The Lakers and Mavericks have sent the NBA world into a frenzy, with the teams completing a trade very late Saturday that will ship Luka Doncic to Los Angeles and Anthony Davis to Dallas.
No trade in league history had ever featured a midseason swap of reigning All-NBA selections, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
While the two stars are at the center of the deal, the Lakers also get Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, while the Mavericks — who lost in the NBA Finals last season — receive Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick.
The Jazz also helped to facilitate the trade and will get Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 second-round draft pick via the Los Angeles Clippers from the Lakers. Dallas also is sending a 2025 second-round selection to Utah.
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN. “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.”
Harrison issued a statement Sunday morning thanking Doncic and the others for their service in Dallas.
“We are thankful for Luka and grateful for his efforts during his time with us. He helped build this team and was an integral part of the success we’ve seen throughout the years, including our recent NBA Finals run, along with Maxi and Markieff who are veteran voices equally valued across this team. This is a new chapter…”
The Lakers recognized the impact of the deal in a statement Sunday.
“Sports are about transformative moments,” Los Angeles general manager Rob Pelinka said in a release. “We are inspired by these moments Lakers fans know, expect and love with a franchise that continually ushers in new eras of greatness.”
The Lakers and Mavericks play each other on two more occasions in the regular season. They will play on TNT on Feb. 25 in Los Angeles and again on ESPN on April 9 in Dallas.
Professional athletes across the country were stunned when the news of the trade dropped. An upcoming Super Bowl performance didn’t stop Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes from posting “Wait what?” to X, formerly known as Twitter, in the wee hours of the morning, presumably in response to the blockbuster move.
“WOWWWWW NO F WAY,” Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid posted to X.
Others thought they were being pranked.
“Nah (ESPN NBA insider) shams (Charania) gotta be hacked,” Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso wrote in a post on X after the reporter broke the news of the trade.
Neither Doncic nor Davis had made any comments or posts about the trade on social media as of 11 a.m. ET on Sunday. Both players’ profile pictures on Instagram depicted them in the jerseys of their now-former teams, too.
Dallas approached the Lakers about Doncic, and Los Angeles reportedly believed that the five-time All-Star has what it takes to someday be the face of the franchise, per ESPN. For now, he will be playing alongside LeBron James, who is in his 22nd NBA season.
James was not informed that such a deal was coming, and Doncic, Davis, and players and a number of coaches on both sides were also left in the dark, according to ESPN. James ended up finding out about the move while out at dinner with his family on Saturday night.
Both Doncic and Davis are currently sidelined due to injuries, as are Kleber and Hood-Schifino. Doncic hasn’t played since Christmas Day due to a strained left calf, while Davis just went down on Tuesday with an abdominal muscle strain.
There is no set date for Doncic’s return, but when the 25-year-old first hit the shelf, the Mavericks said he would be re-evaluated in about one month. Davis will be re-evaluated sometime next week.
Doncic has always had trouble staying healthy, and ESPN’s report noted that Dallas was frustrated with his poor conditioning and diet. Those two factors played a large role in causing Doncic to miss time due to injury, in the organization’s eyes, causing the Mavericks to approach the Lakers.
Kleber last played on Jan. 25 and is dealing with a fractured right foot. Hood-Schifino, out with a strained left hamstring, was used sparingly in Los Angeles and hasn’t gotten time on the floor since Dec. 1.
Doncic has averages of 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 22 games (all starts) this season. He has played only for Dallas in his seven-year NBA career after being selected third overall by the Hawks in the 2018 draft. Atlanta sent his draft rights to the Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Trae Young.
Had Doncic stayed in Dallas, he likely would have received a nice payday this summer. ESPN reported that he was set to get a five-year, $345 million supermax deal from the Mavericks, but now he’s not eligible for such a contract.
The 31-year-old Davis has put up averages of 25.7 points, 11.9 boards, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks across 42 games (all starts) during the 2024-25 campaign. He is a 10-time All-Star (including this season), five-time All-NBA selection and five-time All-Defensive Team selection.
“We are overwhelmingly thankful for AD’s six seasons with the Lakers, where he led our franchise to a championship and cemented himself as a perennial NBA All-Star,” Pelinka said.
Kleber, who turned 33 on Wednesday, is averaging 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists this season. He has appeared in 34 games (four starts).
Morris, 35, has come off the bench in seven games and is posting 1.7 points and 1.1 rebounds per contest.
In just two games, the 21-year-old Hood-Schifino has averaged 2.0 points.
At the conclusion of play Saturday, the Lakers sat fifth in the Western Conference at 28-19. The Mavericks were three spots below them in eighth (26-23).
–Field Level Media
