), and had started in 42 of the Lakers’ 47 games this season. For a guy of Davis’s stature – that would be considered a good season…except he plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. And to add, he was supposed to be the man to be given the keys to the franchise to run once Lebron James retired.
While there have been glimpses of the monster that Davis could be, the Lakers would’ve have moved on unless they truly felt Dončić wasn’t going to be a momentum changer. Granted, there was every reason for general manager Rob Pelinka to do so – Davis is 32 to Dončić’s 25, his injury histand the prospect of a Dončić/James duo does get one wet behind the ears – but this definitely wasn’t a deal that anyone in the NBA, much less any sports media, saw coming.
When the likes of Ariel Helwani and Naismith Hall of Famer David Aldridge are saying this is the most shocking deal they’ve seen in their lifetimes…that’s saying something. It would be one thing if either team was out of playoff contention, but both teams are in playoff contention. Add to the fact that Dončić is considered to be one of the best of all-time, and the Mavericks may have just fleeced themselves.
