Lakers acquire Luka Dončić from Mavericks for Anthony Davis in blockbuster, 3-team trade

Luka Dončić led Dallas to the NBA Finals last season. Anthony Davis won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.

They’re switching teams now — in an absolute blockbuster.

The Mavericks announced Sunday that they have traded Kia NBA MVP candidate Dončić to the Lakers in exchange for 10-time All-Star Davis, reserve guard Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick.

The three-team deal, in which Los Angeles acquires veteran forwards Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, also includes Utah getting Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 second-rounder from both the Mavs and Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers get:

Yes, it really happened. Welcome to Los Angeles, Luka. pic.twitter.com/XdlZZ5IfNo

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 2, 2025

Dallas Mavericks get:

Welcome to Dallas, @AntDavis23!@chime // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/uKfGRv9R6U

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 2, 2025

Utah Jazz get:

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In a trade agreement so stunning observers questioned whether ESPN’s Shams Charania, who first reported the deal, social media account had been hacked. The news broke shortly after the Lakers beat the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Davis was not with the Lakers for the game; he has been in Los Angeles because of an abdominal injury that needed assessing.

The trade talks, which took place over about a month, were kept extremely tight-lipped by Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. Among those not in the know until the end of the process: Mavs coach Jason Kidd.

His first reaction? “Shock,” Kidd said, though he later added that he believes it’s the right move for his team going forward.

“Sports are about transformative moments,” Pelinka said. “We are inspired by these moments Lakers fans know, expect and love with a franchise that continually ushers in new eras of greatness. … Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come. His killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for the team.”

The 6-foot-8 Dončić — who led the NBA in scoring last season at 33.9 points per game — has been nursing a calf strain since late December.

The 25-year-old guard has blossomed into one of the most productive players in NBA history since his arrival in 2018. He’s finished no worse than sixth in Kia MVP voting in four of the past five seasons while amassing career averages of 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists.

Teaming with eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, Dončić led Dallas to last year’s Finals for its first appearance in the championship round since the Mavericks won the title in 2011.

Davis, 31, followed a similar path before him, earning a decade’s worth of All-Star appearances as one of the elite players of his generation while leading the Lakers to the 2019-20 NBA championship. He’s on pace for the 10th 20-point, 10-rebound season of his career with current averages of 25.7 points and 11.9 boards.

Davis and LeBron James had been publicly campaigning for the Lakers to acquire a center to pair with the Kentucky product up front. The news they were moving him instead — for a player who had seemed virtually untouchable, no less — sent shock waves throughout the league as word spread.

That apparently included James himself, who had not been apprised of the trade according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

For the Mavericks, the decision largely came down to what Davis does on the defensive end of the floor.

“We think defense wins championships and we’re bringing in one of the best two-way players in the league,” Harrison said. He added that Davis’ ability to be elite at both ends makes him “a unique unicorn” in the NBA.

“We feel like we’re built to win now as well as in the future,” Harrison said.

Harrison understands the risk and the anger among some in the Mavs fan base; some people protested outside the team’s arena in Dallas on Sunday. He has traded away a young superstar, someone who easily could be one of the game’s best players for the next decade, for a player in his 30s with a challenging injury history.

“I understand the magnitude of it,” Harrison said. “The easiest thing for me to do is do nothing and everyone would praise me for doing nothing. But we really believe in it and time will tell if I’m right.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report