Luka Dončić–Anthony Davis trade
The Luka Dončić–Anthony Davis trade was a blockbuster sports trade between the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA) made on the night of February 1–2, 2025. The centerpieces of the trade were Mavericks guard Luka Dončić and Lakers power forward Anthony Davis, who were principally exchanged for each other. It is the first time in NBA history that two reigning All-NBA Team players have been traded for each other in midseason.
Dončić is a 25-year-old who had already made five consecutive All-NBA First Teams, led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals the previous year, and had established himself as the face of the franchise. The popular perception was that the Mavericks would never trade him; as such, the transaction was soon characterized as one of the most shocking trades in NBA and American sports history, with the Lakers overwhelmingly considered the winners of the trade by analysts. The Mavericks stated that they made the trade out of a desire to improve the team's defense and in response to concerns regarding Dončić's physical conditioning. Many Mavericks fans publicly protested the trade after it occurred.
Background
[edit]Luka Dončić
[edit]Luka Dončić was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks 3rd overall in the 2018 NBA draft. In a draft-night trade, he was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks for the 5th overall pick (Trae Young) and a 2019 1st round pick.[1] When he joined the NBA, he was one of the most coveted prospects in basketball due to his accomplishments at Real Madrid, where he was the 2017–18 EuroLeague MVP and led his team to the EuroLeague title.[2][3][4][5] Dončić's arrival was seen as the beginning of a new era for the Mavericks, as the illustrious career of team legend Dirk Nowitzki was coming to a close. Nowitzki played one season with Dončić before retiring in 2019.
Dončić quickly became the face of the franchise, winning the 2018–19 NBA Rookie of the Year award. In 2019–20, he was selected to his first All-Star team and All-NBA First Team,[6][7] and led the Mavericks to the 2020 NBA playoffs.[8] In 2022, the team reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time since their 2011 championship run.[9] In 2024, the team reached the NBA Finals, losing in five games to the Boston Celtics.[10] Despite the loss, Dončić became just the second player in NBA history to lead the playoffs in total points, rebounds, and assists.[11]
During Dončić's six-and-a-half seasons with Dallas, he made the All-NBA First Team five times and the NBA All-Star Team five times. Doncic became the first player in NBA history to make five All-NBA First Teams through age 24.[12] Along with Larry Bird, George Gervin, and Tim Duncan, he is one of only four players to earn five All-NBA First Team selections in their first six seasons since the ABA–NBA merger.[13] He is the Mavericks' franchise leader in career triple-doubles,[14] and holds the record for most points in a Mavericks season.[15] In 2022, Dončić signed a five-year, $215 million maximum contract with the Mavericks, including a player option for 2026–27.[16]
Anthony Davis
[edit]Anthony Davis was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans 1st overall at the 2012 NBA Draft after winning the 2012 NCAA Division I championship with the Kentucky Wildcats.[17] Davis played seven seasons with the Pelicans, during which he made the All-NBA First Team three times. During the 2018-19 season, Davis announced he would decline to extend his contract with the Pelicans and requested a trade,[18] and the Pelicans subsequently traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2019 offseason (with the Pelicans receiving Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks).[19]
The Lakers won the 2020 NBA Finals in Davis' first year with the team, with Davis playing an integral part of the team serving as the main co-star alongside LeBron James.[20] The Lakers had not achieved much playoff success since their 2020 title other than making the Conference Finals in the 2022-2023 season. Davis also helped the Lakers win the inaugural NBA Cup during the 2023–24 season.[21] After joining the Lakers, Davis made the All-NBA First Team in 2020, the All-NBA Second Team in 2024, and the All-Defensive First Team in 2020 and 2024. He was an NBA All-Star in 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025.[22] However, he was plagued with injuries during the 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2022–23 seasons.[23] In 2023, he signed a three-year, $186 million maximum contract extension that tied him to the Lakers through 2028, which was the largest extension in NBA history at the time by annual dollar value.[24]
Timeline
[edit]In January 2025, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison reached out to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka about a potential Dončić trade. Pelinka initially thought Harrison was joking.[25][26] However, Harrison was serious and wanted to negotiate with only the Lakers, due to his desire to receive a player of Davis' caliber in return. He felt that maintaining secrecy and exclusivity would allow him to "pick the trade" for Dončić and ensure that the Mavericks would receive Davis. He worried that because Dončić had a 2026 opt-out clause, Dončić could undermine the Mavericks' leverage by threatening to opt out if he was traded to the wrong team. The Mavericks insisted that "nothing could leak."[27]
The Mavericks traded Dončić for several reasons. Shortly after the trade, Harrison told the press that "defense wins championships" and that Davis was "one of the best two-way players in the league."[28] Harrison, who used to work for Davis' sponsor Nike, has known Davis since the latter was in high school.[29] However, reporting also highlighted that the team was concerned with Dončić's conditioning and had fired several strength and conditioning professionals that Dončić had a good relationship with.[30][31] The team also questioned Dončić's decision to hire his own personal conditioning team at his own expense.[27] A week after the trade, team governor Patrick Dumont told the Dallas Morning News that the trade was "a risk-allocation decision," and that he wanted players who "worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win." He concluded that "if you want to take a vacation, don't do it with us." When the interviewer responded that the statement might imply that Dončić lacked those winning qualities, Dumont said that "there's a lot of things that come into play," and "we're focused on [team culture]." However, Dumont rejected claims that the Mavericks traded Dončić (who would have been eligible for a $345 million supermax contract at the end of the season) for financial reasons.[32]
According to an unnamed Lakers source, the Mavericks initially asked for Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht and multiple first round picks, but Pelinka convinced Harrison that Dončić's conditioning issues warranted a smaller return.[33] At the time of the trade, Dončić had not played since straining his calf during the Mavericks' Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.[34]
One week before the trade, Pelinka recruited the Utah Jazz to help balance out the salaries in the trade. The Lakers and Mavericks paid the Jazz one second-round pick each to take on outgoing Laker Jalen Hood-Schifino's salary.[27] According to the Salt Lake Tribune's Andy Larsen, the Jazz paid the other teams a nominal sum of $55,000 each because "the league mandates each team must send something to every other team in the deal."[35][36] Jazz CEO Danny Ainge did not know Dončić was involved in the trade until 30 minutes before the news broke.[27]
Shortly after midnight (ET) on February 2, 2025, ESPN's Shams Charania broke the news:[37]
To Los Angeles Lakers | To Dallas Mavericks | To Utah Jazz |
---|---|---|
|
|
|
Analysis
[edit]The Lakers were overwhelmingly considered the winners of the trade. CBS Sports' Brad Botkin gave the trade an "A+" grade for the Lakers and an "F" for the Mavericks, stating that he believed the Mavericks were "better positioned to win a championship... but they still get an 'F' because you can't trade Luka Dončić, not unless your hand is forced."[38] ESPN's Kevin Pelton gave the Lakers an "A" and the Mavericks an "F," writing that while Davis was a good player, he was older than Dončić and "is likely to see his production decline just as Dončić is reaching his peak years."[39] SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell gave the Lakers an "A+" and the Mavericks a "D+," reasoning that "if Dončić isn’t worth the supermax, no one is."[40] The Mirror stated that the trade was the worst in all of NBA history, with "no close second."[41] Some compared the trade to other historical trades such as the Wayne Gretzky trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.[42]
The Mavericks' rationale for the trade was questioned in the press. Commentator and NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller called the leaks about Dončić's conditioning a "character assassination," although he clarified that he did not know for certain whether the Mavericks were the source. He said that while he "was critical of [Dončić's conditioning] too," Dončić still produced at a high level.[43] The Ringer's Rob Mahoney noted that while Dončić had a reputation for low defensive effort, "Dallas has allowed fewer points when Luka’s been on the floor this season, and dominated opponents in those minutes overall." He speculated that the Mavericks made the deal to save money, concluding that the "one tangible benefit" to the Mavericks was that "Dallas managed to eke under the luxury tax line."[44]
Some analysts did credit the Mavericks. FOX Sports analyst Colin Cowherd stated that he understood the trade, arguing that while the trade did not make "historical sense," the supermax extension coupled with Dončić's perceived injury troubles made the trade make more sense.[45] Yahoo Sports' Morten Jensen said the Lakers won the trade but gave the Mavericks a comparatively favorable B- grade, saying that "Davis deserv[es] every superlative under the sun," although he counseled that the Mavericks' new Davis-Kyrie Irving core "will have a short window to win a title."[46] Former NBA All-Star and All-NBA Team member Baron Davis said that the trade "unlocks Kyrie [Irving] to go and be Kyrie again."[47]
With respect to the Lakers, some pundits noted that the Lakers lacked balance, as they had traded away their only elite defensive big man.[44][48][49] Pelinka said that he would try to trade for another big man.[50] He dealt for Charlotte's Mark Williams, but the trade was later rescinded due to a failed physical.[51] In addition, ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted that the Lakers were only guaranteeing themselves one and a half years of Dončić's services, due to his right to opt out in 2026. He opined that a five-year contract extension with the Lakers was "not a guarantee for sure."[52]
Reaction and aftermath
[edit]I've been covering the NBA for 37 years. Almost nothing that happens – deals, free agent signings, coach hirings/firings – rises to the level of, as the great Ben Bradlee used to call them, "Holy S--t" stories. You just get used to the unexpected. This is a "Holy S--t" trade. (David Aldridge)[53]
NBA and sports media
[edit]The unexpected nature of the trade, as well as its seemingly unbalanced result, shocked the NBA community. NBA.com's Steve Aschburner and Vox's Dylan Scott called the trade the most astonishing in NBA history,[54][55] and Fox Sports even called it the most shocking trade in American sports history.[56] Scott said "it is hard to capture in words how shocking this was even for people who follow the league closely,"[55] and Aschburner added that "even the most click-thirsty, fringe-media blogger would have scoffed at [the idea] a few hours earlier."[54] Laker legend Magic Johnson wrote that in his 45 years in the NBA community, "this Luka and A.D. trade is the biggest trade I’ve seen between two superstars essentially in their prime."[57] He said that Dončić, like LeBron James, was one of "the best passers who [has] ever played."[58] According to the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN), the trade was "the first time that two reigning All-NBA players have been traded for each other midseason."[59]
The trade was met with great disbelief, as Dončić "was assumed to be untouchable";[56] Ricky O'Donnell wrote that "you don't trade a player like [Dončić] for anything."[40] After Charania broke the news on X, many people assumed that he had been hacked, including SportsCenter anchor Phil Murphy[60] and Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton.[61] Charania himself wondered whether he had been hacked when he received the news.[62] Stephen A. Smith called into SportsCenter shortly after the trade and simply asked, "What the hell happened?"[63] Other players simply expressed their shock, like Jalen Brunson, who made an April Fools' Day joke, and Josh Hart, who tweeted "Huh?????"[61] Devin Booker, who was playing in a game when the news broke, thought the reports were about Luka Garza and not Dončić.[59]
Several NBA executives expressed shock at the fact that the Mavericks negotiated exclusively with the Lakers, and argued that Dallas could have obtained a much larger return for Dončić in an open auction. Two anonymous executives said that "it probably would have been the biggest haul in NBA history" and that "every team in the league would have offered everything they could." However, one executive echoed the Mavericks' point that if Dončić had known about the trade, he might have tried to "dictate terms" (that is, force himself to a specific team).[64] Dylan Scott said that although Davis was an "excellent player," the overall package the Mavericks received for Dončić was "not much compared to previous blockbuster NBA trades."[55] ESPN's Brian Windhorst speculated that the trade could open up avenues for other blockbuster trades, saying that "there is a little bit of shaking under the feet right now... they feel it in the league."[65]
Dallas
[edit]Mavericks fans widely panned the trade.[66] After the news broke, a group of fans gathered outside of the American Airlines Center to protest the trade; some fans called for Harrison to be fired, and others brought a coffin to stage a mock funeral.[67][68] Several fans cancelled their season tickets; the Mavericks stated that at least one such season ticket holder had received a refund.[69] Some Dallas fans endorsed a conspiracy theory alleging that the Mavericks were intentionally alienating their fanbase so that they could better justify moving the team to Las Vegas, where the Adelson family does much of its business.[70] However, team governor Patrick Dumont firmly rejected the allegation, saying that "Our family happens to live in Las Vegas, but we have investments all over the world. ... Dallas was the city that we wanted to be in."[32] Texas Governor Greg Abbott also expressed surprise about the trade.[71]
With respect to Mavericks players, Klay Thompson said it was a "joy to play with [Dončić] in those 22 games," but added that the team would welcome Anthony Davis "with open arms."[72] Kyrie Irving said that "It's still a grieving process right now. I miss my hermano." However, he added that he was glad to finally be teammates with his good friend Davis.[73] Dirk Nowitzki tweeted a shocked emoji.[74]
Former Mavericks majority owner and current minority owner Mark Cuban (who once said that he would rather divorce his wife than trade Dončić) received some criticism on social media after the trade.[27] Cuban said that he had "nothing to do with [the trade]."[75][76] In fact, Cuban surrendered control over basketball operations after the 2023–24 season.[77][78] Following the trade, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon emphasized that Cuban is "out of the franchise's decision-making tree" and added that current team governor Patrick Dumont is not as hands-on as Cuban used to be.[27] However, according to Marc Stein, Cuban had become aware of the trade before it went public, but by then it was too late because the Lakers had already sealed the deal with a verbal handshake.[79]
Los Angeles
[edit]Lakers fans reacted to the trade positively. One fan noted that he was "sad to see AD go" but was "happy for Luka. He's a good player." Another fan added "we got a good deal. Thank you, Texas."[80]
LeBron James thought that the trade was a "hoax" at first, adding that it "still pretty much didn't seem real."[81] He said that while "my emotions were all over the place" at first, Dončić "has been my favorite player in the NBA for a while now."[82] Lakers coach JJ Redick, who played with Dončić in 2021, stated that the experience the two had gave them both a "head start."[83] Redick, who has been described as a "fan and historian" of the NBA, described the trade as a "once in a lifetime opportunity."[84]
The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Kings celebrated the trade on their social media accounts, with Kings captain and fellow Slovene native Anže Kopitar giving him a welcome message in Slovenian.[85][86]
Dončić and Davis
[edit]Dončić was upset by the trade. At his first press conference after joining the Lakers, Dončić said that he was nearly asleep when he got the news, that he was going through "hard moments," and that "loyalty is a big word for me."[87] Nico Harrison said that Dončić did not respond to his calls or texts immediately after the trade and that "he probably doesn't want to talk to me."[88] Former Maverick Chandler Parsons claimed that Dončić cried after learning about the trade.[89]
After being introduced as a Laker, Dončić declined to address the rumors that Harrison thought he was poorly conditioned, saying that he would prefer to take the "high road."[87] However, his father Saša criticized the Mavericks on Slovenian television for trading him without his knowledge and for leaking critical stories about him.[90]
The media highlighted that due to NBA salary cap rules, the trade cost Dončić as much as $32 million (per The Wall Street Journal).[91] The trade rendered Dončić ineligible for the supermax extension that he otherwise could have received in the 2025 off-season.[59] It was reported that Dončić would have accepted a supermax offer from Dallas.[27] Following the trade, Dončić said that "I thought I was going to spend my whole career [in Dallas]."[87] Chandler Parsons claimed that Dončić had just purchased a $15 million dollar home, although property records did not reflect any such transaction.[89]
Davis was more accepting of the trade. In his introductory press conference with the Mavericks, he said that he understood that Mavericks fans were upset, because "I get who Luka was to this franchise, to the city ... just how I know what I meant to the city of L.A." He expressed his appreciation for Harrison's faith in him, saying that "it's my job to ... give the fans hope and reassurance on why Nico brought me here."[92] He waived his $6 million bonus for being traded, stating that he wanted to help the Mavericks get "continuously better."[29]
See also
[edit]- Brock for Broglio
- Curse of the Bambino
- Deshaun Watson trade
- Eric Lindros trade
- Herschel Walker trade
- Jerome Bettis trade
- Ricky Williams trade
- White Flag Trade
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