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The Los Angeles Lakers have pulled off one of the biggest blockbuster trades in NBA history, acquiring superstar guard Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks in a trade for Anthony Davis, as Shams Charania of ESPN reported.
Davis is waiving his trade kicker as part of the deal, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
🚨 The Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/KcH7NNmvWk
Lakers star LeBron James, like much of the sports world, was “surprised by the news, is processing it and had no idea it was in the works,” according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Dončić has been out of action since suffering a calf strain during a Christmas Day loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Mavs “had major concerns about moving forward with Luka Dončić due to his constant conditioning issues and the looming commitment of another supermax contract extension this summer.”
Prior to getting injured, Dončić was enjoying another highly productive season, averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 3.4 three-pointers made and 2.0 steals in 22 games, while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison released a statement about the decision:
Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Mavs GM Nico Harrison told ESPN regarding his motivation to trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. “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… https://t.co/iPfQvA4str
As NBA insider Marc Stein reported, Dončić did not request this trade:
Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
Luka Dončić did NOT request a trade, league sources tell @TheSteinLine.
The Mavericks did this on their own accord, getting back Anthony Davis but only one future first-round pick from the Lakers in 2029 for a 25-year-old regarded as a future MVP.
More NBA from me;… https://t.co/zL5E08wroD
The Slovenian star entered the 2024-25 season having made five consecutive All-Star teams, and he finished a career-best third in the NBA MVP voting last season.
Dončić led the NBA in scoring last season with 33.9 points per game, and he averaged 28.9 points per contest during the playoffs, as the Mavericks made it all the way to the NBA Finals, falling to the Boston Celtics in five games.
The 25-year-old will now team up with James, who is seeking his fifth NBA title and will hope the latest trade will help get the Lakers over the top.
Los Angeles improved to 28-19 with Saturday’s win over the New York Knicks, with James producing a triple-double in the surprising win.
Davis, meanwhile, was out with an abdominal strain but could provide a major boost to the Mavericks when healthy. The nine-time All-Star is averaging 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.
Pairing the forward with Kyrie Irving could make the squad extremely dangerous going forward.
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