Out of nowhere, one of the biggest trades in NBA history happened over the weekend. In an unprecedented and unpredictable move, Luka Doncic joins the Los Angeles Lakers, while Anthony Davis goes to the Dallas Mavericks in return. It’s the first time in NBA history that two All-NBA players were traded for each other in the middle of a season, and it changes the face of the league for years to come.
At 25, Doncic is about to hit his career’s prime. He is third in NBA history in points per game, and he’s been a five-time All-NBA player and All-Star in his first six full seasons. He led the Mavericks to their first Finals appearance in over a decade last year, but the team decided to deal him away in a move nobody saw coming.
Like Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas fans thought Doncic would be the team’s cornerstone for at least the next ten years, potentially leading them to multiple championships. In his time with the Mavericks, Doncic became one of the most popular players in the NBA, with his ability to score, rebound, and pass at a level that has only been seen a few times in league history.
It’s hard to evaluate why the Mavericks and General Manager Nico Harrison threw away a potential top-20 player of all time. In the days after the trade, rumors circulated that the team wasn’t happy with Doncic’s weight and conditioning, but that’s not a good enough reason to give up a generational talent.
While Doncic has had recent struggles staying healthy, at his best, he’s a top-three player in the NBA. When you get as lucky as the Mavericks did in drafting Doncic, history shows not to give up on those players so young.
What is most shocking is that Harrison and the Mavericks only reached out to the Lakers for a potential trade. Dallas didn’t ask for a boatload of first-round picks or a string of role players in return, opting to take Davis, Max Christie, and one first-rounder in exchange for an unbelievable talent in Doncic.
Yes, Davis is a good player to get back in return, but in his career, he’s struggled to stay healthy for more than a year and hasn’t led a team like Doncic did in Dallas. Teams around the league were reportedly ‘fuming’ that the Mavericks were shopping Doncic without their knowledge and would’ve happily given up a much bigger package to get him in return.
Days later, it is still unfathomable that Dallas would move the second-best player in franchise history in exchange for Davis, who has yet to prove he can lead a team in four-straight playoff rounds.
Despite the recent success Doncic has provided to the Mavericks, his moving to Los Angeles might be a better long-term move. The Lakers are arguably the most popular team in the NBA, have the second-most amount of championships, and have never had trouble finding stars.
Along with growing his brand as a global superstar with the ability to draw in All-Star-level talent over the offseason, Doncic now goes to play with LeBron James. James is similar to Doncic in that his all-around offensive skill can single-handedly change the course of a game and a team’s season.
The two have a unique ability to raise the floor of a team with below-average talent and see the game in ways that have only been seen by a handful of players in league history. Famously, James led the 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers to a Finals appearance despite being the only player on the team to average more than 15 points per game.
Doncic led the 2022 Mavericks to a Conference Finals in a similar scenario, with a constantly injured Kristaps Porzingis and a developing Jalen Brunson as his supporting cast. The Dallas team from last year also overperformed, and even though Kyrie Irving had a great season, they made the NBA Finals single-handedly because of Doncic.
Last year, he led the playoffs in nearly every offensive statistic and averaged close to a triple-double. Regarding Dallas’s concerns about Doncic’s weight and conditioning, his joining James is the best possible outcome. James has been the Iron Man of the NBA, putting millions of dollars a year into keeping his body in peak condition.
For a player like Doncic, who has proven ability on the court, having James as a mentor and teammate will only put him in better shape and more ready to dominate every night. Doncic missed at least ten games in his first seven seasons in the NBA.
Even if the aging James retires in the next few years, players will be lining up to join the Lakers while Doncic is there. The team’s impressive history of landing massive free agents can only increase with Doncic for the next decade.
The Lakers now have an international superstar who can only support their bottom line like the Dodgers did with Ohtani. While he had a great future in Dallas, Doncic on the Lakers is even scarier for teams looking to compete for championships in the following years.
The realization that Doncic is no longer the main man in Dallas hits, what is their future? While many fans might think the Mavericks just threw away any chance of winning another championship, they shouldn’t be so negative. Davis is a proven defensive monster, and pairing him up with a point guard like Irving could still give them a chance to contend in the playoffs.
Irving has also struggled with injuries, but he’s one of the best when healthy. Neither has had postseason success as the number one scoring option on a team, but as a duo, they can still make waves in a Western Conference that doesn’t look as strong as it has in the past.
Dallas has Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and Spencer Dinwiddie, along with the two All-Star caliber players. That supporting cast matches up well against the other top contenders. If the Mavericks stay healthy, they might have the deepest front-court in the league with insane defensive potential. That’s a big if, though.
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Mavericks GM Harrison said. “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.”
It’s hard to argue that trading away Doncic gives Dallas an immediate chance to become a better title contender, but it does raise their defense floor significantly. Most NBA Finals winners have had top-level defenses this century, and adding Davis only makes the Mavs defense better.
Doncic’s offensive firepower is irreplaceable, and it’s not like he’s shutting down the league’s other best scorers. Dallas was ranked 12th in defensive rating before the trade, but if everyone, including Davis, stays healthy, they’ll jump up in that department.
This trade has many storylines, and it practically shook the league. Along with a superstar changing teams in the middle of a season, it also breaks up a duo in James and Davis in a way nobody saw coming. It looked like the two would be inseparable for the rest of their careers, but that all changed on Saturday night when this trade was announced.
No news has come out on whether James was involved in this trade like in the past with other moves the Lakers made, but even if he wasn’t on board, the Lakers still came out on top.
James isn’t at the same level he was at in 2020 during his last championship run. Davis had been playing exceptionally well this season, too, but it’s hard to say if they had a real chance to compete for a title against teams like the Thunder, Celtics, or Knicks. While the Lakers still looked like they had the potential to add new role players or make minor changes to the team, this trade changed everything.
Even days later, the NBA world is still astounded by the lack of a haul. It looks like the Lakers once again came out on top and found a new franchise star for years to come.
There must have been a vast rift between Doncic and team management for them to move on so quickly, but they got a deal done for a second-team All-NBA player in return. While it’s hard to say this was best for the Mavs, they have no choice but to move forward. They hope Davis and Irving can find a rhythm and do something special together.
On a final note, take a look at Doncic just on paper. In his six-and-a-half seasons in the NBA, he is averaging 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game with five straight first-team All-NBA honors. He is third in NBA history in points per game and 12th in assists per game, leading Dallas to four playoff appearances in the last five years.
He is one of the best offensive players in the sport’s history, and the Mavericks just gave him up for 50 cents on the dollar. Yes, getting Davis is great, but by no means is he at the same caliber as Doncic, with most of his career still to come.
Will this trade ever make sense? Probably not. Will Harrison keep his job as the GM of the Mavericks? Probably not. Will Doncic win a championship in LA in the next few years? All signs point to yes. Is this the craziest trade in recent history? No doubt.
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