Luka Doncic is now a Los Angeles Laker.
Yes, really.
This is the kind of insane deal nobody was expecting L.A. general manager Rob Pelinka to make because, well, nobody expected Luka Doncic to be even made available the year after he led his Dallas Mavericks to their second Western Conference Finals appearance in two years and their first NBA Finals berth since 2011.
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The Mavericks offloaded Doncic, reserve center/power forward Maxi Kleber and former 2020 Los Angeles champion big man Markieff Morris to the Lakers in exchange for the Lakers’ unprotected 2029 first round draft pick, promising young 3-and-D wing Max Christie, and 10-time All-Star center/power forward Anthony Davis.
BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
Read More: Lakers Make Shocking Trade, Land Luka Doncic from Dallas Mavericks
Apparently, the list of people who didn’t expect this to happen extends to Lakers All-Star power forward LeBron James, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
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.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 2, 2025
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, even Davis and Doncic were unaware of the deal until it materialized.
“This deal materialized in the shadows … LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Anthony Davis had no idea this was coming. I’m told Luka Doncic is still stunned about this trade.”@ShamsCharania on the Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic trade between the Lakers and Mavericks pic.twitter.com/Hp4bL3UX2M
— ESPN (@espn) February 2, 2025
“This deal materialized in the shadows,” Charania said. “LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Anthony Davis had no idea this was coming. I’m told Luka Doncic is still stunned about this trade.”
NBA insider Chris Haynes Davis is declining his trade kicker to help the Mavericks complete the deal, so apparently he is at least on board.
Anthony Davis is waiving his trade kicker, sources tell me.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 2, 2025
This move was clearly an acknowledgement by team vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka that the 28-19 Lakers were clearly not title contenders with their core of Davis and a 40-year-old James this season. And now they have made a pivot with an eye towards their future, adding a 25-year-old perennial MVP candidate in his absolute prime.
So what’s next for the Lakers?
Los Angeles has been linked to multiple centers — including Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls, and Jonas Valanciunas of the Washington Wizards — leading up to this year’s February 6 trade deadline, although no one around the league had expected it would happen at the expense of Davis.
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Doncic is currently recuperating from a calf strain incurred in December. Per Marc Stein, the 6-foot-8 pro had been hoping to return to the floor in a week.
Luka Dončić was targeting a Feb. 8 return from his calf strain, sources say, but long-term concerns about conditioning are said to have factored into Dallas’ shocking change of course.
Now Anthony Davis will partner Kyrie Irving … and the Lakers have their heir to LeBron James.… https://t.co/SGmhMbg2Nc— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 2, 2025
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