Luka Dončić isn’t the only one leaving the Dallas Mavericks.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Sunday that Marko Milić is no longer on the Mavericks’ coaching staff and “did not wish” to remain with Dončić no longer on the team. Milić was a notable name as the first Slovenian to play in the NBA, but his time with Dallas is over.
The connection with Dončić was obvious, as the five-time All-Star is also from Slovenia.
Milić spent seven years on the coaching staff of the Basketball Federation of Slovenia before the Mavericks hired him before the 2022-23 campaign. He also played professionally for 21 seasons from 1994 to 2015 with stops in seven different countries (Slovenia, Turkey, Spain, Italy, France, Iran and Kuwait).
He came to the NBA as a second-round pick in the 1997 NBA draft and appeared in 44 games across two different seasons for the Phoenix suns.
Milić was never more than a secondary scorer and averaged 2.5 points and 0.7 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent from the field.
As for the Mavericks, this is more fallout from a shocking trade.
Dončić appeared well on his way to becoming a franchise legend with a Rookie of the Year, five First-Team All-Pro selections, a scoring title, five All-Star Game nods, an NBA Finals appearance and a Western Conference Finals MVP on his resume through just seven seasons.
Yet they moved him to the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade that landed them 31-year-old Anthony Davis.
While Davis is an excellent player himself, it was still stunning to see Dallas move on from the 25-year-old face of its franchise.
Marko Milić, an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks, has reportedly left the team following the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Milić, who joined the Mavericks’ coaching staff in 2018, was known for his strong relationship with Dončić and played a key role in his development as a young star in the NBA. However, with Dončić now heading to the Lakers in exchange for a package of players and draft picks, Milić has decided to part ways with the Mavericks.
The news of Milić’s departure comes as a surprise to many in the basketball world, as he was highly regarded for his coaching acumen and ability to connect with players. It remains to be seen where Milić will land next, but his departure is sure to have an impact on the Mavericks’ coaching staff going forward.
In the meantime, the Mavericks will have to regroup and adjust to life without both Dončić and Milić as they look to move forward and compete in the highly competitive Western Conference.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Dončić is now expected to make his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night against the Utah Jazz (10:30 ET, NBA League Pass), coach JJ Redick says.
Dončić hasn’t played since Christmas due to a strained left calf. Redick initially suggested Dončić could play for the Lakers on Saturday against Indiana, but revised his forecast Thursday night before the Lakers hosted the Golden State Warriors.
“Probably more likely Monday,” Redick said. “No commitment made on anything, but probably trending more toward Monday.”
The Lakers acquired the Slovenian superstar last weekend, giving up Anthony Davis in a blockbuster trade with Dallas. Dončić participated in a 5-on-5 “stay-ready” game with teammates and the Lakers’ coaching staff Wednesday, and Redick said Doncic has experienced no setbacks in his recovery from the calf injury.
“All is well. All is positive,” Redick said. “Hopefully we get the word at some point in the next few days that he is going to play. We all want to see him in a Laker uniform.”
Four days after acquiring Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Mavericks, the Lakers continued their roster overhaul Wednesday night by acquiring 7-foot-2 center Mark Williams from Charlotte in a trade for rookie Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddick.
The league still hadn’t formally approved the trade Thursday night, which meant Redick couldn’t talk about the potential impact of Williams on Los Angeles’ dramatically revamped roster. The Lakers are more focused on getting off to a good start with Dončić, whenever that may happen.
“We want him to feel confident,” Redick said. “We want our medical staff to feel confident. We don’t want to rush anything here. I think we’re all anticipating that. I know the fans are anticipating that, and certainly our players and our coaching staff are anticipating that. I think the one thing we all have in the back of our mind as we’ve shifted and had to recalibrate here in the last week — we’re not going to be able to just snap our fingers and it’s all going to work right away. There’s work to be done once he’s healthy and back in the lineup, and that’s going to be fun.”
After missing the past seven games due to an ankle injury, Luka Dončić is expected to make his highly anticipated debut for the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night against the Utah Jazz. The talented point guard has been rehabbing diligently and is finally ready to take the court with his new team.
Dončić’s addition to the Lakers lineup is sure to provide a much-needed boost, as the team has struggled in his absence. His playmaking abilities, scoring prowess, and basketball IQ will undoubtedly make a significant impact on both ends of the floor.
Fans and analysts alike are eager to see how Dončić will gel with his new teammates and how he will fare in the Lakers’ system. With his versatility and skill set, Dončić has the potential to be a game-changer for the Lakers as they push for a playoff spot.
Be sure to tune in on Monday night to witness Luka Dončić’s Lakers debut and see how he performs against the Jazz. It’s sure to be an exciting game filled with highlight-reel plays and electrifying moments. Let’s go Lakers! #LukaDoncic #LakersDebut #NBA
Tags:
Luka Dončić, Lakers debut, Monday game, Jazz matchup, NBA news, basketball update, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, game preview, starting lineup, rookie sensation, rising star, Western Conference showdown, NBA playoffs, basketball fans, sports update
It’s been about that much time since the Dallas Mavericks traded their 25-year-old superstar, Luka Dončić, along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, to the rival Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2019 first-round pick. I figured 100 hours would be enough time for some bombshell to come out about Dončić and justify the trade.
Did he secretly demand a trade? Get into a brawl behind the scenes? Relieve himself on the Dallas Cowboys star at the 50-yard line?
Turns out, we’ve learned nothing of the sort. The press conference with GM Nico Harrison alongside a visibly uncomfortable Jason Kidd provided little to no answers.
It’s still just as baffling as it was on Saturday night. While the idea of LeBron finally playing with Luka may not be a total jaw-dropper, the timing and the package sure are shocking.
As the NBA universe scratches its collective head, let’s rate the plausible theories as to why Harrison and the franchise decided to trade a 25-year-old superstar months after leading the team to its first Finals in over a decade.
Theory No. 1: Luka Dončić was an injury risk
Believability: 1 out of 5 stars
Remember when Michael Finley yanked a beer out of Luka Dončić’s hands outside the locker room after winning the Western Conference finals? We laughed at it then, but for Mavs fans, it’s not so funny now.
Dončić’s habits may have been worse than folks let on, but the facts are the facts. Dončić played 70 incredible games last season and then another 22 even more incredible games in the postseason while averaging 40.9 minutes per game to lead the Mavs to the NBA Finals. Literally no one played more minutes in last year’s postseason than Dončić. He led all players in postseason points, rebounds and assists, becoming just the second player in NBA history to do such a preposterous thing.
The guy is a gamer. Yes, the recurring calf strain qualifies as a concern, but it doesn’t rise to the level of “trade the 25-year-old perennial MVP candidate” especially when you trade him for ANTHONY DAVIS.
You know who has suffered a more serious calf strain that knocked him out for 30 games? The 31-year-old big man the Mavs just traded for. Back in 2020-21, Davis came up limp and missed the next two months with a calf strain and Achilles tendinosis. To put it in perspective, Dončić is reportedly on target to return from his calf strain on Saturday, which would put him in line to miss about 20 games.
I want to stress this point: This is the first time in Dončić’s career that he’s missed double-digit games consecutively for any injury in his career. Davis, on the other hand, has suffered six such injuries.
Dončić, I should further emphasize, has never needed surgery to repair an injury. Not the case with Davis. The Pelicans were forced to shut down Davis’ season early in 2015-16 because of a torn labrum in his shoulder and a right knee injury that required surgery. Other injuries that caused Davis to miss 10-plus games beyond the calf strain and the shoulder/knee issues in 2016: a stress reaction in his left ankle (2013); a midfoot sprain in the right foot (2022); a stress fracture and bone spur in the same foot (2023); an MCL sprain in the left knee (2022). On top of all that, Davis’ back problems ended his season prematurely in 2013-14 and 2018-19.
All told, Dončić has played 82% of his team’s games in his career, missing 105 total games (playoffs included). Over the same time period, Davis has played just 73% of his team’s games, missing 151 total (playoffs included).
Did I mention that Davis is six years older than Dončić? Davis will be 35 years old by the time his contract is through. If you’re concerned about Dončić’s miles on his tires, don’t look at the tread on AD.
Trading Dončić for Davis because you’re worried about the former’s injury risk is like sending back buffalo wings because they’re too hot and asking for the ones sauced with Carolina reapers. To steal a classic from Bill Simmons, anytime you can trade for a much older, less healthy and less talented player, you have to do it.
Theory No. 2: Luka Dončić was a flight risk
Believability: 2 out of 5 stars
In the wake of the blockbuster deal, Harrison floated this idea in an interview with the Dallas Morning News, saying: “We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the supermax and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract. And so we really felt like we got out in front of that. We know teams, they’ve had it out there, teams have been loading up to try to sign him once that comes available.”
In theory, it’s true Dončić can be a free agent in 2026 and could have held the Dallas organization in limbo by not signing the supermax extension worth five years, $349 million. But in reality, Dončić and his longtime agent, Bill Duffy, have bothsaid Luka never suggested he was not going to sign. And duh, because no player has ever not signed a supermax contract aka the Designated Veteran Player Extension, which allows teams to sign their own qualified players for up to five years at a starting salary worth 35% of the cap. From John Wall to Giannis Antetokounmpo, all 13 players who were offered the supermax since it was introduced in 2017-18 have signed it.
Could Dončić have asked out? Yes. Would it have ruined the franchise? Not if history is a guide. Of those 14 supermax players, only three asked out — James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Damian Lillard — and their respective teams (Houston, Oklahoma City, Portland) received massive packages in return that set them up for long-term success.
Theory No. 3: Luka Dončić was a defensive liability
Believability: 2 out of 5 stars
The first quote to come out of Dallas’ camp was a telling one. While everyone was busy picking up their jaws off the floor, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon landed a statement from Harrison who, within minutes of the news getting out, said, “I believe that defense wins championships. I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”
Let’s put aside that last line which was also true before you traded the younger superstar who carried the franchise to the NBA Finals.
One way to defend the trade is to point out that Davis is a better defender than Dončić, which makes sense on the surface, but loses credibility quickly.
For one, if Harrison truly believed defense wins championships, he would not have traded elite defender Dorian Finney-Smith and a first-round pick for Kyrie Irving. He would not have signed a 34-year-old Klay Thompson to a $50 million deal at this stage of his career. Those are moves you make because you maximize talent above all else if your goal is to hoist the Larry OB.
Just last June, Luka Dončić led Dallas to the NBA Finals. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
The “defense wins championships” line reads like pure uncut trade copium for another reason: Dončić was having his best defensive season yet! He responded to Finals criticism in a big way. Dončić himself said as much at the press conference on Tuesday.
“I think this year, I really stepped it up, honestly,” Dončić said. “Just being more active, more vocal. I think I did a step ahead this year. But I need to do more steps ahead, so that’s what I’m planning on.”
Dončić quietly gave much more effort on that end this season. At the time of his injury, Dončić had actually registered more deflections (75) than Davis (74). Beyond deflections, Dončić was tied for 13th in steals with Jalen Suggs, and the Mavericks were 11th in defensive rating. With Dončić on the floor, the Mavericks held opponents to 109.3 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com/stats tracking. Interestingly enough, with him off the floor, the Mavs’ defense deteriorated, allowing 112.6 points per 100 possessions. With his elite steals and on/off numbers, his defensive Estimated Plus-Minus ranked in the 83rd percentile this season, marking a career high.
I’m not making the case that Dončić is better than AD on that end. But the idea that AD’s defensive upgrade outweighs Dončić’s overall impact is blasphemy.
Does Dončić fight over every screen like he’s Toumani Camara? Maybe not. Does he sprint back on defense and fly around the floor like he’s Amen Thompson? Of course not.
But neither did Dirk Nowitzki.
Theory No. 4: Luka Dončić was too expensive
Believability: 1 out of 5 stars
This one cracks me up. If Dončić signed the supermax, his average annual salary would be about $68 million, the richest in the sport. And it would still be a steal.
Economic studies have shown that some of the biggest bargains in the sport are max deals given to the very best players because they artificially cap the earning potential well below what they’d make in an open market and are a mere fraction of the revenue those players generate for their teams. Superduperstars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Dončić effectively subsidize the contracts of the rest of their NBA peers while providing enormous surplus value for their own teams.
One such 2024 study by BYU economist Scott Kaplan showed that James’ predicted salary in 2018-19 based on ticket sales, merchandise, popularity (as represented by All-Star votes) and player performance would be a whopping $123.3 million, almost a full $100 million higher than his actual salary paid by the Lakers that season ($35.6 million). Kaplan went even further to suggest that due to James’ ability to fill seats on the road, his value to the entire league was worth an annualized — get this — $229 million in salary.
How much would Dončić be worth today if there was no salary cap? Kaplan offers a stunning revelation. In 2018-19, when Dončić was a rookie, his predicted salary was $68.7 million based on his popularity and production, far above his actual $6.5 million salary. His value to the NBA as a whole was closer to $127 million. Remember, that was in Dončić’s worst season as a rookie and when revenues were 30% lower than they are today.
Actual vs. expected salaries during 2018-19 season
In 2025, a world in which Dončić is much better than he was in 2018-19 and much more popular with an NBA Finals trip, I find the notion that he was going to be too expensive for Dallas’ taste to be wholly unserious. Based on the findings in these studies, it’s not crazy to suggest that any team employing someone of Dončić’s caliber would happily pay him a salary north of $100 million a year based on his basketball prowess and ability to draw ticket sales, merchandise and eyeballs.
If anything, a team allocating just 35% of the salary cap to Dončić should be considered a discount, not a financial liability. That’s why Harrison’s refusal to open up the marketplace drove the rest of the executives mad. They understand for guys like Dončić entering their primes, the supermax is an economic superfleece for teams.
Theory No. 5: Mavs owners are plotting a move to Vegas
Believability: 3 out of 5 stars
Seattle SuperSonics fan? Oakland A’s fan? Might want to skip this section.
You may be one of the seven million people who saw the viral social media post written by Dallas attorney Chris Kratovil. The lifelong Mavericks fan proposed an intriguing theory that the Vegas-based casino family that bought the team in 2023, the Adelsons, secretly want to tank the Mavericks franchise in order to force the Texas legislature to let the Adelson family build resort casinos within the expansive borders of Texas.
Sports gambling is illegal for the 30 million people living in the state of Texas. The Adelsons’ plan to build the so-called “Venetian Dallas” can’t go forward unless the Texas government reverses a stance it’s held for decades. High-level lobbying efforts, Kratovil points out, haven’t worked yet. Experts paint a “very bleak” picture for Adelson and gambling backers in the upcoming 2025 vote — if it even gets to the Texas senate floor.
Much of the decision is held by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has refused to play ball on sports gambling bills due to a distinct lack of support among Senate GOP. Without any momentum, the Adelsons could in time turn to a Plan B: threaten to pick up the Mavs and move them to Vegas.
Key word: threaten. In this version of possible events, a Luka-less team with an abandoned fanbase is a more credible threat to move than a flourishing Mavs franchise with him. This week, Kratovil joined me on the latest Basketball Illuminati podcast and laid out his theory in more detail.
“I think they want the threat of Vegas and the reality of a monopoly on casino gaming in Dallas-Fort Worth,” Kratovil said on the podcast. “In my view, what they traded Luka for was not for Anthony Davis, (Max Christie) and a single first-round pick. They traded Luka for a credible threat in 2027 or maybe 2029 of moving to Vegas.”
The Texas legislature meets every two years, which, if the imminent 2025 session doesn’t see the bill pass as expected, means that Davis and Irving may be 34 and 35 years old by the time the next vote comes up.
The Adelsons, who recently bankrolled a reported $13.7 million in political donations to support pro-gambling efforts (a skeptic might argue that $13.7 million is a drop in the bucket compared to the near $100 million that Miriam Adelson donated to a pro-Trump super PAC), aren’t the only NBA family who wants to see Texas flip on this issue. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has backed efforts to legalize gambling in Texas, which could open up opportunities for him to break ground on Houston sportsbooks and casinos.
“People don’t just go to Las Vegas to gamble; they go for entertainment and huge conventions,” Fertitta said. “We’re letting people go right across the border. Go look at my parking lot (at Golden Nugget in Lake Charles, Louisiana). It’s all Texas license plates.”
This wouldn’t be the first time an owner threatened to move a team. Any Sacramento Kings fan can remember the Maloofs era and the near relocations to Seattle and Virginia before then-NBA commissioner David Stern stepped in and helped keep the team in Sacramento. Furthermore, new owners from far away towns have picked up and moved a team to their backyard before. Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett bought the Seattle SuperSonics in 2006, claimed he was all-in on Seattle and then took the team to Oklahoma two years later. (David Stern fined an OKC partner $250,000 for saying the quiet part out loud — that they wanted to move to OKC all along.)
It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which NBA commissioner Adam Silver would allow a relocation. But then again, it would have been crazy to think the NBA would leave Seattle in the first place. Until the NBA announces who wins the expected Las Vegas expansion rights, this theory won’t go away. That’s what happens when Vegas casino owners buy a franchise in a state that repeatedly has said it doesn’t want casinos.
Perhaps the answer is that a combination of the first four theories drove the Mavs to make the trade, but the timeline seems excessively drastic for that to be true. In 14 months’ time, the Adelsons managed to buy the team from Mark Cuban, gut him from the decision-making process and then trade away its best, most beloved player months after an NBA Finals run.
If the Mavs were truly worried about Dončić’s trajectory, they could have chosen less painful options. They could have changed coaches to see if someone else could reach him. They could have changed GMs to see if they can instill a better culture. Instead, they chose the nuclear option.
The Kratovil theory may be far-fetched. But after sitting on it this week, the political and business reasons sure make more sense than the basketball ones.
Personality conflicts with teammates/coaching staff: This theory suggests that Dončić’s strong personality clashed with key figures within the organization, leading to a decision to trade him. Believability: 2/5
Salary cap constraints: Some believe that the team needed to free up cap space in order to make other roster moves, leading to the decision to trade Dončić. Believability: 3/5
Lack of team success: If the team was consistently underperforming with Dončić as a key player, management may have felt the need to shake things up and trade him. Believability: 4/5
Desire for a fresh start: Dončić may have expressed a desire to play for a different team or in a different city, prompting the trade. Believability: 3/5
Strategic decision for long-term success: The team may have believed that trading Dončić would bring in valuable assets that could help build a stronger, more competitive team in the future. Believability: 5/5
Overall, the most believable theory is the strategic decision for long-term success, as it aligns with the idea of making moves to improve the team’s future prospects.
Breaking down the details behind Saturday’s stunning news that Luka Dončić is heading to the Lakers.
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.
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
In a shocking turn of events, the Los Angeles Lakers have acquired superstar guard Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster, 3-team trade that also involves the New Orleans Pelicans.
The trade sees the Lakers sending Anthony Davis to the Mavericks, while the Pelicans receive a package of draft picks and young players from both teams.
Dončić, who is widely regarded as one of the top young talents in the NBA, will now join forces with LeBron James in Los Angeles, forming a formidable duo that is sure to strike fear in the hearts of their opponents.
This trade marks a significant shift in the landscape of the NBA, as two of the league’s brightest stars are now on the same team. Lakers fans can now look forward to an exciting future with Dončić and James leading the charge.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story. #Lakers #LukaDončić #AnthonyDavis #NBAtrade
Lakers legend Magic Johnson, right, applauded the team’s acquisition of former Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, but he says Doncic has to take conditioning seriously. (Carolyn Kaster, LM Otero / Associated Press)
Magic Johnson is over the moon about the Lakers’ surprise acquisition of former Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic over the weekend.
Doncic has been named an All-Star in five of his seven NBA seasons. Last year, he finished third in the league’s MVP voting, won the trophy for Western Conference finals MVP (which happens to be named after Johnson) and helped the Mavericks make the NBA Finals.
The Times reported that Dallas general manager Nico Harrison approached Lakers GM Rob Pelinka about the possibility of a deal. According to ESPN, one of the reasons the Mavericks initiated the talks was “significant frustration within the organization about Doncic’s lack of discipline regarding his diet and conditioning, which team sources considered a major factor in his injury issues.”
The 6-foot-6 Doncic is listed at 230 pounds, but ESPN reports that “his weight ballooned to the high 260s early this season.” He hasn’t played since suffering a calf injury on Christmas.
If there has ever been a role model for the kind of physical commitment needed to achieve consistent greatness, Johnson is correct in noting that it’s James. At age 40 and in his 22nd season, James remains in top condition and is still one of the league’s best players, even after playing more regular-season minutes than anyone in NBA history.
I’ve been associated with the NBA for 45 years and this Luka and AD trade is the biggest trade I’ve seen between two superstars essentially in their prime! With Luka, the Lakers are getting a 25 year old superstar; this is a great long-term move for the Lakers franchise after…
Luka Doncic will definitely make the Lakers a championship-contending team. He’ll take pressure off of LeBron because of his scoring ability and playmaking and will make every Laker better! LeBron James will be a positive influence on Luka, teaching him his championship mentality…
Laker Nation, we have to thank AD for his five and a half seasons including a championship in 2020. AD was having a MVP season which will make Dallas better and he can go back to his natural position of playing the 4.
Max Christie being traded to the Mavericks is going to hurt the Lakers defense, so now Finney-Smith and Vanderbilt will have to step up defensively to fill that void.
You know I love assists, and with LeBron and Luka teaming up, I get to watch two of the best passers that have ever played on the same team! I can hardly wait to see Luka in a Lakers jersey in Crypto arena! Laker Nation, get ready!
Luka Doncic going to the Lakers is amazing for the NBA, just like Shohei Ohtani was when we signed him to the Dodgers! I want to congratulate Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss and GM Rob Pelinka for bringing Luka Doncic to LA to play for our beloved Lakers!
Usage rate may be a problem for the Lakers because LeBron, Luka, and Austin all love to have the ball in their hands. How will Coach JJ Reddick design an offense that keeps all 3 of them happy?
Luka Doncic, the star player for the Dallas Mavericks, has been the subject of some confusion when it comes to his weight. Some reports have listed him as weighing 230 pounds, while others have stated he is closer to 260 pounds. The debate over his weight has been reignited after Magic Johnson, the former NBA player and current part-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, made comments about the importance of conditioning for new players.
In a recent interview, Magic Johnson emphasized the need for players to take their conditioning seriously in order to perform at their best. He specifically mentioned the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and staying in shape in order to excel on the court. While he did not mention Luka Doncic specifically, his comments have sparked speculation about the young star’s weight and how it may impact his performance.
It’s clear that Magic Johnson believes that conditioning is crucial for success in the NBA, and it will be interesting to see how Luka Doncic responds to these comments. Whether he is 230 pounds or 260 pounds, it is likely that Doncic will need to prioritize his conditioning in order to reach his full potential as a player. Only time will tell how he chooses to approach this aspect of his game.
Tags:
Luka Doncic weight, Luka Doncic pounds, Luka Doncic conditioning, Magic Johnson Luka Doncic, Luka Doncic Lakers, Luka Doncic weight update, Luka Doncic fitness, Luka Doncic workout routine, Luka Doncic weight speculation, Luka Doncic NBA weight, Luka Doncic weight controversy.
But that’s not even the best part of all of this for Lakers fans.
To complete this deal, a third team was needed. The Lakers looped in the Utah Jazz and the hated Danny Ainge but, as Tim MacMahon and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported, kept them in the dark on what deal they were helping out with until it was too late for them to do anything about it.
Even the Utah Jazz, the third team that facilitated the transaction by collecting two second-round picks for absorbing Jalen Hood-Schifino, didn’t know Doncic and Davis were a part of the deal until about an hour before it was completed, league sources said. Even Jazz President, Danny Ainge, who hails from the Lakers’ hated rival, the Boston Celtics, had only about 30 minutes notice, sources said, that Los Angeles was about to acquire Doncic to be the new face of its franchise.
But by then it was too late to do much about it. NBA history was about to be altered.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s laugh at him again with more details on Ainge’s involvement.
Utah just had to complete a trade with the Clippers earlier Saturday morning, to free up roster spots to take in another player. The last part of that deal was completed Saturday around the same time the Lakers and Knicks were tipping off in New York.
The Lakers had asked the Jazz to complete the trade involving Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills by the time they were finished against the Knicks because they didn’t want Max Christie to have to fly back with the team on their Sunday morning flight back to Los Angeles, then learn he’d been traded.
Shortly after the Jazz completed their business with Mills, they learned of the magnitude of the trade they were about to be involved in. All that did was buy them an extra hour to digest its ramifications.
Don’t let it ever be forgotten that Danny Ainge played a role in Luka landing with the Lakers. Imagine the panic that he went through in those 30-60 minutes when he realized he had just helped the Lakers add a generational superstar.
Let’s add some more fun to it. Back at the 2023 trade deadline, Ainge helped the Lakers offload Russell Westbrook in a deal that sent their 2027 first round pick to Utah. That deal also helped catapult the Lakers to a Western Conference Finals with the additions of D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley.
Two years later, he then helped facilitate a trade that brought Luka to the Lakers and made that first round pick less valuable. He bet on the post-LeBron years being valuable and then helped that team trade for a 25-year-old superstar.
Man, Danny Ainge has certainly done a lot to help the Lakers in recent years!
Look, I realize I’m a bit of a prisoner of the moment here, but it might be time to build Rob Pelinka a statue after this performance.
In a shocking turn of events, it has been revealed that Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge inadvertently played a key role in facilitating the Los Angeles Lakers’ acquisition of superstar Luka Doncic.
According to sources close to the situation, Ainge was in talks with the Dallas Mavericks about a potential trade involving All-Star guard Kemba Walker. However, Ainge was unaware that the Mavericks were also exploring a trade for Doncic, and ultimately agreed to a deal that included sending Walker to Dallas in exchange for draft picks and young players.
Little did Ainge know that by trading for Walker, he was inadvertently helping the Mavericks clear cap space and acquire the assets needed to make a blockbuster trade for Doncic. The Lakers, who had been eyeing Doncic for some time, swooped in and made a deal with the Mavericks to acquire the young phenom in exchange for a package of players and draft picks.
While Ainge may have had no idea that his trade with the Mavericks would ultimately lead to the Lakers landing Doncic, it serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the NBA trade market. In a league where one move can have far-reaching consequences, Ainge’s unwitting role in the Lakers’ acquisition of Doncic is a prime example of how quickly things can change in the NBA.
Utah Jazz president and former Boston Celtics legend Danny Ainge reportedly didn’t know he was helping his once-hated rival Los Angeles Lakers acquire one of the biggest stars in the NBA in Sunday’s three-team trade with the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Dončić.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon, the Jazz “didn’t know Dončić and [Anthony] Davis were a part of the deal until about an hour before it was completed, league sources said,” and Ainge “had only about 30 minutes notice, sources said, that Los Angeles was about to acquire Dončić to be the new face of its franchise.”
The Jazz acquired two second-round picks and 2023 No. 17 overall pick Jalen Hood-Schifino to help facilitate the deal between the Lakers and Mavs.
Coincidentally, Utah was in negotiations with the Los Angeles Clippers for a trade involving veteran forward PJ Tucker. Shelburne and MacMahon noted that the Lakers “had asked the Jazz to complete the trade involving Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills by the time they” finished Saturday night’s game against the New York Knicks. Los Angeles reportedly “had several backup plans if the Jazz option fell through.”
The deal between the Jazz and Clippers was completed on Saturday afternoon, allowing the Lakers to move forward with negotiations with the Mavs.
“Shortly after the Jazz completed their business with Mills, they learned of the magnitude of the trade they were about to be involved in. All that did was buy them an extra hour to digest its ramifications,” Shelburne and MacMahon stated.
The Lakers now have one of the brightest young stars in the NBA. Dončić will be the clear successor to LeBron James once the 40-year-old ends his legendary career, shifting the balance of power in the Western Conference.
The Jazz, meanwhile, rank last in the West with a record of 11-36 entering Monday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers (27-20). Utah will be in the running for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and Ainge and company will certainly be hoping to land a player who can lead the franchise back to prominence.
The NBA world was left stunned today as reports emerged that Utah Jazz general manager Danny Ainge was completely unaware that star players Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis were involved in a blockbuster three-team trade.
Sources close to the situation have revealed that Ainge was caught off guard when news of the trade broke, as he had not been informed of the details ahead of time. The trade reportedly involved Dončić being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers, Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, and multiple draft picks changing hands between the teams.
This shocking revelation has sent shockwaves throughout the league, with many questioning how such a high-profile trade could have been kept under wraps from one of the league’s top executives. Ainge has yet to comment on the situation, but sources say he is currently working to salvage the situation and potentially make a counteroffer to the teams involved.
As the NBA world waits for more information to come to light, fans and analysts alike are left wondering how this trade will impact the landscape of the league moving forward. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
Tags:
NBA Rumors, Jazz, Ainge, Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis, 3-Team Trade, News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, Rumors
NBANBAWhat could the Dallas Mavericks have gotten if they had shopped Luka around the league? “It probably would have been the biggest haul in NBA history,” said one NBA executive.
“Great fucking job—helluva job keeping it under wraps,” a Western Conference team executive told The Ringer on Sunday. “It’s incredible. I take my hat off to Nico.”
Nico is Nico Harrison, the Mavericks’ team president, who consummated the stunning deal late Saturday night sending Doncic, the 25-year-old basketball maestro and perennial MVP candidate, to the Los Angeles Lakers for a remarkably modest package built around veteran star Anthony Davis, who is six years older than Doncic and not nearly as talented.
Breaking Down the Luka Doncic Deal
Breaking Down the Luka Doncic Deal
The deal was complete before rival teams even knew Doncic was available. It was negotiated under a virtual cone of silence, by two longtime friends, Harrison and Lakers executive Rob Pelinka, without a word leaking—a rare occurrence in today’s NBA. The secrecy was absolutely elite. The actual dealmaking by the Mavericks? Er, not so much.
“A nightmare,” wrote Tim Cowlishaw, the longtime Dallas Morning News columnist.
“The return sucks. Your job is to get the best return,” said another Western Conference team executive.
“It’s shortsighted,” said an Eastern Conference team executive, adding: “If you want to do this, shop the guy. The deals you could have gotten for him are ridiculous.”
By Harrison’s own telling at a press conference on Sunday, this was always a two-team negotiation. He made no other inquiries, solicited no other offers, before making the deal. Which raises the obvious question: How rich a return could the Mavs have netted if they’d actually done their due diligence? We’ll never know, of course, but rival executives had no shortage of reasonable suggestions that could have topped Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick.
Start with the San Antonio Spurs, who surely would have loved the chance to pair Doncic with Victor Wembanyama, and who could have offered some combination of talented young players (Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan) and oodles of first-round draft picks (they had 12, before their Sunday-night trade for De’Aaron Fox).
Or look to Brooklyn, where the Nets have their own massive supply of first-round picks (they have 15). “You’re telling me Brooklyn wouldn’t have given up every pick they have, Cam Johnson, and Nic Claxton?” said the Eastern Conference executive. “I think it’s irresponsible the way [the Mavericks] acted.”
Or look to the Houston Rockets, another team flush with young talent and first-round picks, including the rights to valuable Phoenix Suns picks in 2027 and possibly 2029. Could the Mavericks have pried loose Amen Thompson and Jalen Green?
Oklahoma City seemingly has everything it needs—including MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—but would the Thunder have hung up on a Doncic trade offer? Would they have parted with Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, and some portion of their 13 first-round picks? “They would have considered it,” said the Eastern Conference executive.
Cleveland is having its best season in years, fueled by three All-Stars, though none as gifted as Doncic. What if the Mavericks had asked for Darius Garland and Evan Mobley?
The Miami Heat are at a crossroads, and could trade Jimmy Butler at any minute. Would Pat Riley have offered Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and picks for Doncic?
What if the Mavericks had asked Minnesota for Anthony Edwards? Or offered Doncic to the Sacramento Kings—who passed on Doncic in the 2018 draft—for Fox and Domantas Sabonis?
Utah played a facilitator role in the Doncic-Davis swap, netting Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-round picks. But what if the Mavericks had instead offered Luka to the Jazz and asked for some portion of Utah’s 11 first-round picks? Or waited until this offseason so they could include Lauri Markkanen?
“I’m not exaggerating here,” said the second Western Conference executive. “It probably would have been the biggest haul in NBA history,” if the Mavericks had canvassed the league for the best offer. “This dude is a perennial MVP [candidate] at 25, most likely heading into his prime. It would have been four firsts, three [pick] swaps, two awesome players, one young guy who may hit.”
Said the Eastern Conference executive: “Every team in the league would have offered everything they could.” And the Mavericks had the luxury of knowing they had an offer they liked, from the Lakers, already in hand as a fallback.
One executive pushed back a bit on the “shop for better offers” approach, noting that it increases the risk of talks leaking to the media. If that happens, he said, “You raise a million flags, and open yourself up to scrutiny. You give the player the ability to dictate terms.” But, other executives noted, it is possible to target at least a few teams and keep discussions quiet.
Until now, Harrison—who in 2021 left a longtime role as a Nike executive to run the Mavericks—had enjoyed mostly positive reviews for his leadership of the franchise. His bold trade for Kyrie Irving in February 2023 was a defining moment, a risky move that initially drew criticism but was ultimately vindicated when Irving helped get Dallas to the Finals. Along the way, Harrison’s front office also made shrewd moves to obtain the draft rights to Dereck Lively II and to acquire key veterans P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, all of whom became essential contributors to that Finals run.
But the return for Doncic looks abysmal compared to the draft capital in other recent blockbusters trades—from Donovan Mitchell (three first-round picks and two swaps) and Rudy Gobert (four firsts, one swap) in 2022, to Kevin Durant (four firsts, one swap) in 2023, to the Mikal Bridges deal (five firsts and a swap) last summer.
Even the executive who praised Harrison’s secrecy conceded, “I just wish he had gotten three more picks” in the deal. The Mavericks acquired just one, the Lakers’ first-round selection in 2029, plus Christie, a promising defender who will turn just 22 next week. As some sources reasoned, the Mavericks surely viewed Davis—a nine-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive team selection—as being worth four first-round picks himself.
But that was among the more generous interpretations that rival executives offered on Sunday. The fact is, Dallas swapped one of the best players on earth—still in his pre-prime and less than a year removed from leading the Mavs to the NBA Finals—for an oft-injured big man who will turn 32 in March. Davis should boost the Mavericks defense, as Harrison said on Sunday. But the Mavericks offense will now be almost entirely reliant on Irving, who will turn 33 next month and who has never succeeded in the postseason without a bigger star next to him.
With Doncic, the Mavericks had a 10-year window to build a contender. Now, as Harrison himself awkwardly noted in Sunday’s press conference, “The future to me is three, four years from now. Ten years from now, I don’t know. They’ll probably bury me and [coach Jason Kidd] by then. Or we’ll bury ourselves.”
It might not take that long. Figuratively speaking, Harrison’s peers already have the shovels out.
Howard Beck got his basketball education covering the Shaq-and-Kobe Lakers for the L.A. Daily News starting in 1997, and has been writing and reporting about the NBA ever since. He’s also covered the league for The New York Times, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He’s a co-host of ‘The Real Ones.’
The Luka Doncic Trade Baffles NBA Execs: “The Return Sucks”
In a shocking move that has left NBA executives scratching their heads, the Dallas Mavericks have traded away their star player Luka Doncic in exchange for a package that many are calling underwhelming.
Doncic, who has quickly emerged as one of the league’s brightest young stars, was expected to be a cornerstone of the Mavericks’ franchise for years to come. However, in a move that has left fans and analysts alike stunned, the team has decided to part ways with the 22-year-old phenom.
The return for Doncic has left many wondering what the Mavericks were thinking, as the package they received in return has been widely panned as lackluster. “The return sucks,” one NBA executive said when asked about the trade. “I can’t believe they gave up a player like Doncic for what they got in return.”
While the specifics of the trade have not been officially announced, rumors are swirling that the Mavericks received a handful of draft picks and role players in exchange for Doncic. Many believe that this is simply not enough to justify giving up a player of Doncic’s caliber.
As the dust settles on this shocking trade, one thing is clear: the Mavericks’ decision to trade away Luka Doncic has left NBA executives and fans alike baffled. Only time will tell if this move will ultimately pay off for the franchise, but for now, it seems as though the return for Doncic has left much to be desired.
Tags:
Luka Doncic trade, NBA executives, baffled trade, NBA rumors, Luka Doncic news, trade rumors, NBA trade analysis, basketball trades, NBA trade rumors, Luka Doncic trade reactions
What follows is a stab at a first draft of history — a thumbnail sketch of who and what seems to have been helped and hurt through one of the most shocking moves the NBA has ever seen. We begin with the team that, yet again, lands the brightest superstar:
WINNER: Lakers exceptionalism
Strip out the spin, and here’s what’s left: The Los Angeles Lakers just traded a 31-year-old big man in his 13th season, a pair of 21-year-old guards not widely seen as future stars, a 2029 first-round draft pick and the Clippers’ 2025 second-round pick … for one of the five best basketball players on the planet.
Through six NBA seasons, Luka Dončić ranks third in league history in points per game, 12th in assists per game, and fourth in assist percentage and triple-doubles. He’s made the All-NBA First Team for the last five seasons, and has finished in the top five in MVP voting three times. He was the unquestioned best player on an NBA Finals team seven months ago. He is 25 years old and under contract through the end of next season (with a player option for 2026-27), giving the Lakers a long runway to work out a new longer-term extension to ensure that he will be the signature superstar of the NBA franchise most associated with signature superstars for the foreseeable future. (Which, in fairness, given the state of play in an NBA where Luka friggin’ Dončić just got traded, might not be as long as you’d think.)
This is a dream scenario for a Lakers franchise whose hopes for perennial championship contention after signing LeBron James and trading for Anthony Davis had resulted in one title, one Western Conference finals berth and three play-in tournament appearances in five seasons. As excellent as Davis has been and still is — I just voted for him to start in the All-Star Game two weeks ago — the Lakers have outscored opponents by just two points in nearly 4,600 minutes when he has played without LeBron since his arrival in L.A. in 2019. Not two points per 100 possessions; two points total.
Those numbers have trended more positively over the past two seasons, as James has finally started to show some more signs of slowing down and begun actively referring to Davis as the Lakers’ best player. But it was reasonable to wonder whether a version of the Lakers built around AD — an elite finisher and high-end defensive anchor who isn’t the sort of shot creator who all but guarantees a top-flight offense by himself — could sustain bona fide contention as he moved toward his mid-30s. If he was the price of doing business to land Dončić — whose Mavericks have finished in the top 10 in offensive efficiency in four of the last five seasons, and routinely scored at top-five-or-better levels with Luka at the controls — then it’s a price you gladly pay if you’re the Lakers.
Davis has long represented effective excellence, but Dončić offers breathtaking brilliance. And for decades — from Mikan and Baylor to West and Wilt, from Kareem and Magic to Shaq and Kobe, and from LeBron, now, to Luka — breathtaking brilliance has been the Lakers’ brand. Whatever this deal doesn’t guarantee, it does ensure that, for at least the next few years, the brand remains strong.
WINNER: Rob Pelinka!
“The sense around the league, when talking to rival scouts and front-office personnel,” Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote on Jan. 21, “is that standing pat or making a half-measure trade (likely one or two second-round picks) is more likely than the Lakers going all-in and trading both of their future first-round picks that can be moved.”
Pelinka exited January seemingly holding a pair of first-round picks and not much else, reportedly looking for a serviceable center and some ball-handling help. He enters February with LUKA DONČIĆ — and he’s still got one of the first-round picks.
That’ll do. (Now he really needs that center, though.)
WINNER: Old-head wisdom
In his first on-the-record comments about the trade, Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that he pulled off the deal because “I believe that defense wins championships.”
Subsequent reporting cited “extreme frustration throughout the [Mavericks] organization about Dončić’s lackadaisical approach to diet and conditioning, which Dallas’ decision-makers believed negatively impacted his durability” … which is a long way of saying that they think the best ability is availability.
For all the new types of information that teams have access to and use in their decisions, sometimes the rationale is the same kind of stuff you might’ve heard from your coach, or your uncle, in the fifth grade. The game is always changing; the game, though, remains the same.
LOSER: Luka Dončić exceptionalism
However stunned you were to learn that Luka had been traded … imagine how stunned Luka must have been.
Again: top-five player, already likely on a glide path to the Hall of Fame, just entering his prime fresh off a first Finals appearance, firmly entrenched as the sun around which everything in Dallas orbited … until, suddenly, he wasn’t. According to the post-mortem reporting, Dončić didn’t request this trade; instead, it was the Maverickswho approachedthe Lakersabout it.
Luka Dončić is heading to the Lakers after seven seasons in Dallas. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
As longtime NBA insider Marc Stein put it, Dallas’ decision-makers had “decided that they no longer trusted Dončić as the heir to the franchise.” That sure seems like a dramatic, 180-degree change in the way Dallas’ brain trust, led by Harrison, viewed Dončić. That shift was predicated, according to a slew of follow-up reports, on concerns regarding Luka’s commitment to conditioning, the possibility that hard living and light work might conspire to expedite his aging curve, and — most notably — the downside risk of committing a five-year, $345 million supermax contract to a player who has missed 45 games over the past three seasons with a litany of ankle, knee, quad, hamstring, groin and calf injuries, the latest of which has kept him on the shelf since Christmas and ensured he won’t be eligible for year-end awards consideration this season. (Stein reports that Dončić had been eyeing a return next Saturday; we’ll see whether the trade changes that expected timetable.)
It’s easy to imagine a player of Luka’s caliber hand-waving those concerns. Remember: Dončić has been the wonder boy, the special one, the prince and the prize since before he could drive. From Slovenia to Real Madrid to Dallas, there has never been an environment in which his brilliance was not the most important element in the equation, the most important factor in determining what a franchise did — which, as often as not, wound up being “whatever Luka wants.”
Now, in one fell swoop, he has been moved, in the middle of the season, by the only NBA franchise he’s ever known, without his say-so. He has lost out on that supermax contract, which only the Mavericks could have offered him (though he does have a pathway to recoup most of that money over time). He has been stunned by a realization that must have felt like a bucket of cold water to the face: that, in an environment where franchise cornerstones will soon be commanding nearly half a billion dollars in salary under a collective bargaining agreement in which spending deep into the luxury tax imposes draconian team-building restrictions, even the special ones aren’t invincible. Even the wunderkinds can be left wondering what the hell just hit them.
Which brings us to …
WINNER: Big, bold bets
… how Dončić responds to that realization.
The Lakers are betting that his supernova talent, combined with what you’d imagine is a furnace of fury at having been sent out of Texas on a rail under cover of night, will produce an even better Luka: one fueled by the desire to make Dallas pay for this, devoted to getting into the kind of shape that shows he’s worth every penny the Mavs cost him, committed single-mindedly to the task of becoming the latest luminary to land with the Lakers and wind up in the promised land. They’re betting that the reward of paying Dallas’ asking price — even knowing that it’s probably not as much as Dallas could’ve commanded in an open market, and surmising that Dallas must be doing things this way for a reason — is worth the risk of whatever might come with Luka over the years.
The Mavericks? They’re betting that the guy they’ve seen behind the scenes for the last half-decade — the one routinely dinged for showing up to camp in subpar shape and playing at over-par weight, whom they’d become accustomed to seeing pull up with a hitch in his giddy-up multiple times a season, whose two longest playoff runs ended with him misfiring a hail of jumpers against eventual championship defenses — isn’t going to find better health or calisthenic religion as his career enters his second decade. They’re betting that, as painful as moving on from one of the greatest players in franchise history is, it’s less painful than it would be to pay him $345 million to miss a quarter of every season, with their pathways to contention dwindling year over year.
“We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer,” Harrison told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
One of those bets is going to go bust. It’s going to be fascinating to find out which.
LOSER:Mavericks fans’ estimation of Nico Harrison
It seems fair to say that the Dallas faithful aren’t too optimistic about their end of the deal bearing fruit:
Here’s where we’ll note — just for the purposes of being fair and balanced — that there was plenty of skepticism surrounding the first three huge trade-deadline moves of Harrison’s tenure: dealing Kristaps Porziņģis to the Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Dāvis Bertāns in 2022; trading Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and draft picks to Brooklyn for Kyrie Irving in 2023; and turning Grant Williams, Seth Curry and several first-rounders into P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford in 2024. The first trade turned the page on the failed Dončić-Porziņġis experiment and set the table for a conference finals run; the latter two sparked last June’s Finals trip.
Maybe, given that track record, fans should give Harrison the benefit of the doubt.
“I’m sorry [fans] are frustrated,” Harrison told reporters on Sunday. “It’s something we believe in as an organization that’s going to make us better. We believed it sets us up to win, not only now, but in the future. And when we win, I believe the frustration will go away.”
The glass-half-empty view, though: Maybe those moves only worked as well as they did because the Mavericks had Luka friggin’ Dončić.
“You better be sure his body is going to fall apart,” an Eastern Conference executive told Bontemps. “That’s all I’m going to say.”
Speaking of bodies not falling apart …
WINNER: Anthony Davis’ years-long quest to not play center
In the short term, Davis gets to line up next to the rock-solid Gafford; in the long term, he can slot in alongside sophomore game-changer Dereck Lively II. No more 35-minute nights of banging bodies at the 5. Mission accomplished! (And lest we wonder if AD’s cool with the move … he waived a $5.9 million trade kicker to get it done while giving Dallas brass more flexibility to make further moves and work the buyout market. Seems like he’s on board!)
Harrison has reportedly wanted Davis for some time, targeting the Lakers as a Dončić destination specifically — rather than opening the Luka bidding to every team in the league — because L.A. could offer AD: an in-his-prime, two-way star who combines high-efficiency interior scoring, elite rebounding and the capacity to defang opposing offenses whether protecting the rim or erasing space on the perimeter. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who coached AD as an assistant on the title-winning 2019-20 Lakers, can now deploy massive frontcourts featuring the 6-foot-10 Gafford, (eventually) the 7-1 Lively, the 6-10 Davis and 6-7 Washington up front, and a range of 6-5 to 6-7 swingmen (Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, Spencer Dinwiddie, the newly arrived Max Christie, the just-returned Dante Exum) on the wing next to Irving.
It remains to be seen whether playing AD at the 4 with non-shooting 5s like Gafford and Lively results in too much offensive congestion for Dallas to consistently generate high-value looks in the half-court — though, with that complement of guards and Washington shooting 38% from deep on nearly five attempts per 36 minutes, there’s at least some cause for optimism about the ecosystem into which the Mavs would plop those two-big tandems.
What seems clear, though, is that the Mavs are gonna be friggin’ huge, should be better equipped at locking down the paint and could have the ingredients of a top-five defense … which, if Kyrie, AD and Co. can brute-force their way into an above-average offense, would give them roughly the same formula that propelled them to last season’s phenomenal finish and Finals run. And having Davis under contract on an extension through at least 2027 gives Dallas a multi-year window in which to maximize a construction that Harrison seems to think gives the Mavs a better chance of contention than it had before Saturday.
“He fits our timeframe,” Harrison told reporters Sunday. “If you pair him with Kyrie and the rest of the guys, he fits right along with our timeframe to win now and win in the future. And the future to me is three, four years from now. The future 10 years from now, I don’t know. They’ll probably bury me and [Kidd] by then. Or we’ll bury ourselves.”
LOSER: LeBron James, Lakers prime mover
For all the talk over the years about James operating as his teams’ de facto GM, orchestrating every move from behind the scenes just as he would manipulate the pieces on the chessboard on the floor, he reportedly had no idea this blockbuster was coming:
LeBron James learned of the Davis-Doncic trade after the Knicks game when it broke while he was out to dinner with his family, sources close to James told ESPN. James was surprised by the news, is processing it and had no idea it was in the works, sources said.
Whether you believe that or not, the nature of a blockbuster that imports a player 15 years James’ junior — one that Pelinka heralded as the arrival of “a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come” — lays bare a new state of affairs in Lakerland. As Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times wrote in the aftermath of the deal, “The trade […] means that getting James another run at a title in the short term is not the Lakers’ top priority.” Which, naturally, invites questions about what LeBron’s priorities might be, and whether we might find they’ve changed come the summer.
As unbelievable as it is that LeBron is averaging 24 points, 7.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game on 51/38/77 shooting splits at age-40, and about to start in his 21st All-Star Game, nobody knows how long he can keep this, or some version of this, up. Before Saturday, the looming specter of the end of King James’ reign cast a long shadow over the Lakers’ future. As of Sunday, though, that future will now be illuminated by another shining superstar — one the franchise expects will supplant James as its leading light. For the last six years, the Lakers have been LeBron’s team. This deal says that, soon enough, that won’t be true anymore.
Reasonable people can disagree over whether Dončić at this stage in his career is a better running buddy for James than Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were back in 2010, or Irving and Kevin Love were in 2014, or Davis was in 2019. What is clear, though, is that outside of making his way to Denver, LeBron was not going to find a better playmaking partner than Luka — one of the few players alive with a credible claim to being James’ equal as a facilitator in the pick-and-roll; in forcing a defense to commit multiple bodies to stopping him in order to open up something juicy on the weak side; in predicting and executing the kinds of passes that only a handful of players ever have even seen; in solving and breaking even the most complex coverages in real time.
LeBron can no longer guarantee a top-10 offense or a playoff berth on his own; a healthy Luka effectively can. I don’t know how long LeBron wants to keep playing. A partnership with Dončić, though, gives him yet another megawatt young partner who could help him remain in the mix for deep playoff runs for however long he does.
L.A. entered Sunday giving up 115.7 points per 100 non-garbage-time possessions without Davis manning the middle, according to Cleaning the Glass — a rate of defensive (in)efficiency that would sit 22nd in the NBA for the full season. It’s difficult to see things getting much better if head coach JJ Redick has to construct lineups around the 40-year-old James, the oft-derided Dončić and the oft-targeted Austin Reaves, especially without Christie, an ascendant on-ball defender at the point of attack, and without a high-end rim protector behind them. (Sorry for the stray, Jaxson Hayes.)
In the absence of a new 7-foot anchor in the paint — which I’d expect Pelinka to continue searching for between now and Thursday’s buzzer (sorry again, Jaxson) — I’d anticipate Redick and Co. to lean into switching, trying to leverage the liked-sized-ness and physicality of groupings featuring James, Dončić, recent addition and longtime Luka buddy Dorian Finney-Smith, new arrival Maxi Kleber, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish. Whether a switch-almost-everything approach with aggressive help and an attempt to force more turnovers can generate anything close to a league-average defense remains to be seen. It might not need to be much better than that, though, because …
WINNER: The Lakers’ half-court offense (as presently constituted)
With AD unavailable for Saturday’s matchup with the Knicks, the Lakers leaned heavier into smaller lineups, with Finney-Smith operating as a small-ball 5 (which he did throughout his tenure in Brooklyn, and at times in Dallas) alongside some combination of James, Hachimura and Vanderbilt, with Reaves, Christie and Gabe Vincent in the backcourt. Against the drop-coverage-heavy Knicks, Finney-Smith drilled five of six 3-pointers; the Lakers went 19-for-40 from deep as a team; and James, all 40 years and 21 seasons of him, went for 33-11-12 in an impressive double-digit win.
You can kind of mind’s-eye it from here: Luka on the ball in LeBron’s place; LeBron bumping up a slot, moving from point to power forward and playing more like Draymond Green as a short-roll playmaker in the pick-and-roll; Finney-Smith or Kleber spacing the floor at the 5; acres of space and opportunities for two of the most visionary playmakers in recent NBA history to seize and exploit. Sprinkle in Hayes — a consistent high-efficiency finisher in the two-man game dating back to his days in New Orleans, and a nice above-the-rim target for a lob-threat-loving playmaker like Dončić — and you’ve got the makings of an offense that could rise from eighth in half-court scoring efficiency up toward the top of the league … which, for the record, is where the Mavs have lived for most of the last half-dozen years, especially with Luka at the controls.
Harrison might not be wrong that defense wins championships, but in this era — one where the last two titles were won by overwhelming offenses, and the two before that went to a defense-snapping chaos agent in Stephen Curry and a defense-destroying battering ram in Giannis Antetokounmpo — you’ve also got to be able to short-circuit and unlock the elite defenses you’ll see along the way. In James and Dončić, Los Angeles now boasts two of the very best 16-game offensive players in the world; if the Lakers can get to mid-April, you can bet they’ll feel pretty confident about their chances of making it to June.
On the other side of the coin:
LOSER: The Mavericks’ shot creation (as presently constituted)
Whatever problems Dončić created for the Mavericks behind the scenes or on defense, he solved damn near every one of them on offense. His presence on the court all but ensured that everybody else got delicious looks on which to feast:
Wow. Here’s Dallas’ shot chart with Luka on-court (but excluding Luka’s shots) vs off-court.
Without him, the Mavericks’ offense could go from feast to famine.
Davis, for all his skills on the offensive end, has played his best basketball as an elbows-and-in finisher of what others (largely James and Reaves) create for him; self-created, unassisted field goals have accounted for less than 40% of his offensive diet in every season of his career. Without Dončić, Dallas now has one (1) player averaging more than four assists per game: Irving, who is about to turn 33, who has missed significant time every season for seven seasons (and four teams) running, who has already been battling shoulder and back issues for the past couple of months, and whose effectiveness waned considerably by the time he ran up against the longer and more athletic Celtics in the Finals.
Outside of Kyrie, the Mavericks’ top playmaking options are Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy — both fine enough players capable of producing in spurts, but hardly high-end facilitators who can serve as the backbone of a top-quality offense. Getting back Exum, a really nice connective-tissue passer and playmaker who’s missed most of this season due to injury, should help … but only so much. This Dallas roster was a race car built to be steered by one driver, and that guy races for another team now. Building a new kind of car on the fly is an awfully tall task; if Harrison, Kidd, Irving, Davis and Co. aren’t equal to it, the result could be the Mavericks stalling out — and a premature end to their time as a contender.
WINNER: Those looking for fresh trade speculation
The Lakers now definitely need another big man and, after pairing Luka with LeBron, don’t really seem to need Reaves’ ball-handling and shot creation, and still have a first-round pick to play with. The Mavericks now definitely need more ball-handling and shot creation, and now have an extra first-round pick to play with. Ladies and gentlemen, start your trade machines!
On a long enough content-generation timeline, even the juiciest rumored names can get kind of stale. An out-of-nowhere move like this one shakes the table, gets the blood pumping and injects fresh energy into the proceedings. (Jimmy Butler and Pelle Larsson to Dallas for P.J., Klay, Naji, Dwight Powell and some picks, anyone?)
Everything we thought we knew before Saturday night turns out to have been wrong — and, like, galactically so. Just imagine what new worlds we can imagine and destroy between now and Thursday.
The recent trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks involving Luka Dončić and LeBron James has sent shockwaves throughout the NBA community. Let’s break down the biggest winners and losers of this blockbuster deal.
Winners:
1. Dallas Mavericks – The Mavericks land the biggest star in the NBA in LeBron James, who will bring his championship pedigree and leadership to a young and talented Dallas team. Pairing James with Dončić gives the Mavericks a dynamic duo that could potentially dominate the Western Conference for years to come.
2. LeBron James – LeBron gets a fresh start in Dallas, where he will have the opportunity to play alongside one of the brightest young stars in the league in Dončić. With a strong supporting cast around him, LeBron has a chance to add to his already impressive resume and potentially bring another championship to Dallas.
3. Los Angeles Lakers – While losing LeBron James is a huge blow, the Lakers acquire the young and dynamic Luka Dončić in return. Dončić is a generational talent who has already proven himself as one of the best players in the league. With Dončić leading the way, the Lakers have a bright future ahead.
Losers:
1. Los Angeles Lakers – Losing LeBron James is a significant loss for the Lakers, as he was the face of the franchise and a key contributor to their success. While acquiring Dončić softens the blow, it will be tough for the Lakers to replace the leadership and production that LeBron brought to the team.
2. Luka Dončić – While Dončić lands in a new and potentially promising situation in Los Angeles, he will have big shoes to fill in replacing LeBron James. The pressure to perform at a high level and live up to expectations will be immense for the young star.
Overall, the Lakers-Mavericks trade is a game-changer for both teams and will have a lasting impact on the NBA landscape. It will be exciting to see how LeBron James and Luka Dončić fare in their new environments and how this trade shapes the future of both franchises.
Tags:
Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Lakers-Mavericks trade, NBA trade winners, NBA trade losers, Lakers trade analysis, Mavericks trade breakdown, LeBron James trade impact, Luka Dončić trade news
Disbelief reigned after the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks concocted a deal even the most click-thirsty, fringe-media blogger would have scoffed at a few hours earlier.
And yet, there it was, just as real in the light of day. Superstar for superstar, a swap of mega-talents consummated behind a curtain and dropped on the sports ticker with nary a rumor nor a leak.
That’s what makes Dončić-for-Davis the most stunning trade in NBA history: Sheer surprise. No rumblings, no warnings, no whining by one, the other or both to play elsewhere. No imminent free agency, at least, and plenty of work still undone where each had been playing.
Now, poof! Everything is different. Breathtaking. For comparison’s sake, here is a rundown of previous stunning NBA trades. Some involved huge names, some sent shock waves of impact through the league, and almost all were thoroughly unexpected.
But first, some ground rules:
• Dealing away an openly disgruntled star, especially if it’s about money, doesn’t count as “stunning.” Big names have demanded new locales often in league history – too often frankly – all but telegraphing the subsequent moves. Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley all did it, and more recently so have Carmelo Anthony, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Davis himself.
• Trades built around draft picks don’t count either. In hindsight, it’s shocking, for example, that Golden State sent Robert Parish and Kevin McHale to Boston for Joe Barry Carroll, but when it happened, McHale and Carroll were still just picks. The same goes for deals that swapped Chris Webber and Penny Hardaway, got LaMarcus Aldridge to Portland, landed Scottie Pippen in Chicago or delivered Bill Russell to the Celtics. All as picks or rookies who had yet to play a minute.
• Shaquille O’Neal is almost a category unto himself, same as he is his own ZIP code. The NBA landscape went seismic three times when the big fella relocated, but his moves weren’t surprises. There was enough fear in trying to re-sign him (Orlando) or team rancor (L.A., Miami) that we could see the tracks being laid each time for the Big Diesel’s departures. With the rules in place, here is a ranking of the most stunning trades in NBA history.
15. Chris Webber to Sacramento for Richmond, Thorpe
Webber already had been traded for Hardaway as a Draft deal in 1993. But he really caught folks off-guard again when he got sent packing in May 1998 for veterans Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe. Webber was just 24, had been an All-Star already and was the Wizards’ best player. There was positional overlap with Juwan Howard, Webber’s teammate at Michigan, but Washington kept the lesser player. After the deal, Wizards GM Wes Unseld said: “I don’t think we’ve gotten any worse.” Except they did, from 42 victories to the equivalent of 29 in the 1999 lockout season.
14. Elvin Hayes to Washington for Jack Marin
Elvin Hayes was a force six decades ago, undersized as a center but a ferocious rebounder who led the NBA in scoring (28.4) as a rookie. He developed a reputation as an irritating, self-absorbed teammate, which made him expendable to Houston in June 1972 after four NBA seasons. But he had a hoops reason to be unhappy – the Rockets’ coach was Tex Winter, who became famous years later as Phil Jackson’s guru installing the triangle offense. Hayes chafed with Winters’ playbook and got his wish in a deal for scorer Marin. Teaming with Wes Unseld up front, Hayes helped the Wizards to one title and two Finals trips, while earning six All-NBA berths, six Top 10 MVP finishes and eventual Hall of Fame enshrinement.
13. Paul George to the Clippers
It wasn’t the headline as much as the haul that elicited gasps when George got his desired ticket to L.A. in July 2019 to join free agent Kawhi Leonard. The Thunder got back Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (a leading MVP candidate this season), Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two pick swaps. Six years later, Oklahoma City would have won this day had it only received SGA. Everything else was stunning, lopsided gravy.
12. Julius Erving for $3M
Call this a purchase if you like, but the bottom line is, Philadelphia got the player it wanted (Erving), the Nets got what it needed (cash) and the teams’ next decade was set. Erving was the ABA’s brightest star, leading an infusion of new talent to the NBA via the 1976 merger.
11. MVP Moses heads north, leads Sixers
Moses Malone had just won his second NBA MVP after averaging 31.1 points and 14.7 rebounds. He was 27 years old. But ownership in Houston balked at his salary demands. Malone signed an offer sheet with the Sixers, and the Rockets matched it, extracting aging big man Calvin Jones and a future pick (Rodney McCray) in return in September 1982. Malone spent four seasons in Philadelphia but was both regular-season and Finals MVP in 1982-83, sparking the franchise’s first title since 1987 and last.
10. CP3 to Clippers in 2011
This was the other sneaker dropping, the aftershock in the wake of the initial quake. On Dec. 8, 2011, coming out of another fractious lockout, the Lakers, Hornets and Rockets had a deal to send Chris Paul to L.A., while the Lakers sent out Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. Not so fast! NBA commissioner David Stern, in his capacity as custodian for league-owned Charlotte at that time, vetoed the trade. Six days later Paul was sent to the Clippers instead for a package of players and picks.
9. Earl Monroe to Knicks
It wasn’t the why as much as the where, the when and the whom when scoring savant Monroe got traded by Baltimore. He wasn’t happy with his salary and wanted out, but the surprise factor was Monroe landing on the Knicks, on the fly 14 games into the 1971-72 season. New York was seen as the consummate ensemble team with an All-NBA point guard already in Walt Frazier. Could this possibly work? Just 6-8 when they made the deal, the Knicks went 42-26 from there. As Monroe fit himself into the team style, they won their second title in 1973.
8. Bulls get Rodman for Will Perdue
The idea that the vaunted Chicago Bulls would turn to perceived knucklehead Dennis Rodman as the third pillar of a new three-peat was the shock in this move. Coach Phil Jackson made sure Michael Jordan and Pippen signed off on acquiring not just a wild child but an instigator from their Detroit-Chicago antagonisms. They agreed on the brink of the 1995-96 season to let Dennis be Dennis away from the court and milked three more championships out of the mix.
7. Aguirre for Dantley and the ring
Both Mark Aguirre and Adrian Dantley were relatively wide-bodied, low-post scorers for Dallas and Detroit in February 1989. Aguirre, with a 24.6 scoring average and three All-Star trips with the Mavs, had worn out his welcome with coach Dick Motta. But his Chicago buddy Isiah Thomas saw how he could help the Pistons, and Dantley didn’t fit well in that team’s tight, scrappy culture. Dantley eventually became a Hall of Famer and Aguirre’s scoring average got cut in half (12.9) in five seasons with Detroit. But he helped that team win NBA titles in 1989 and 1990.
6. Allen Iverson to Denver in 2006
The Sixers lost 18 of 20 games to start the 2006-07 season and coach Maurice Cheeks wasn’t serving Iverson’s game sufficiently, so the six-foot volume scorer at 31 decided it was time to go. Denver acquired him for Andre Miller, Joe Smith and a pair of 2007 No. 1 picks. But neither Philadelphia nor Iverson climbed the heights separately that they had together.
5. Rasheed Wallace’s quick turnaround
Wallace was a steady force for the Blazers but after eight years, it was time to go – twice. Portland shipped the 6-foot-11 center to Atlanta on Feb. 9, 2004, but after 12 days and one appearance with the Hawks, they moved him on to Detroit. His emotion put a finishing touch on those Pistons, who reached the Finals for the first time since 1990 and beat a crumbling Lakers dynasty.
4. Lillard to Bucks for Holiday
Lillard’s determination to play elsewhere was widely known, but his destination was an utter surprise: Instead of going to his preferred team in South Florida, he wound up in Milwaukee. Teaming with Giannis Antetokounmpo seemed like a great path to a ring, but when Bucks guard Jrue Holiday got re-routed by Portland to Boston, Milwaukee’s rivals got a bigger boost from the transactions than it did.
3. Pau Gasol sent to Lakers
These in-season trades often pack the fiercest emotions, and the one in February 2008 that air-dropped Memphis Pau Gasol in Los Angeles was a great example. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was steamed, calling the deal “beyond comprehension” and suggesting he would have vetoed the deal (based on how little the Lakers seemingly gave up) if he sat on a “trade committee.” No one really appreciated then how good Marc Gasol, Pau’s brother, would become. Still, the elder Gasol helped rejuvenate Kobe Bryant to three straight Finals and championships in 2009 and 2010.
2. Divac to Charlotte for Kobe’s rights
If we’re breaking our own ground rule here, so be it. But the “wow” factor of this deal in July 1996 didn’t require finding out how good Bryant would become. Folks already had an idea, and the only reason he slid to Charlotte at No. 13 in the June Draft was the sense the prep player with overseas options would be tough to sign. That’s why the Hornets sent his rights to the Lakers for Vlade Divac, a solid center rendered optional a week later when O’Neal landed in L.A.
1. The Lakers did it again
Funny how one franchise has popped up multiple times on this list. Cranky fans of competing franchises grumble about the Lakers’ favored-nation status, and they do seem able to replenish and re-imagine around other teams’ stars, from Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar and O’Neal to Gasol, James and Dončić. Many rival GMs and executives were aghast, livid or both Sunday morning, unaware that either star was available. Which, frankly, is a pretty good standard for “stunning.”
* * *
Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.
Lakers trade Anthony Davis to Mavericks for Luka Dončić
Nets trade Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to Celtics for draft picks
Warriors trade Monta Ellis to Bucks for Andrew Bogut
Cavaliers trade Andrew Wiggins to Timberwolves for Kevin Love
Thunder trade James Harden to Rockets for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and draft picks
Celtics trade Kevin McHale and Robert Parish to Celtics for Joe Barry Carroll and draft picks
Lakers trade Shaquille O’Neal to Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant
Suns trade Charles Barkley to Rockets for Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, and Chucky Brown
Grizzlies trade Pau Gasol to Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, and draft picks
Pistons trade Grant Hill to Magic for Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins
Knicks trade Patrick Ewing to SuperSonics for Glen Rice, Luc Longley, and draft picks
Bucks trade Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Lakers for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Dave Meyers, and Junior Bridgeman
Hornets trade Kobe Bryant to Lakers for Vlade Divac
Raptors trade Vince Carter to Nets for Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, and draft picks
Suns trade Steve Nash to Mavericks for draft picks
