Luka Dončić led Dallas to the NBA Finals last season, while Anthony Davis helped the Los Angeles Lakers win a championship. Now, the two stars are switching teams in a major trade.
Dončić is being traded by the Mavericks, the reigning Western Conference champions, to the Lakers in exchange for Davis, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity early Sunday. The deal also involves other players: Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris are headed to Los Angeles, while Davis and Max Christie are going to Dallas.
The source added that the Utah Jazz are part of the trade as well. ESPN, which first reported the news, said Jalen Hood-Schifino and two draft picks will go to Utah. The Dallas Morning News confirmed these details.
The trade was announced about an hour after the Lakers defeated New York at Madison Square Garden. Davis was not with the Lakers for the game because he was in Los Angeles for an abdominal injury assessment. Dončić, on the other hand, has not played for Dallas since Christmas Day due to a strained left calf.
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN. “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.”
If the trade goes through, Dončić will join LeBron James to form a new star duo in Los Angeles, while Davis will team up with Kyrie Irving in Dallas. The news immediately shocked fans on social media.
“Luka getting traded from Dallas has to have a deeper story behind it,” Cleveland center Tristan Thompson posted on X. “This just doesn’t happen on a random Saturday night.”
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson even asked, “April fools right?” It’s not a joke, though.
Dallas will play at Cleveland on Sunday, while the Lakers have a break until they face the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. The trade still needs NBA approval, and it’s unclear when Dončić and Davis will play for their new teams since both are dealing with injuries and there’s no set timeline for their returns.
Among players with at least 400 games played, Dončić’s 28.6-point average ranks third in NBA history, behind only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, both at 30.1. When healthy, Dončić is one of the most dynamic and unstoppable players in the league.
He finished third in MVP voting last season after averaging 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds per game, a truly historic season. Dončić also tied the fourth-highest scoring game in NBA history on January 26, 2024, when he dropped 73 points against Atlanta. Only Chamberlain (100 points), Kobe Bryant (81 points), and Chamberlain again (78 points) scored more.
Davis, an All-Star for the 10th time this year, turns 32 next month. He was part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team and helped the Lakers win the 2020 NBA title in the bubble. Like Dončić, Davis is a five-time All-NBA selection.
For Dončić, however, there may be a significant financial impact from the trade. He was eligible for a supermax contract this summer, which could have earned him around $345 million over five years. Now, his extension eligibility could limit him to a five-year deal worth no more than $230 million.
This season, Dončić is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists, while Davis is putting up 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds.
