The Dallas Mavericks made the primary large splash heading into the Feb. 6 NBA commerce deadline. Late Saturday night time, Feb. 1, the Mavericks reportedly made one of the crucial epic and stunning trades in NBA historical past, buying and selling Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round decide.
The Utah Jazz had been additionally concerned within the three-team deal, with the Lakers and Mavs sending them extra capital.
The Lakers acquired a generational famous person, and Dallas introduced in top-of-the-line two-way large males within the league in Davis. He was introduced in to fortify the Mavericks’ frontcourt, as Dereck Full of life II (foot) will miss the remainder of the season. It’s “win-now” transfer for the Mavericks whereas the Lakers have their subsequent cornerstone, a franchise participant post-LeBron James.
It’s arduous to think about the Mavs buying and selling away Dončić, a 25-year-old perennial MVP candidate, however the deal helps each side. Listed below are the winners and losers from the blockbuster deal.
Winner or Loser? Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers: Winner
The Lakers had been consumers main as much as the commerce deadline, holding the fifth spot within the Western Convention standings. Los Angeles wanted to make a transfer to its roster after prevailing in simply two playoff collection since profitable the championship in 2020.
LeBron James lately turned 40, and Davis was approaching 32. Even when they managed a playoff run this yr, the James-Davis pairing now not seemed able to dwelling as much as the franchise’s championship commonplace.
True contenders (Like Cleveland, Houston, Boston, and Memphis) sometimes rank within the high 10 in offense and protection; the Lakers didn’t qualify in both class. At present, they’re ranked seventeenth within the NBA for scoring offense and 18th for defensive effectivity.
In the meantime, James’s high quality of play has understandably slipped this season, and his unsure retirement timeline looms over the franchise. If the Lakers stored operating again James and Davis collectively, they had been the opportunity of a painful rebuilding cycle as soon as the previous determined to hold it up.
Reasonably than repeat that cycle or be caught making an attempt to land a star accomplice for an ageing Davis someday down the highway, the Lakers boldly landed Dončić because the inheritor to James. Dončić has recorded 28.1 factors, 8.3 rebounds, and seven.8 assists per recreation this season, averaging near a triple-double.
who’s stopping this group? 💀 pic.twitter.com/Sk2pYxo10C
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) February 2, 2025
Dallas Mavericks: Loser
The Mavericks gave up on Dončić lower than one yr after he led them to the NBA Finals, including a veteran participant slightly than gaining draft capital.
Dončić has been battling a calf pressure since Christmas and has handled constant questions on his well being, conditioning, and temperament all through his profession. Additionally, the Mavs had been a doable state of affairs the place they needed to pay Dončić a five-year, $345 million extension this summer time, and Dallas didn’t really feel comfy with that.
Regardless of these challenges, Dončić’s supreme expertise have carried Dallas. He has been a first-team all-NBA choice for the previous 5 years and led the NBA in scoring final season. Parting methods with a participant with that a lot upside will probably be a bitter tablet for Mavericks followers to swallow, particularly if he thrives with the rival Lakers.
Don’t get it twisted; Davis is among the NBA’s most underrated stars. His huge two-way skills have usually gotten misplaced in James’ shadow, and he’s been a constant and wholesome power over the previous two seasons.
Davis is a Defensive Participant of the Yr candidate and a simple participant to construct lineups round. He’s additionally aligned age-wise with guard Kyrie Irving and may preserve the Mavericks related and aggressive within the difficult West for the foreseeable future.
Additionally, understand that Davis has battled damage points in three of his six seasons with the Lakers. It’s unclear how properly his recreation will age as he will get deeper into his 30s. The Mavs have locked in an costly veteran core trio of Davis, Irving, and Klay Thompson that will have been fearsome in 2018 slightly than 2025.