My initial thought as I got the Shams notification was simple: The NBA insider who is never wrong definitely got hacked because there’s no way a trade of this magnitude would break without a single rumor.
In a world where we know everything abut everyone in the sports world, a Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis trade would typically be in the news cycle for weeks with tons of speculation before a deal got executed. Just look at the Jimmy Butler saga.
How does this happen? An even better question being, why did it happen?
That information will leak out over the course of the next few weeks, but it starts with the family ties of Mavericks President Nico Harrison and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. For those of you not in-tune with the behind the scenes of the sport, let me explain how their relationship dating back two decades just altered NBA history forever.
We all know Pelinka was Kobe Bryant’s agent throughout his career. We also know Kobe was a Nike athlete and that’s where this relationship began. Harrison was a head Nike executive who executed plenty of deals with Pelinka and Bryant, a working relationship that has kept the two close for decades.
That tight relationship is how this trade was able to form in the shadows without insiders getting alerted. A truly shocking development in a world which thrives on rumors. So as we take a step back now, what does this mean for both there Lakers and Mavericks going forward? Lets break it down.
Lakers receive: Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
For a couple of years, the Lakers have been praying Davis would take the torch from LeBron James and carry the Lakers into the next era of championship success. Despite winning a title in the chaotic 2019-20 season, that never really came close to happening again. Davis is great. He’s a future Hall of Famer, will have his jersey retired by the Lakers someday. But he’s not the guy on a title-contending team. Now, they no longer have to wonder who will take that torch. They’ll hand it to Dončić.
The weird thing about that? How is this going to look with Dončić and James on the court together? They’re two brilliant players who make everybody better, but they’re also very ball-dominant. James has played off the ball here and there, but he primarily has the ball in his hands. Dončić is the same way. We’ve seen him play off-ball some next to Kyrie Irving, but this is another heliocentric superstar who needs the ball to orchestrate the floor.
The cost was steep: Davis, their best player and the next face of the franchise, an emerging 3-and-D wing in Christie and their 2029 first-round pick unprotected. The Lakers will take a notable step back defensively and don’t have as deep of a roster as they previously did. They also clearly need a starting center — something Davis was clamoring for before being dealt. But they somehow still have future draft capitol and larger salaries to go and get that Center that can help complete this shocking midseason shuffle.
But the prize was undoubtedly worth it in Dončić, a generational talent who has often been compared to James due to his unprecedented blend of scoring, playmaking and basketball IQ at his size. He’s already been to the conference finals and NBA Finals. James is the kind of mentor who can show him how to get over the championship hump. Dončić has been out for more than a month with a calf injury, but he might be able to return soon. When he is back, this fit could be a bit clunky for the Lakers.
The Lakers’ offense will skyrocket once he’s healthy, and as James eventually decides on his future in the coming seasons, Dončić can take the mantle of the next great Laker.
As has historically been the case with the Lakers for decades, they always find their next superstar.
And that is the key to this trade for the Lakers. I do not believe this is about winning now with James and Dončić, not when a trade forces you to play more Jaxson Hayes at center (although Kleber can play there some). The Lakers are doing this for the future of their franchise.
The hallowed “Lakers mystique” of the past was always about being able to bring the next big stars to town. And it’s mostly been something they did over the last couple of decades. Dončić is about as big a superstar as there is in the NBA. Instead of trying to maximize this current iteration of the Lakers, the team can now hope to have a runway for the next decade with one of the best players in the league on its payroll.
Mavericks receive: Anthony Davis, Max Christie and Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick
The Mavericks were in the NBA Finals eight months ago because Dončić was special in the 2024 playoff run. He was their best player. He was their franchise guy. Supposed to be Dirk 2.0.
And this isn’t a knock on Davis as a player, but in no way does this feel like adequate compensation for Dončić. To be fair, aside from maybe four or five players in the NBA (that might be pushing it), I’m not sure there is adequate compensation for Dončić when it comes to trade value.
The Mavericks will pitch this as a win-now move with the threat of Dončić leaving in the summer of 2026, but to get one All-NBA player, who is 31 with a deep history of injury issues, a nice role player and one first-round pick for one of the most productive 25-year-olds in the history of the league doesn’t seem like nearly enough to me.
Maybe Dončić’s health and conditioning are that questionable. It’s possible he wasn’t going to sign the five-year, $345 million supermax extension to stay in Dallas (he won’t be eligible for it with the Lakers now that he’s been traded). Maybe Dončić was going to head to Miami or somewhere with cap space in 2026, like we’ve heard occasional whispers about. At the same time, a healthy Mavs team with Dončić at the helm is capable of winning a championship. I don’t believe a healthy Mavs team with Kyrie Irving and Davis leading the way can win the West.
This isn’t a bad trade for Dallas, but I also don’t think it’s a good one. It’s a step back without a lot of future hope on the horizon. If Dončić stays with the Lakers beyond his upcoming free agency, the 2029 first-round pick probably doesn’t seem destined for the top five or top 10.
As for the Davis angle, he’s having another great year, averaging 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds. He’s been a good defender trying to anchor a bad defense. He’s also spent a good amount of time lately complaining about not winning Defensive Player of the Year. He’s also currently dealing with an abdominal injury that has him out for roughly a week. The core of the Mavericks is now centered around a 31-year-old Davis playing next to soon-to-be 21-year-old Dereck Lively II in the middle with 32-year-old Kyrie Irving and 34-year-old Klay Thompson. Does that sound like a championship core in the West?
Maybe. But I don’t think the Mavs can win the conference with this swap. I thought they could win it all with Dončić being healthy and the rotation around him also remaining in shape. They could have repeated as West champs and then seen if their roster changes last summer were enough to overcome the East champs this time around. I don’t know how you make a “win-now” move that ensures you’re less likely to win now.
The Mavericks did get something significant in return, but not in the context of trading their second-best player in franchise history, one who had the opportunity to become their best player ever and is still only 25. They should have received so, so much more, especially in draft capital. Rudy Gobert went for a handful of firsts! So did Mikal Bridges. Dončić went for one.
I’ll have further breakdown for both teams coming soon because trying to grasp the fallout will take time. But one thing is certain, this block buster trade just shifted the NBA landscape forever.
