Mavericks Shock NBA World; Trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis

By Brogan Larose Last updated Feb 6, 2025

Luka Doncic will join forces with all-time great Lebron James on the Lakers. PHOTO CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Hello everyone… It’s Brogan LaRose M’28, writing an emergency article discussing one of the biggest and most shocking trades in modern sports history. You may have heard it by now, but I will give my POV on the outlook of the NBA moving forward. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

My POV

After watching a great Royal Rumble event, I decided to call it a night and go to bed. Little did I know, the most significant trade in sports history occurred while I was sleeping. At around 7:30 a.m., my mom was on the phone with one of my older brothers, so I knew something was up. I, still half-asleep at this point, was trying to figure out what was happening. My brother told me about Luka Dončić getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. I thought this was a joke since Luka was untouchable in every way you can feel. However, after getting out of bed and going into the living room, sure enough, the anchors on ESPN were talking about the trade. I was absolutely shocked and floored. I spent the next hour or two before going out for my run trying to analyze the trade, as the Lakers fan I am.

I could not do that, though. I couldn’t believe that the Dallas Mavericks would even consider, let alone act on this scenario. Trading away your superstar, the player who has been 5x All-NBA SINCE HE WAS 21 YEARS OLD, is just absolutely mind-blogging. Even on social media, fans went wild after the trade was made. Twitter, Instagram and TikTok lost their minds.

Now, since that is out of the way, I’ll dive into the outlook for both teams moving forward and how fans have been reacting to this colossal shift in the NBA.

Los Angeles Lakers POV

From the Lakers’ perspective, this home run deal has put the franchise in a great short- and long-term position. In the short-term, Luka and LeBron will be together on the same team, and they have been transcendent players in the league. They will have an excellent opportunity to showcase themselves as a duo and have a chance to compete for an NBA championship in the near future. While this year may be a little bold due to the year the Oklahoma City Thunder is having, there is still hope that the Lakers can make some noise heading into the latter part of the season. For the long-term, you now have your superstar you can build around for the next 10-15 years. At 25, Luka has proven to be one of the best players in the NBA. All-NBA, All-Star, Rookie of the Year, and a trip to the NBA Finals last year has solidified his position in the NBA as one of the most lethal players and scorers we have ever seen. I understand the concerns about some of his defensive tendencies and some of the conditioning concerns some may have about him. However, with a change of scenery with arguably the greatest NBA player of all time, Luka will change some of the habits that some people have been critical of during his NBA tenure.

Dallas Mavericks POV

For the Mavericks, this is complicated, to say the least. I will start with the positives. Yes, the Mavs got Anthony Davis, one of the best big men of the modern era, with multiple All-Star and All-NBA appearances. Along with that, Davis has an NBA championship with the Lakers. Additionally, the Mavericks have a high-quality player in Max Christie. Christie has had an elevated role this year for the Lakers as he has started in key games. Averaging around nine points per game, Christie is beginning to prove he can be a quality piece for a contending team.

I believe the Mavericks still lost this trade. Trading away your face of the franchise, who has been very loyal to the organization, is indeed a slap in the face to the fans who have been supporting the Mavericks for years. Luka has been the organization’s centerpiece ever since he was drafted, with the fans in awe of his skill set at such a young age.

The Mavericks had been at the bottom of the NBA before Luka arrived, with struggling seasons after winning the 2011 NBA Championship. Dirk Nowitzki was in the final stage of his career, and the city needed a new hope that would enrich it with successful Dallas Mavericks basketball. Luka was that hope. He has become one of the best players in the world and an international star from Europe. This trade has highlighted that no matter what, even if some players seem untouchable, they may not be.

The fans in Dallas are still shocked by the trade, with some fans even holding rallies to support Luka. There has been a significant outcry from fans about the Mavs GM Nico Harrison, who had called Lakers GM Rob Pelinka to make the deal. The Mavericks fanbase has HEAVILY criticized Harrison for trading their superstar away to the Lakers. Even his press conference with Jason Kidd seemed odd to fans as Harrison made jokes and laughed about the current situation. While you can make the case that this could be a coping mechanism for Harrison, it still doesn’t change the fact that fans will be irate when a trade like this occurs.

This is probably the most shocking trade in my lifetime and sports history, as we will have to see how both franchises navigate their futures. Both teams will match up on Feb. 25, a must-watch game for both fanbases. That’s all I have for now. Make sure to be on the lookout for more NBA articles.