One of the biggest trades in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) has just shocked the players, coaches, and fans alike. In a three-way trade between the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz, superstars Anthony Davis and Luka Dončić switched teams, as Davis became a member of the Mavericks and Dončić joined the Lakers. The top-secret trade was announced to the public on February 1, 2025.
Luka Dončić is a Slovenian basketball player who, despite just being 25 years old, is regarded by many as currently one of the game’s best players worldwide, being the scoring leader for the 2023-24 NBA season with nearly 34 points a game. This season, he’s averaging over 28 points per game. Dončić is a perennial MVP contender, scoring the ball more than anyone else in the league while also chugging out triple-doubles on a nightly basis, an elusive statistic that requires getting ten points, ten assists, and ten rebounds in a game. After being drafted to the Atlanta Hawks, and instantly traded to the Mavericks, Luka has been a Maverick for all of his NBA career. He has been the sole superstar, leading the Mavericks to deep playoff runs and even an NBA Finals Appearance last year.
Anthony Davis is also a phenomenal player, recognized as a key defensive player for any team that he plays for in the league at 31 years old and in his 13th season in the NBA. Davis has been not only an outstanding defender with his 6’10” frame and 7’6” wingspan—as he has been a contender in numerous Defensive Player of the Year awards—but he also produces on offense, with an average of 25.7 points per game this year. After playing for the New Orleans Pelicans for most of his career, Davis came to the Lakers in a trade and won his first NBA championship.
Since both major players involved in the trade are NBA superstars, perhaps the most surprising thing about the trade was how unexpected it was, as even the players involved in the trade were not notified beforehand. Much like everyone else, Davis was never notified of the potential trade beforehand. “I was shocked. I didn’t know,” Davis said through the Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis. “I was actually at home, about to watch a movie with my wife and got the phone call. I had no idea.” The Utah Jazz, the third team in the trade, wasn’t notified until an hour before the trade, according to ESPN. Even Lebron James, one of the all-time greats of the NBA and a current Laker, didn’t know about the trade.
To Mavericks fans, it seemed almost improbable that Dončić would be traded by the Mavericks, especially midseason. Coming off an NBA Finals appearance, many teams would look to keep their core players to make another championship run. Dallas fans imagined that Dončić would play for the Mavericks his entire career, and have a status right next to Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitski. Sports Illustrated brought up that due to the unusually discrete nature of the trade, other NBA team executives feel wronged that they never had a chance to offer the Mavericks a trade for Dončić. Even through the unconventional nature of the trade, Dončić expressed his thanks for his fans in Dallas. “Dallas is a special place, and Mavs fans are special fans,” he wrote in a heartfelt statement on X, while making no mention of the leaders of the franchise who traded him away.
The blockbuster trade was influenced by many factors, such as team strategy, financial considerations, and player relationships. The trade was negotiated by Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations, and Nico Harrison, the Mavericks’ General Manager and President of Basketball Operations. They have a long established relationship that goes back to their relationship with Kobe Bryant, when Harrison was Bryant’s marketing manager while Pelinka was Bryant’s agent. Their personal connection was undoubtedly a huge reason why this trade came to unfold. In making this trade, both managers had different goals about how their team is going to move forward in the future. Harrison saw in Davis an elite defender who can help the Mavericks win a championship in the near future. In addition, by trading their star player away, the Mavericks don’t have to worry about paying Dončić a 5-year, $345 million contract this summer.
As for the Lakers, Pelinka saw Dončić as the perfect player to lead the team after LeBron James retires, signifying a strategic shift towards securing their future. At just 25 years old, Dončić is already considered one of the best offensive players in the NBA. His ability to score, pass, and control the game makes him a valuable asset to any team. “Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come,” Pelinka said in a public statement on X.
There have been numerous reactions from fans and superstars alike to the Dončić-Davis trade. Considering that Dončić has been one of only two players in Mavericks franchise history who have been able to carry the Mavericks to the NBA Finals—the other being Dirk Nowitski—Mavericks fans reacted bitterly. Some fans have even carried a blue coffin before a hockey game involving the Dallas Stars as a form of protest about the trade, while others have gathered before Nowitzki’s statue and left shirts, signs, and other reminders of the great player that they have just lost. Kyrie Irving, a star of the Dallas Mavericks that used to be Dončić’s teammate on the court, was overcome with shock at the news. “You just don’t imagine you’re going to get ready to go to sleep and then you find out news like that. It’s still a grieving process right now,” Irving told reporter Grant Afseth.
Luka’s father, Sasa Dončić, was furious with the confidentiality of the trade. “I think that exactly this secrecy, or should I say from some individuals, maybe even hypocrisy, this hurts me personally. Because I think that Luka absolutely doesn’t deserve this,” said Sasa in an interview with Arena Sport Slovenija.
On the other hand, Lakers fans are ecstatic about acquiring Dončić, a player in his prime who many consider to have the ability to dominate the league in the future. Dončić himself is excited about the change, particularly about the prospect of playing with Lebron James. “It’s just like a dream come true. I always look up to him [James], there’s many things I can learn from him, and I’m just excited to learn everything and now I get to play with him,” Dončić told reporters at a Lakers press conference.
Not only does this trade affect the Lakers and the Mavericks, but it affects all players in the league, even superstars that previously thought their position was stable. “Just because of how out of the blue it was—no hints, no rumors, not a single sign—especially after (the Mavericks) came out of the (NBA) Finals,” 4-time champion Stephen Curry told CNN reporters. “That’s a reminder that there are only a few in this league that can go to sleep with any type of confidence.”
The trade marks a pivotal moment in the NBA; a bold move by both sides to utterly change the future trajectory of their team. While the immediate aftermath of this trade has been full of shock and controversy, the true impact of the trade will be seen in the coming seasons as Dončić and Davis take on new roles with their respective teams.
