Nothing lasts forever. Everything must come to an end, and for the Dallas Mavericks, the Luka Dončić era is unfortunately over. After six and a half seasons playing for the Mavs, the organization decided to trade him in one of the most mind-blowing trades in NBA history. Dallas is sending Luka, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round draft pick in a three-team deal that also includes the Utah Jazz. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this is the first time two All-NBA players have been swapped for each other in the middle of the season.
The news broke on social media late Saturday night (Feb. 1). Even after NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed the deal in a tweet, the news was so shocking and surprising that some fans believed that somebody hacked Charania’s X account.
He reassured everyone that the trade was legitimate by writing, “Yes, this is real. Sources tell ESPN: Full trade: – Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris – Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 LAL 1st – Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers 2nd, 2025 Mavericks 2nd.”
This deal flew under the radar. Not only did no other team know that Luka was trade bait, but it was reported that Dončić didn’t even request a trade. NBA reporter Marc Stein confirmed that it was the Mavericks who approached the Lakers about this blockbuster swap.
The Lakers are excited to have Luka on their roster. They believe that acquiring Dončić, a 25-year-old All-NBA player in his prime, will benefit them in the future.
“Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come,” said Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. “His killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for the team. We will be relentless in building a roster around the on-court vision Coach Redick has for this basketball team and there is an unwavering commitment to that work to serve our loyal and dedicated fans. We are grateful for today and look forward to what’s next.”
In six and a half seasons playing for the Mavs, Dončić is one of three players in league history to garner five All-NBA First Team selections before age 26, joining Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan. The 25-year-old has tallied 12,089 points, 3,655 rebounds, and 3,489 assists and is one of two players in NBA history to record at least 10,000 points, 3,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists through their first 400 career games (Oscar Robertson). Dončić became the first Maverick to claim an NBA scoring title after averaging 33.9 points during the 2023-24 campaign. That season on Jan. 26, Dončić scored a franchise-record 73 points versus the Atlanta Hawks, which tied for the fourth-most in NBA history. He currently stands second all-time in triple-doubles by players aged 25 or younger with 80, trailing only Oscar Robertson (117).
In 50 career playoff games (all starts), he’s averaged 30.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.7 steals in 38.9 minutes with an NBA Finals appearance in 2024. The five-time NBA All-Star ranks second all-time in playoff scoring average and tied for sixth in postseason triple-doubles (10).
So the question is, why did the Mavericks trade away their franchise player? Well, according to reports, the Mavs organization is in “win now mode” and despite just reaching the NBA finals last year, they felt that adding defense gives them a better shot at winning a championship.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison justified the trade with a tried-and-true line, via ESPN’s Tim McMahon.
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Harrison told ESPN, regarding his motivation to trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. “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.”
In 42 appearances (all starts) for the Lakers this season, Davis averaged 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.1 blocks in 34.3 minutes. In 778 career regular season NBA contests (771 starts) across 13 seasons with Los Angeles (2019-25) and New Orleans (2012-19), the 31-year-old has averaged 24.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks in 34.5 minutes. Davis helped guide Los Angeles to the NBA championship in 2020 and earned four All-Star selections as a member of the Purple and Gold. The four-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection is one of eight players in NBA history to win an NBA Championship, an NCAA Championship and an Olympic gold medal.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that the Mavericks were concerned about Dončić’s weight and did not want to make a significant financial commitment to the Slovenian superstar, for which he is eligible this summer.
“The Mavs had major concerns about moving forward with Luka Doncic due to his constant conditioning issues and the looming commitment of another supermax contract extension this summer, sources told ESPN,” he wrote on X.
Dončić was deemed eligible for that supermax extension that would have paid him $345 million over five years. Dallas has alleviated concerns about the salary-cap implications of investing a substantial amount in a single player, even one who was expected to be the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future. Instead, according to ESPN, the most the Lakers can offer him next offseason is a five-year, $229 million deal, which is a significant $116 million less than what he could’ve gotten from the Mavs.
Reports from MacMahon said, “There had been significant frustration within the organization about Dončić’s lack of discipline regarding his diet and conditioning, which team sources considered a major factor in his injury issues.”
Former majority owner of the Mavericks, Mark Cuban, made it clear that he had nothing to do with the trade and admitted that even he was confused about the surprising deal. Cuban — who once said, “If I had to choose between my wife and keeping Luka on the Mavs, catch me at my lawyer’s office prepping for a divorce” — confirmed to local Dallas station WFAA that he was not involved in the trade.
And for the frustrated fans over the Dončić departure, Harrison had this to say: “I’m sorry they are frustrated. It’s something that we believe in as an organization that’s going to make us better. We believed it sets us up to win not only now but in the future. And when we win, I believe the frustration will go away.”
Currently, the Mavericks are pleased with their decision to pair Davis, a 32-year-old all-time two-way NBA player, with Kyrie Irving, also 32 and recognized as one of the most skilled offensive players in basketball history. Will this duo be enough to win a championship? Only time will tell.
