Anthony Davis has been a franchise cornerstone for the Los Angeles Lakers for the last half decade, but that is no longer the case.
In one of the most stunning blockbuster trades ever, Davis is now on his way to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic. L.A. is now building around the 25-year-old All-Star with LeBron James nearing the end of his career, parting ways with Davis in order to make it happen.
General manager Rob Pelinka loves his guards and Doncic is one of the premier guards in the league. Despite Davis embracing the Lakers as a home the past six seasons, he seems to be OK with this surprising move, via Marc J. Spears of Andscape:
Word is new Mavs forward Anthony Davis is good with going to Dallas and has a solid relationship with team president Nico Harrison’s dating back to the latter’s Nike days. Now Davis also has centers to play next to him in Dallas.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 2, 2025
In addition to that, Davis is waiving his trade kicker, further solidifying this move, via NBA insider Chris Haynes:
Anthony Davis is waiving his trade kicker, sources tell me.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 2, 2025
The Mavericks seemed to have sold relatively low on Doncic as L.A. only gave up their 2029 first-round pick and Max Christie along with Davis. Granted Doncic has had injury concerns, but he was the entire franchise and seemed to be a lifer.
Dallas opted to build around Kyrie Irving and Davis with hopes of achieving a higher defensive ceiling. After reaching the NBA Finals last season, teams usually decide not to make any seismic trades and let their roster ride out.
However, the one-time champion and one of the best two-way centers is on the way to the Mavericks. As strange as it feels to not have Davis suit up in a purple and gold jersey, Pelinka saw an opportunity to acquire a franchise-altering player and jumped at the chance.
Mavericks approached Lakers about Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis trade
When this news initially broke, one would think that the Lakers would be the one imitating these significant of talks. However, the Mavericks seemed to be the one to approach L.A. about trading Luka Doncic given injury concerns and a looming contract extension.
These trades tend to move in silence when of this magnitude and both teams kept it under wraps until it was done. In one of the most surprising trades ever, L.A. and Dallas hope these moves propel them into sustained excellence.
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