The Los Angeles Lakers got one of the biggest superstars in the NBA today in the biggest trade in NBA history.
Shams Charania of ESPN broke the news just after midnight EST that 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic will be traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers, alongside Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. Charania quickly had to clarify that the trade was real, as this news came out of nowhere.
Yes, this is real. Sources tell ESPN: Full trade:
– Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
Story continues below advertisement– Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 LAL 1st
– Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers 2nd, 2025 Mavericks 2nd https://t.co/bltojdTaQj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
This news came as a shock to the basketball community, as there had been no rumors that Luka or Davis were unhappy in their current situations. Luka was reportedly blindsided by the deal, as he had no intentions of leaving Dallas. On the Lakers side, LeBron James also was left in the dark about the trade, allegedly finding out about it after it had become official.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison reportedly reached out to Lakers GM Rob Pelinka about the move, where Lakers brass had an impromptu meeting, coming to the realization that Doncic could be the face of the Lakers for the next decade, then pulling the trigger on the trade.
Harrison, when asked about his logic for the trade, claimed that the Mavericks needed a win-now move as well as to improve their defense, both of which the trade for Davis would improve. Sources also told ESPN that the Mavericks front office was worried about Luka’s conditioning issues and that he might not accept a maximum contract extension this summer, instead opting for free agency in 2026.
Doncic, 25, is coming off a season where he led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals, losing in five games to the Boston Celtics. He is a 5-time All-Star, 5-time NBA First Team player, 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year, and the 2024 NBA Scoring Champion. For his career, Doncic averages 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game on 47% from the field and 48.3 from three. He was the face of the Mavericks franchise and, at worst, the fourth-best player in the NBA.
Anthony Davis, 32, is coming off a productive stint with the Lakers, where after getting traded there in the Summer of 2019, he won the 2020 NBA Finals and is a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player (first team in 2020, second team in 2024). Davis’ time in LA is characterized by the highs of winning the Finals, but also the lows of injury. Outside of 2024, where he played 76 games, the most games Anthony Davis played during a season in LA was 56 in 2023. Davis also spent the first seven years of his career for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Due to its surprise, star talent, and scale, this can be considered as the biggest trade in NBA history. The next game between the Lakers and Mavericks will take place on February 25th at the Crypto Center in LA. Tipoff is set for 10 p.m.
