NBA Rookie of the Year.
Five-time NBA All-Star.
NBA 2024 Scoring Champion.
This lists just a few of 25-year-old Luka Doncic’s accomplishments during his seven years with the Dallas Mavericks. On Feb. 1, ESPN announced the trade, sending Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers, receiving Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 NBA Draft first-round pick in return.
Though Doncic did not request a trade, Dallas began discussing the deal. This move shocked fans across the country, as it is the first time in NBA history that two reigning All-NBA players have been traded. For comparison, this is like the Denver Nuggets trading Finals MVP Nikola Jokic or the Milwaukee Bucks parting ways with nine-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo. All in all, this is a devastating and shocking deal for Dallas fans.
Concerns over Doncic’s health and conditioning led to several injuries, fatigue and limited playing time this season, prompting discussion about splitting with Luka. However, this trade is so appalling that fans are speculating the teams organized it for ulterior motives, such as attempting to raise the league’s ratings or even as far as the Mavericks ownership using the money put into Luka to build casinos or entertainment complexes in Dallas.
Drafted third overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 Draft but immediately traded to the Mavericks for Trae Young, Doncic has been the face of the team and even labeled as Dallas’s next “franchise player.” Averaging 27.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists, Luka is easily a top-five player in the league and arguably in the prime of his career, making his departure upsetting to fans across the country. Of course, the loss of Doncic’s talent is detrimental to the team, and his replacement, Anthony Davis, is not even expected to match his abilities, especially being six years older.
Reaching the NBA Finals for the third time in franchise history just last year also makes this deal so surprising. Despite falling short to Boston Celtics 1-4, Doncic was a team leader in this five-game Finals series, averaging 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists. Doncic’s camaraderie has also shone through on this team, teaming up with Kyrie Irving over the past two seasons, which will now take a new form as he joins LeBron James.
Disappointingly, Anthony Davis has played just one game as a Maverick so far in their 116-105 win over Houston on Feb. 8 before suffering a groin injury, sidelining him for up to a month. As for Doncic, he made his debut in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, racking up 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in the team’s 132-113 victory over the Utah Jazz.
I’m not a Mavericks fan, but I can confidently say I felt for Dallas fans this past week over Luka’s departure. The Lakers got the upper hand on this trade, and I believe they will continue to rank ahead of the Mavericks in the Western Conference for the remainder of the season. The Mavericks will play the Lakers on Feb. 25, where Doncic and Davis will match up with their former cities, and the winner of this trade will reveal itself.
![Freshman Polly Greaves created this updated version of the original graphic through Canva. Their next episode reviews a science fiction novel, 'Ender's Game.' "I feel like [Orson Scott Card] did a really good job incorporating feelings into his words and the plot," Greaves said, "which really made it a work of art because I believe that good books are books that can make you feel something."](https://eaglenationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/EndersGame_Cover3.png)
