By Chris Lim & Cameron Kennedy, Feb. 18, 2025
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for superstar Anthony Davis in a massive three-team blockbuster trade Feb. 2, shocking the NBA world.
Davis joined the Lakers off at trade package with the New Orleans Pelicans back in 2019, winning a championship in 2020 and becoming of the most dominant forwards for the Lakers.
The superstar power forward is averaging 26 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks a game since his trade to the Mavericks.
Doncic was first selected by the Atlanta Hawks during the 2018 NBA Draft but was traded to the Mavericks in a swap deal for all-star Trae Young.
Doncic’s tenure with the Mavericks lasted for six years, but he was able to solidify himself as a franchise player and one of the best NBA players, averaging over 30 points in five seasons.
The news broke out in an unexpected tweet by NBA Insider Shams Charania of ESPN Saturday at midnight, in which many thought the account was hacked or found it as a joke.
Players and fans buzzing all over social media questioned if this trade was even real, even though it came from an NBA Insider.
A couple of days later, reality struck as the Lakers and Mavericks posted farewells to both Doncic and Davis, leaving the NBA and its fans stunned.
Coming into All-Star weekend, Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA, was asked about his thoughts and reaction to the trade.
“I was surprised when I heard about the trade. I didn’t know that Luka was potentially a player that was about to be traded. I followed it like a fan from that standpoint,” Silver said.
The trade package sent Mavericks’s center Maxi Kleiber, forward Markieff Morris and Doncic to the Lakers for forward Davis, guard Max Christie and a Lakers 2029 first-round pick.
The Utah Jazz was also included in this trade as the team acquired guard Jalen Hood-Schifino from the Lakers, as well as two 2025 second-round picks.
Prior to the trade, the Lakers played against the New York Knicks, beating them without Anthony Davis 128-112, while the Mavericks came off a loss against the Pistons 102-117 Jan. 31.
Czyrone Agbayani, a fourth-year student in computer engineering, heard about this trade from a friend, leaving him in complete shock and thinking that the news was a hoax.
“I thought the news was fake because there was no way the Mavericks would let go of Luka like that. I was in shock,” Agbayani said.
Shock was the main reaction of other fans who follow the NBA, as it was unexpected for a superstar like Luka Doncic to get traded.
Eirik Ubeda, a third-year business administration student, thinks trading for a superstar for an injured star seemed unfair for both teams to go with.
“It was shocking and unexpected to hear Doncic, one of the star players of the Mavericks, being traded for Davis, who is always injury prone,” Ubeda said. “It didn’t feel like a fair trade, but it looked like the Lakers won this one.”
With this trade, both the Lakers and the Mavericks moved to a different motive.
Dallas saw major flaws when it came to Doncic’s stance throughout the future. Mavericks GM Nico Harrison claimed that the superstar was pushing 270 pounds and thought that receiving Davis would help the roster win more.
Conditioning and commitment were one of the main factors that the Dallas GM saw when it came to Doncic.
The Lakers on the other hand wanted to find a more suitable roster to build around, as Lakers GM Rob Pelinka stated in his press conference with Doncic.
“We’re going to build a roster that fits JJ Redick’s basketball philosophy,” Pelinka said.
Nathan Kwoh, a fourth-year kinesiology student and Lakers fan, talked about the pros and cons surrounding the trade.
“The Lakers have a superstar that can become their franchise player that they can build around, while the Mavericks have to rely on an injured superstar,” Kwoh said. “The Lakers have a long year to come while the Mavericks definitely lost.”
Last year, the Mavericks made a miracle run in the 2024 playoffs, solidifying a spot in their second finals appearance since 2011, finishing the season as the 5th seed with a 50-32 record.
Dallas was able to rebuild its roster from scratch in the offseason and during the trade deadline, adding key players to their NBA Finals run like All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, center rookie Derrick Lively and role player forward P.J Washington.
Although the Mavericks did not win the NBA Finals, the team seemed to have a bright future.
Doncic came off an MVP performance last season, averaging 33 points per game with nine assists and nine rebounds.
The Mavericks signed sharpshooter Klay Thompson during free agency in a three-year $50 million contract in a six-team trade deal and acquired role player Quinten Grimes from the Detroit Pistons in the offseason.
The Lakers didn’t look as healthy last season as injuries plagued key players such as Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt, which contributed to a loss in the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, the defending NBA champions at the time, in the first round.
The Lakers faced roadblocks coming into the next season, such as an aging Lebron James and an out-of-position Davis.
But in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Lakers were able to snag Dalton Knecht, from the University of Tennessee, a key sharpshooter the Lakers needed. They also picked up LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., son of Lebron James, from USC, who is currently playing for the South Bay Lakers.
The Lakers and Mavericks face off Feb. 25, in a matchup where both Davis and Doncic will be able to go head-to-head in their new jerseys.
Feature image by Connor Lālea Hampton
