Luka Dončić Swapped for Anthony Davis in Blockbuster Trade
Photo Credit: Daniel Cole/Reuters
On 2 February 2025, the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ own 2029 unprotected first round pick. The Utah Jazz, a third team in the deal, obtained Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second round draft picks—one from each of the Lakers and Mavericks teams.
It has been a short time, but most feel confident declaring this trade as possibly the biggest trade in major North American sports history. Mikko Rantanen was traded from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes several weeks ago, and while this trade was seen as a big deal, it pales in comparison to how absolutely shocking it is to see the Dončić trade. I would be remiss if I did not mention that for the Mavericks, this may be one of the worst trades in sports history.
Dončić has made the All-Star Team and the All-NBA First Team every year of eligibility outside of his rookie season, where he still averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. For comparison, the Raptors’ coveted player Scottie Barnes averaged just slightly lower numbers than that in his most recent season, which was his third year in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dončić now regularly averages close to 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. Additionally, he contributes to a proven winning basketball formula. He just brought the Mavericks to the NBA finals, facing three different 50+ win teams on the way there, and granted, the Mavericks did lose handedly to the Celtics, but they were 64-18 and greatly outmatched Dončić’s group. Oh, Dončić was also injured that entire run and still put up 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game.
The Mavericks’ president Nico Harrison—the one who made the trade—justified the deal by claiming “defence wins championships and AD [Anthony Davis] is one that we truly believes fits with [Dereck] Lively, and [Daniel] Gafford, and P.J. [Washington].” He also went on to say that the Mavericks are built to win now, and Doncic’s conditioning stints were a concern for the team’s higher ups. Absolutely ridiculous…
The Mavericks just made the NBA Finals led by an injured Dončić, who faced extremely strong teams the whole way through and only lost to by far the best team in the league that year—possibly one of the best teams in NBA history. Not only that, but the team arguably got even better this year, and Dončić, who continued to recover overChristmas, was set to return in early February. Yes, it is true that Dončić regularly only plays about 60-70 games, but who cares. He plays every game in the playoffs and that is still 70 games of elite production matched by really only Nikola Jokic—who is arguably going through one of, if not the, greatest peak in NBA history—and maybe a few other players. Also, it is not like Dončić is some raw talent you need to wait on to get good. He is already a top 3 player in the NBA and a perennial MVP candidate, and he is on track to easily clear entry into the Hall of Fame. The claim that Davis helps the Mavericks win now is only true in the literal sense that Dončić is hurt while Davis is not—though, he is being evaluated for something as of now and potentially may be out. Nevertheless, Dončić is already a better player than Davis and 6 years younger.
What is most absurd about this trade, however, is that the Mavericks did it entirely in secret with the Lakers. Typically, we hear for months about disgruntled superstars wanting out from their teams, not that Dončić did, since every report indicates he was shocked by the news. Think about recent candidates like De’Aaron Fox and Jimmy Butler, players quite a bit worse than Dončić, and yet still their trades are made public and work is done for weeks/months before it happens. Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and James Harden are all names where the trades were purposely made public, because doing so helps negotiations. If the Mavericks had made Dončić publicly available for a trade, there would probably have been the largest bidding war the league has ever seen. It is the equivalent of a player like Connor McDavid or Patrick Mahomes being made available for a trade. Every single team, even rebuilding ones, would be in on Dončić. He is young enough to fit into any team’s timeline and is the finished product of what a team dreams of getting in a draft when they tank.
Rudy Gobert, an All-Star—but arguably not even All-NBA First Team level talent—was traded for four unprotected first-round picks, a pick swap, and five players. Paul George, in the now infamous Oklahoma City Thunder trade, fetched seven first-round picks, including two pick swaps and a lottery protected one, and the now superstar-level player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—though, of course, no one knew at the time he would progress to the level he has. Thirty-four-year-oldKevin Durant got the Brooklyn Nets five unprotected first-round picks, and two seconds, as well as Mikal Bridges. Bridges, an All-Star level talent, but no superstar, would go on to get the Nets a further five unprotected first-round picks and one second. Both players, like Dončić, had years remaining on their contract.
I emphasize that Dončić is so much better than all the players I mentioned earlier. Durant is the only true superstar out of those listed (granted, George did have a superstar-like season the year he was traded) and was 34 coming off an Achilles-tendon tear. Again, Dončić is 25 and significantly better than all those players—and the Mavericks only managed to get Davis, who, while good, is far more injury prone than Dončić, making their conditioning excuse and a single unprotected first-round pick all the more confusing. The Mavericks did not even get all of the Lakers’ available firsts or any real valuable players outside of Davis. Daulton Knecht, a fantastic rookie this year (who is only two years younger than Dončić) is still a Laker; Austin Reaves is still a Laker. What the hell happened here?
There seems to be no credible explanation for why the Mavericks made the trade—let alone in the manner they did. Trading Dončić, even if he wanted the $345,000,000 extension for which he would be eligible, is ludicrous. He probably makes the Mavericks more money than that over five years. Hell, with all that playoff revenue not including his jersey sales and brand deals, I wonder how much money Dončić made the franchise for taking them to the NBA Finals for the first time in thirteen years ?
Let us pretend to entertain an alternate Dončić trade (not that that is something we need to do anymore). How about instead of secretly approaching the Lakers and offering arguably the best player in the league for an aging star and one first-round pick, you make it public that Dončić is available? Imagine what a team like the San Antonio Spurs would have given to pair Dončić next to Victor Wembanyama for the next decade? Or, consider what the Thunder with their fourteen million first-round picks and endless array of young talent would offer in a heartbeat to get Dončić to play alongside Gilgeous-Alexander. It is impossible to think the Thunder would not want to trade to an intra-conference rival since they did just that by giving him to the Lakers; the team with the biggest spotlight to constantly remind Mavericks fans of how their management betrayed them.
The irony of the Mavericks-Lakers trade is that it will likely make the Mavericks better in the short term and the Lakers worse. The Mavericks added a superstar big who can help them right now while Dončić is still injured watching from the bench; whereas, the Lakers added a player who is basically the same profile as LeBron James. However, this trade is not about the here and now; the Lakers have just acquired a franchise superstar for the next decade for a bargain price. The only time a true superstar has gone for less on the market in recent memory was when Kawhi Leonard was traded, but, in that case, Leonard had made his intentions to go to Los Angeles clear and had injury concerns. There is no parallel with the recent Mavericks-Lakers trade .
The only thing that makes me even a little bit relieved about this trade is that it is all happening about as far away from the Raptors as possible. Though, it would have been nice to throw our hat in the ring of potentially getting a player of Dončić’s caliber.