In a blockbuster, unexpected late-night trade, the Dallas Mavericks traded MVP-caliber player Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, shocking the media and sports fans.
Dončić, the six-year point guard, won accolade after accolade with Dallas, becoming the Rookie of the Year in the 2018-2019 season and placing top-10 in MVP ranking every year since. Dončić averaged 28.1 points per game with the Mavericks this season, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists.
In terms of highlights in Dallas, Dončić knocked down a 73-point performance during the previous season, which tied him for fourth all-time in most points in a game by a single player. Dončić also performed electrically in that year’s playoffs, fueling a Dallas finals appearance. Dončić already made a name for the Mavericks, with seas of fans dawning his jersey.
On the other hand, Anthony Davis also made a name for himself in the league. The 13-year 6’10” center has had a hall-of-fame level career, collecting nine all-star appearances, placing top in Defensive Player of the Year four times and a finals ring when he won in 2020 with Los Angeles.
“It was probably the biggest trade I’ve seen in the NBA in my lifetime,” said Ty Soukdhaysong, a freshman finance major.
Many may credit some of Davis’ career performances to having a teammate as spectacular as Lebron James; however, even outside of playing with James, Davis performed at an elite level.
Davis, a former number one overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans, formerly the Hornets when Davis was drafted, which he jumped out to a hot start, placing second for the Rookie of the Year award. With New Orleans, Davis averaged similar, all-star-level numbers, to what he had with Los Angeles. With the Lakers this year, Davis averaged 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks.
While Davis is still a top center in the league, due to his age of 31, many fans see his age as a significant red flag. The Lakers did include a buffer for the future in the deal, pick-swapping the Mavericks 2025 second-round pick for their 2029 first-round pick. President of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the Dallas Mavericks, Nico Harrison, explained the thought progression of the trade.
With Dončić’s free agent year being 2026, Harrison explained how he believed conditioning for Dončić was going to be an issue. Dončić now weighs around 280 pounds, a far cry from his 230 a few years prior. It was explained that the Mavericks gave Dončić time off in November to lose some of the gained weight; however, Harrison did not see enough improvement.
While the Lakers now boast a duo of LeBron James and Luka Dončić, losing a center like Anthony Davis potentially created a hole in the offensive scheme; however, many fans look at the acquisition as a move for the future and not for the current, seeing how James just celebrated is 40th birthday, while Dončić is at the prime age of 25.
“He’s going to represent the next generation for the Los Angeles Lakers,” said Ethan Mattace, a freshman chemistry major. “Taking over for LeBron James.”
The Lakers may very well have the next-generation version of James and are preparing for the future with the trade; while Dallas transitioned to a win-now thought process in trading for Davis.
Both teams look to continue their seasons strong, where the Lakers sit at a 32-20 record and the Mavericks at 29-26. According to the ESPN NBA Power Index, Los Angeles maintains a 99.5% chance of making the playoffs, while Dallas sits at 49.7%