Carson Neuhausen | Sports Editor
February 6, 2025
In the early hours of February 1st, sports outlets announced that Luka Doncic had been traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavericks were to receive Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 1st-round draft pick in return for Luka Doncic, Max Klieber, and Markeiff Morris. This trade makes the case for the largest and most surprising move in not just NBA history but in all of professional sports.
Most sports analysts believed that the Lakers would win this trade down the line because of Luka’s young age (25). On the contrary, the Mavericks might see some success in the next year or two before Anthony Davis’s age (31) starts to catch up to him. Many question why the Mavericks would trade away their franchise player who had led them to a finals appearance in the year prior, but from a certain angle it makes sense. The Mavericks needed a dominant center that could control the game while players like Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson support him. The Lakers were in desperate need of a center before they traded away Anthony Davis, but now they will be forced to trade away another one of their players to find a big. Senior Matthew Hall said “I don’t know why the Lakers would trade away their only center. They’re probably going to have to settle for someone much worse.”
Both organizations made it a point to keep the talks extremely secret, which is why this trade is so shocking. During Doncic’s first press conference with the Lakers, general manager Rob Pelinka even said that keeping absolute secrecy was a must and that if rumor got out in Dallas, the trade would be off. Junior Luke Karidis, an avid Lakers fan, said “I thought it was a joke when I first saw it…Once I realized it was real I got so excited.” Usually, a move of this magnitude would have been leaked or rumors would have floated around, however, even Doncic and Davis alike expressed that they were shocked when they received the call informing them they had been traded. This move has set a new precedent throughout the NBA and made even the league’s brightest stars question their security. Many fans and even players are now curious as to what else is happening behind closed doors. Previously, the front office would include the players in the talks and get their feedback, but with this trade, no one but the owners of the Mavericks and Lakers knew about the deal.
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