Luka Dončić was as stunned as everyone else after the Dallas Mavericks sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis and a first-round pick, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
“I’m told Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, the players, coaches, a lot of people on both sides with the Mavericks and Lakers, had no idea,” Charania reported on ESPN’s SportsCenter shortly after he broke the news on X. “I can assuredly tell you it’s a fact. LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Anthony Davis had no idea this was coming. I’m told Luka Dončić is still stunned about this trade.”
Dončić has been out since suffering a calf injury on Christmas Day. His spate of injuries, which was attributed to his poor conditioning, and his next contract led to this blockbuster trade, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported.
“The [Mavericks] 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, sources told ESPN,” MacMahon wrote on X.
Dončić would have been eligible for a five-year $345 million contract this summer, the richest contract in NBA history. The trade makes him no longer eligible for the supermax.
But ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks outlines a path for Dončić to recoup some of the future money he lost in this trade.
“The smart play would be for Dončić to sign a three-year extension this summer with a player option in 2028-29. That would allow him to reach 10 years of service and recoup most if not all from the missed opportunity to sign the supermax this offseason. Starting salary in 2028-29 is $72 million,” Marks wrote on X.
Mavericks Made the First Move
The blockbuster swap of stars was initiated by the Mavericks, according to Charania.
“I’m told that the Mavericks actually approached the Lakers and offered Luka Dončić a few days ago in a trade,” Charania said on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “Very recently, the Mavericks went out. They knew exactly who they wanted. They wanted Anthony Davis. That’s the player that if they were ever going to trade Luka Dončić.
“This was even a thought that was going to cross their mind. It was for [Davis] and so the Mavericks called the Lakers, offered Luka Dončić, and that’s when the Lakers had to huddle internally. They did. They’ve never offered Anthony Davis ever in a trade, but if you’re going to get offered Luka Dončić, that’s when Jeannie Buss, Rob Pelinka and that organization had to meet.”
Then the Lakers decided it was too good to pass up on a 25-year-old perennial All-Star who will be the face of the franchise after James retires.
LeBron James’ Reaction
Dončić grew up in Europe idolizing James, who has also admired him since he entered the NBA. But James is also a close friend of Davis.
James was as stunned as Dončić and everyone else, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“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,” McMenamin wrote on X. “James was surprised by the news, is processing it and had no idea it was in the works, sources said.”
It will be fascinating to watch how Dončić and James, two ball-dominant forces who are stylistically the same players, will mesh as teammates.
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