According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Dallas Mavericks have made the shocking move to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. This is not a parody, as many thought when the news broke.
ESPN and other news sources have confirmed this, as Dallas initiated and sought out this deal with Los Angeles.
A Summary of the entire trade:
Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 first-round pick
Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, two second-round picks
This blockbuster trade was a surprise, with it being very tight-lipped to the point where Doncic, LeBron, and Davis did not know this was happening. Davis feels “betrayed,” while Doncic remains “stunned.”
Dallas came to Los Angeles with this trade proposal, which soon got sorted through and accepted by both parties. Utah was the facilitating team to complete the transaction.
The Mavericks thought they would be in a better win-now position for a championship by acquiring the defensive stud. They felt as though the 25-year-old wouldn’t have committed to the Supermax contract worth up to $350 million. Plus, the organization saw his weight and conditioning as a problem.
For the Lakers, this is the perfect trade for them. First of all, they didn’t have to give up much to receive the generational player. Second of all, Los Angeles wanted Doncic to be the face of the franchise after LeBron retired from the game of basketball.
Mavericks’ General Manager Nico Harrison said he traded Doncic because “I believe that defense wins championships.”
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Mavs general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, “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.”
Per Marc Stein’s report, Doncic is targeting February 8th as his official return date from his calf injury. It would be two days after the trade deadline.
Due to the injuries, dieting decisions, and conditioning problems, this “motivated” the Mavericks to trade him as quickly as humanly possible.
With Doncic set to join the Lakers, he will no longer be eligible for the Supermax contract.
February 25th is the next time the Lakers and Mavericks are scheduled to face each other.
According to Chris Haynes, if Anthony Davis were to be traded before the deadline, the Golden State Warriors have emerged as a potential suitor for him.
There has been tons of speculation and rumors surrounding the future of the Dallas Mavericks and their plans concerning Davis; since firing general manager Nico Harrison, they’ve taken a patient route in order to figure out their future.
If the Warriors were to put together a serious trade offer, Golden State would need to center it around Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga. Financially speaking, Davis is making $54.1 million this season. The Warriors are just $264,000 below their second-apron hard cap.
This would force them into giving up Kuminga’s $22.5 million salary, as long with Green’s $25.8 million salary. With those two contracts, it would be a base start to be able to plot the foundation to secure the NBA champion.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is going to have to weigh his options when it comes to Green, Davis, and the future of this team. Reports have come out that they won’t trade core members of this team, but, if they want Davis, according to the experts, they would need to attach core members to be able to get Davis.
If they were to land the 32-year-old, it would set up Stephen Curry to have legitimate second and third option in Jimmy Butler and Davis. Plus, for the front office, finally put an end to their Kuminga situation.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Anthony Davis has suffered a groin strain and is expected to miss multiple games. This came during the Dallas Mavericks game against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day.
His official injury was “right groin spasms.” He was ruled out during halftime, even though it’s not expected to be a serious injury, Dallas will be cautious in their approach of when to bring him back.
Throughout the entire season, their fanbase has seen them be overly careful in their handling of Davis’ injuries and his proneness to injuries.
Despite the many rumors, reports, and speculation, the Mavericks have no plans of slowing it down and want to make a run for the postseason. This is one of their main reasons for their handling of the franchise superstar.
The Mavericks hold an 8-8 record with the 32-year-old this season. Without him, Dallas is 4-12.
According to Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks have the real possibility of getting back Anthony Davis in the near future.
The likeliest of a return is increasing, as it could be seen during or after Dallas’ four game road trip.
Davis has been out since February 8th, which saw him get injured during his debut game with the Mavericks. He has only played 31 total minutes with the team.
The 32-year-old has only played in 43 games this season.
