Over the weekend, the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers completed arguably the most stunning trade in NBA history. Luka Doncic went to LA, and Anthony Davis came to Dallas, in a trade that still feels inconceivable to many. Many were shocked that a 25-year-old superstar like Doncic only brought the Mavs a first-round pick and Max Christie alongside Davis.
Kirk Goldsberry revealed that Nico Harrison initially intended to get Dalton Knecht and the Lakers’ 2031 first-round pick also, but Rob Pelinka managed to convince Harrison that Luka’s health and drinking habits meant the Lakers couldn’t include those assets.
“There were two firsts and there was Dalton Knecht. The deal got whittled down, because I think Rob Pelinka was able to convince the Mavs that Luka is a lot of risk. ‘You guys are right to look at this way because, this guy, oh, his drinking, his weight problem,’ so they were able to convince them.”
“This was a week’s long process and Dallas started it. This fell in Rob Pelinka’s lap and he managed to reduce the Lakers outbound assets.”
REPORT: The Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade originally included multiple firsts and Dalton Knecht, per @kirkgoldsberry
“A deal got whittled down, and I think Rob Pelinka was able to convince the Mavs that Luka is a lot of risk… His drinking, his weight problem…”
(via Bill… pic.twitter.com/QjmmBWvjpx
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 3, 2025
How did Harrison let himself get played like a fiddle? His motivation might have just been to get Luka off the squad at any cost, with this seeming like a genuinely personal situation.
Even if Harrison didn’t like Luka on the squad, to let yourself get played like this when it comes to ascertaining the value of your franchise star is horrific work by a GM.
The Lakers now not only have Luka Doncic on their roster, but they also control more of their future picks than the Mavericks do over the next seven years. The Mavs have control over just their 2025 and 2031 pick, with all the picks in the middle having been promised to other teams as they built a contender around Luka.
The Lakers have only given up control of their 2025, 2027, and 2029 first-round picks. The Hawks get their 2025 pick, the Jazz get their 2027 pick, and the Mavericks get their 2029 pick. They can still trade their 2031 pick unprotected for an upgrade which also controls their pick swaps in 2026, 2028, and 2030. The Lakers can easily load up once again but with Doncic as the north star to build around.
Both Teams Looking For Additional Deals
The Lakers will be hunting the market for an athletic center from now until Thursday, as the squad has absolutely no playable center to maximize Doncic’s ability as a playmaker. Given what Luka did with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford in Dallas, acquiring a center like Nicolas Claxton at any cost should be the No. 1 priority for a Lakers squad that could compete for a title.
The Mavericks have to find a way to address their lack of creation without Doncic. Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jaden Hardy are all scorers before they’re floor-setters, so the Mavs might need to find a point guard so they can continue playing alongside Kyrie. Outside that, the Mavs have a pretty deep roster right now which can be consolidated into specific players that can help them win this season.
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