NBA trade deadline: Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis headline blockbuster three-team swap

The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on early Sunday morning (after midnight).

The three-team deal includes the LA Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Utah Jazz. The Jazz will get Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2025 second round pick via the LA Clippers, and a 2025 second round pick via the Dallas Mavericks.

It’ll go down as one of the more shocking and surprising trades in league history, no doubt about it. From the sounds of it, all of the parties involved in the trade were surprised by it, too.

“This deal materialized in the shadows…LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Anthony Davis had no idea this was coming. I’m told Luka Doncic is still stunned about this trade,” Charania said on ESPN’s SportsCenter early on Sunday morning.

The biggest piece of the trade is unquestionably Luka Doncic, who has been without a doubt, one of the best players in the NBA for several years now. He’s been averaging 28.1 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game, and 7.8 assists per game, while drilling 35.4% percent of his shots from beyond-the-arc. He’s also hitting 46.4 shots from the field.

He’s been dealing with a left calf strain this season, receiving multiple opinions on the injury in late December before the Mavericks made any decisions about his timeline to return. He was ruled out of Dallas’ Christmas Day game shortly after he went to the locker room with the injury and was seen on crutches after the game.

Last season, Doncic and Kyrie Irving propelled the Mavericks to their third NBA Finals appearance in franchise history, where they lost to the Boston Celtics. Doncic also earned Western Conference Finals MVP honors in the process.

Doncic, 25 years old, is still in his prime and one of the most unstoppable forces in the league on the offensive side of the basketball. His career has been prolific to this point, and he has racked up an extensive number of accolades, while delivering clutch moment after clutch moment over the years for the Dallas franchise. He’s already been named a five-time All-Star, five-time first team All-NBA, and Rookie of the Year.

Doncic has carried the Mavericks on his back for several years and as you might imagine, he ranks among the top two players in franchise history in several key statistical categories. He currently ranks first in points per game (28.6), first in triple-doubles (80), second in assists per game (8.3), second in 30-point games (192), and second in made three-pointers (1,276).

A prolific scorer, Doncic took the third-fewest games to reach 4,000 career points since the ABA-NBA merger (Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal were the others). Not only an accomplished scorer, he also became the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league outright in triple-doubles (21 years, 168 days old). That record was previously held by Magic Johnson.

Doncic has spent his entire NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks, beginning with the franchise in 2018-2019, when he was selected as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Anthony Davis has been a first-team All-NBA caliber player for much of his career, but he has had plenty of durability issues and questions about whether or not he can stay healthy. This season, he’s been averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game for the Lakers.

In January of 2020, Davis became the eighth player to achieve the basketball Triple Crown, and the first player to win an NCAA title, an Olympic gold medal, a FIBA World Cup, and an NBA title. The feat is recognized as the Grand Slam of basketball.

Davis, now 31 years old, has accomplished an exceptional amount in his career when healthy and on the floor. He’s been named an All-Star ten times. Known as a dominant defender, he’s been NBA All-Defensive First Team three times, and he’s led the league in blocked shots three times.

Davis also won MVP honors in the NBA All-Star Game in 2017. Also, a standout on the Team USA Olympic team, the former Kentucky superstar has won two gold medals, one in 2012 in London and one in 2024 in Paris. He was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

During his time with the Kentucky Wildcats, Davis put together one of the greatest seasons in college basketball history, becoming the 2012 SEC Player of the Year, the 2012 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and the 2012 NCAA Blocks leader. Not only did he accomplish all of that, but he averaged 15.2 points per game, 11.2 rebounds per game, and 4.6 blocks per outing, en route to leading Kentucky to their eighth NCAA Championship in school history in 2012.

Time will tell how the trade plays out in the long run, as it always does. For now, fans, players, and coaches around the league will have to figure out how to stomach the shocking deal moving forward.