Mavericks Trade Luka Dončić to Lakers for Return Headlined By Anthony Davis

The Dallas Mavericks did the unthinkable: trade Luka Dončić. He is going to the Los Angeles Lakers to play alongside LeBron James, while Anthony Davis will be teaming up with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson.

The trade details involve the Mavericks receiving Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. The Jazz receive Jalen Hood-Schifino, the LA Clippers’ 2025 second-round pick, and the Mavericks’ 2025 second-round selection.

The timing of this trade is perplexing, to say the least. A 25-year-old Dončić came off guiding the Mavericks to five consecutive All-NBA First-Team nominations and was coming off a season as the league’s leading scorer, averaging 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. An NBA team doesn’t give up talent like this. They especially don’t trade that talent to a conference rival.

When rationalizing the trade, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison explained to ESPN that Davis’ defensive impact and mentality give them “a better chance” to win a championship.

“I believe that defense wins championships,” Harrison told ESPN about his motivation to trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”

Dončić, unaware of a trade developing, was planning to return to the Mavericks’ lineup on Feb. 8 against the Houston Rockets, sources indicated to DallasHoopsJournal.com. This has been the case since early January, which raises questions about the concern from other reports relating the trade to conditioning, as such a prominent concern. He’s been eager to return to competition and was even doing spot shooting at the Mavericks’ training facility, quickly into his recovery timetable, when he couldn’t do explosive movements.

Conditioning has been mentioned in reports as a long-term concern the Mavericks held about Dončić. However, that’s an area he’s focused more heavily on as his career has progressed. With Slovenian national team strength and conditioning coach Anže Maček, former Real Madrid physiotherapist Javier Barrio Calvo, and nutritionist Lucia Almendros, Dončić has benefited from having a personal team he brought to Dallas in 2023. Maček and Calvo have traveled with Dončić for in-season maintenance.

Dončić looked in regular form while supporting the Mavericks from the sidelines. It’d be strange to view his lack of availability as such a significant concern, considering Dončić played 70 regular-season games last season. Being traded after his first lengthy injury absence as a generational talent while the team managed through Irving, who had 22 of 24 missed games last season due to injury, as a prominent element of their plans seems contradictory at a minimum.

The anticipation from Dončić to be back in action was apparent throughout his time supporting the team at the American Airlines Center in recent weeks, even shooting jump shots before the end of numerous halftimes. It was evident how excited he was to return to competing alongside his teammates.

Why trade Dončić? The Mavericks side insists that Dončić stopped talking to the front office, and the team felt compelled to make a decision: be held “hostage” by Dončić on a supermax contract or push to contend for the next two to three seasons while going in a different direction. If true, how does an organization reach such a point with a talent like Dončić coming off a Finals run? Getting this far off track with a generational talent is an abject failure by an NBA organization.

During the Finals, Dončić emphasized his appreciation for representing the Mavericks on the biggest stage. After guiding the team to multiple Western Conference Finals appearances, he had shown his ability to be a historic playoff riser and guide a team on a deep run, averaging 30.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.0 assists in 50 playoff performances.

“The [Mavericks] believe in me,” Dončić said during the NBA Finals. “I’m really happy to represent Dallas [in the NBA Finals]. Hopefully, it’s not the last time. I think the whole of Dallas is proud of this team. So I’m happy to represent them.”

Perhaps most baffling is that Dončić’s final moment in a Mavericks uniform was limping off the court after injuring his calf without the chance to return to the lineup and finish the season strongly. Given what he’s achieved since arriving in Dallas, not having clear communication about a potential trade is even more head-scratching.

By moving Dončić, he is no longer eligible for a five-year, $345 million supermax contract, which is the reward for an All-NBA talent loyal to an organization. He was expected to sign this historic deal to remain with the Mavericks.

As sources have indicated to DallasHoopsJournal.com, Harrison has long coveted Davis, but it was never thought to be in the capacity that would require trading Dončić. Various league executives remain puzzled at the value and process that went into moving Dončić to the Lakers.

Harrison described the Mavericks as “a Klay away” from winning a championship earlier in the summer after their defeat against the Boston Celtics in the Finals. A generational scorer and passer no longer leads the team to be the primary offensive threat that elevates the team. Not giving this group a chance after seeing them go 14-3 across 17 games leading into the Christmas Day game that included Dončić’s calf injury is unfathomable. The on-court results were developing well before injuries derailed what began as an impressive season.

With an Irving and Davis duo, Dallas faces a very limited window to contend for a championship. Both players are already in their 30s and have injury histories. Already ranked ninth in the Western Conference standings, the team faces an uphill climb to earn a postseason bid after Davis returns from an abdominal strain. Irving continues to manage a bulging disc injury and will need to be the top offensive engine without Dončić. This move teams up Irving, Davis, and Klay Thompson, former teammates on the 2016 USA Olympic team that won the gold medal in Rio de Janeiro.

While Kleber was traded, the Mavericks are still dealing with significant injuries, including a multi-month recovery window for Dereck Lively II, managing a right ankle stress fracture. If he’s unable to return and be a factor in time for the play-in tournament, that would naturally limit the team’s immediate ceiling.

The Mavericks intend to deploy Davis at the four, which will require adjustments for the team’s other centers once both are healthy. It’ll be a play style adjustment necessary for the entire team, which could be challenging to do midseason—as Dallas initially experienced when pairing Dončić and Irving in 2022-23.

Western Conference teams that have patiently rebuilt, like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, and the Rockets, all have bright futures. At the same time, Dallas is depleted of future assets after making substantial midseason moves to acquire a win-now piece around Dončić.

Dallas doesn’t control its first-round pick in 2027 owed to Charlotte (top 1-2 protected), Oklahoma City owns pick swap rights in 2028, and the Spurs will receive the most favorable of the Mavericks’ 2030 first-round pick in a swap. Dallas risks being depleted of assets at a time when these rival organizations are all contenders. Now, the Lakers will build long-term around Dončić, strengthening the competition.

The Lakers and Mavericks will play two more times in the regular season: on Feb. 25 in Los Angeles and on Apr. 9 in Dallas.