Late Saturday night, the Dallas Mavericks made a trade so shocking, so out of nowhere, it had NBA players asking if ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania had been hacked. It was so shocking, players were checking their phones on the bench to see just what happened.
Dallas traded Luka Dončić, the face of their franchise and one of the NBA’s best players, to the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.
The 76ers were in disbelief.
But they were far from alone. The Mavericks made the NBA Finals in 2024 with Dončić, who is just 25 years old. After winning Rookie of the Year in 2018-19, Dončić has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting every season of his NBA career, including a third-place finish in 2023-24.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Dončić did not request a trade, and the Mavericks went directly to the Lakers with the deal rather than canvas the league for offers, which made the move even more stunning. No trade was even rumored before the move was completed, leading many to distrust the initial announcement.
But it’s real. Dončić will play with LeBron James in a move that shatters the status quo in the Western Conference. What a night.