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You know that a job is a historic blockbuster – and completely out of nowhere – when everyone assumes that the initial report was due to internet hacking and tomfolery to its most sneaky. But all the titles and text messages that you have received on this subject are, in fact, real. The Dallas Mavericks would exchange Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. This is an agreement to three teams which implies that Utah Jazz receives a contract and some choices to conclude the agreement under commercial rules.
- Lakers receive: Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris
- The Mavericks receive: Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first round choice in 2029
- Jazz receives: Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second round choices in 2025
It is an amazing moment in the NBA that no one was ready to consider as a possibility. This means that trade discussions on Jimmy Butler and’Aaron Fox seem without consequences. Now we wonder what the MAVS look like and what the next era of the Lakers will look like. Let us exchange our red pens and start to classify one of the most surprising professions that this league has ever seen.
Lakers receive: Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
In recent years, the Lakers prayed Davis would take the torch of Lebron James and transported the Lakers to the next era of the success of the championship. Although he won a title in the chaotic season 2019-20, it was never really about to happen again. Davis is great. It is a future temple of fame, but it is not THE Guy in a title team. Now they no longer have to wonder who will take this torch. They will give him to Dončić.
The strange thing about this? What will this look like with Dončić and James on the field together? These are two brilliant players who improve everyone, but they are also very dominant. James played the ball here and there, but he mainly has the ball in his hands. Dončić is in the same way. We saw him play Off-Ballon next to Kyrie Irving, but it is another heliocentric superstar that needs the ball to orchestrate the ground.
I am sick RN…. https://t.co/igiojb3of
– Patrick Mahomes II (@patrickmahomes) February 2, 2025
Wowwwwww no f mode
– Joel Embiid (@joelembiid) February 2, 2025
🤯
– De’Aaron Fox (@Swipathefox) February 2, 2025
😳
– Dirk Nowitzki (@ swish41) February 2, 2025
– Dwade (@dwyanewade) February 2, 2025
Dončić has been absent for more than a month with a calf injury, but he could be able to return soon. When it is back, this adjustment could be a little clumsy for the Lakers. I also do not think that it is to win now with James and Dončić, not when a business forces you to play more Jaxson Hayes in the center (although Kleber can play there). Lakers do this for the future of their franchise.
The “mystical lakers” of the past has always been to be able to bring the next big stars to the city. And it is above all something they have done in the past two decades. Dončić is roughly a large superstar than in the NBA. Instead of trying to maximize this current Lakers iteration, the team can now hope to have a track for the next decade with one of the best players in the League on its pay.
The risk here is that Dončić does not stay in 2026, when he became a free agent without restriction. Apparently Dallas had to believe that he would not stay – otherwise, you did not introduce this job. Lakers have a good story to keep the big names, but you never know what a player might want to do.
In this sense, it is a risk, and it is before considering whether the choice of first round 2029 that they moved becomes precious if Dončić goes elsewhere. I guess Dončić stayed after 2026. Otherwise, I don’t know why the Lakers would accept this agreement. They get high notes because of course, but it will be really weird before it seems fluid on the basketball court.
Lakers have gone from a moaning team people to see one of the most fascinating field experiences all the time to monitor the rest of the season (and assuming next season if James has one more in him for a complete retirement tour).
Grade: a
Mavericks receives: Anthony Davis, Max Christie and Lakers’ 2029 Pick of first round
The Mavericks were in the NBA final eight months ago because Dončić was special during the playoff race in 2024. He was their best player. It was their franchise guy. And it is not a blow on Davis as a player, but it in no way is like an adequate compensation for Dončić. To be fair, apart from perhaps four or five NBA players (who could push it), I am not sure that there is adequate compensation for Dončić with regard to the commercial value.
The Mavericks will present this as a victory movement with the threat that Dončić shared in the summer of 2026, but to obtain an All -NBA player, 31 years old with a deep story of injury problems, a nice role player and a first -first – How complete for one of the most productive 25 -year -old children in the history of the League does not seem enough to me.
Maybe the health and conditioning of Dončić are that questionable. It is possible that he was not going to sign the extension of Supermax of $ 345 million over five years to stay in Dallas (he will not be eligible with the Lakers now that he has been exchanged). Perhaps Dončić was going to go to Miami or somewhere with a CAP space in 2026, as we heard occasional whispers. At the same time, a team of healthy Mavs with Dončić at the bar is capable of winning a championship. I do not believe in a team of healthy Mavs with Kyrie Irving and Davis who directs the way can win the West.
It’s not bad business for Dallas, but I don’t think it’s good either. It’s a step back without much future hope on the horizon. If Dončić remains with the Lakers beyond his next free agency, the first-round choice in 2029 probably does not seem to be intended for the first five or the top 10.
As for the angle of Davis, it has another excellent year, with an average of 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds. He was a good defender trying to anchor a bad defense. He has also spent a lot of time in recent times not having won the defensive player of the year. He also currently deals with an abdominal injury that takes him out for about a week. The hearts of the Mavericks is now centered on a 31 -year -old davis playing next to Dereck Lively II, 21, aged 21, with Kyrie Irving, 32, and Klay, 34 Thompson. Does it look like a championship core in the West?
Go further
LeBron James, Anthony Davis increases the pressure on the front office of the Lakers: “ We need another big ”
Maybe. But I don’t think MAVs can win the conference with this exchange. I thought they could win everything with Dončić in good health and that the rotation around him was also in good shape. They could have repeated as Western champions and then see if their list changes last summer were sufficient to overcome the champions of the East this time. I do not know how you make a “win-plus” movement which guarantees that you are less likely to win now.
The Mavericks obtained something important in return, but not in the context of the exchange of their second best player in the history of the franchise, the one who had the opportunity to become their best player Never And is only 25 years old. They should have received it, so much more, in particular in the capital project. Rudy Gobert went for a handful of first! Mikal Bridges too. Dončić opted for one.
Grade: C
Receive jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 second round choice in Clippers, 2025 play from the second MAVS lesson
Jazz does what jazz does in this case. They caught a player who already seemed to be a bust for Lakers and two second round choices for their troubles. Maybe they missed Talen Horton-Tuker so much that they wanted to get the next version of him from the Lakers without the big attached contract. Anyway, this is what bad teams with the flexibility of the cap are supposed to do: absorb contracts and obtain choices in the process.
As for the UTAH note, we will use the Pass / Fail method instead of the quality variety.
Grade: Pass
Learn more about the magnificent trade of Luka-Anthony Davis:
(Top Photo: Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images)
