The trade was put together in secret, with only a precious few people knowing what was happening.
Luka Doncic didn’t know. Anthony Davis didn’t know. Their coaches didn’t know. Their teammates didn’t know.
And then it happened: an absolute blockbuster four days before the NBA’s trade deadline for the 2024-25 season. Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season, Davis won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, and now they’re switching teams in a move that stunned most everyone in the league.
“I thought I’d spend my career here, and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship,” Doncic said in a farewell message written to Dallas fans and posted to social media. “The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of.”
Doncic, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound guard, was traded by the reigning Western Conference champion Mavericks to the Lakers for Davis, a 6-10, 253-pound forward, as part of a three-team deal. The trade was announced Sunday morning after the teams got the required league approval.