Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade: Did the Lakers and Mavs make the right move? (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Every week, Mark Medina shares his thoughts and insights on the latest NBA topics for RG. In this installment, he gives his take on the Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis trade.
At first, the trade didn’t seem real.
The Dallas Mavericks dealt their franchise player that carried them to last year’s NBA Finals. The Los Angeles Lakers shipped their All-Star player that perfectly complemented LeBron James en route to an NBA title nearly four years ago.
No, the trade was real. Very real.
The Mavericks dealt Luka Dončić to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. To entice Dallas to give up a generational star still in his prime, the Lakers only needed to add a young prospect (Max Christie) and a 2029 first-round pick in exchange for two versatile forwards (Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris).
Why would the Mavericks part ways with a player that has become an international phenom, one of the league’s best scorers and one of the game’s most ruthless competitors? Why would the Lakers sacrifice their defensive stalwart and potentially disrupt chemistry while pledging to maximize James’ closing championship window?
The Mavericks’ initial explanations seemed shaky. Dallas general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN that “getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance.”
Another ESPN report mentioned the organization also had concerns about Dončić’s conditioning. Those issues didn’t stop the Mavericks from advancing to last year’s NBA Finals or for Dončić to land on five All-NBA first teams. Unless Dončić demanded a trade or indicated he would not sign an extension to become a 2026 free agent, the Mavericks should have continued to build around him. And Dallas maintained Doncic never delivered such a message.
As for the Lakers, their thought process makes more sense. Despite becoming further encouraged with Davis’ durability and consistency, the Lakers traded him away for a simple reason. Even with Davis playing nearly at his best the past three seasons, the Lakers still didn’t have enough to win an NBA title. By acquiring Dončić, they have set themselves up to have a definitive superstar to lead the franchise following James’ pending retirement.
That understandably led to questions on what James thought about the trade itself. ESPN said that James learned about the deal while having dinner with his family following the Lakers’ win against the New York Knicks on Saturday night. For anyone making a big deal about James not being consulted about the trade? They shouldn’t.
Ever since the failed Russell Westbrook experiment two years ago, the Lakers and James have intentionally maintained a healthy distance for two reasons. The Lakers can make moves without feeling any outside pressure. James doesn’t receive blame for any poor personnel move. With exception to drafting Bronny James with their No. 58 pick, the Lakers essentially have not sought James’ input on roster decisions.
The Lakers didn’t run such a deal past James for three reasons. The Lakers and Mavericks needed to act swiftly. The Lakers didn’t want to put James in an awkward position to choose between a beloved teammate (Davis) and a star that he respects (Dončić). The Lakers already know James simply wants them to stay aggressive in hopes to maximize their championship window.
Though the Lakers achieve that with this deal, the Mavericks may adjust to the move much quicker.
Davis is expected to return sometime this week from an abdominal injury. Davis and Kyrie Irving will become instant pick-and-roll partners. The Mavericks have strong secondary scoring options with P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson and Daniel Gafford.
Expect Dončić and James to sharpen their chemistry in time for their playoffs. Dončić has a better resume than Westbrook with creating his own shot with 3s and floaters while playing at a controlled pace. James will likely help ensure a more balanced offense, but he will seem more amenable toward reducing his workload to ensure he can delay Father Time a bit more.
Expect the Lakers to become more aggressive before the Feb. 6 trade deadline to address the rest of their roster. With Indiana’s Myles Turner, Washington’s Jonas Valanciunas and Utah’s Walker Kessler potentially available, the Lakers appear more inclined to trade their two other first-round picks and any of their other role players.
More questions await, though for both teams. Davis and Irving have thrived as co-captains on championship teams with James, but can they form just as a dominant duo? James and Doncic will fit strongly together, but will the Lakers need more time and a better roster to make it all work?
How this plays out could become as unpredictable as the trade itself.
Mark Medina is a longtime NBA reporter that includes stints as a Lakers blogger with The Los Angeles Times (2010-12), Lakers beat writer with the Los Angeles Daily News (2012-17), Warriors beat writer with Bay Area News Group (2017-19) as well as an NBA reporter/columnist for USA Today (2019-21) and NBA.com (2021-23). Medina is also an NBA insider with Fox Sports Radio and frequent contributor to CBSLA's SportsCentralLA with Jim Hill and with Spectrum Sportsnet.
