The Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA last night by trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and one first-round pick.
Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison addressed the trade, revealing that Luka didn’t ask out. The decision to trade him was made by keeping Luka’s 2026 free agency in mind and because they think have a better chance of winning now by getting defensive pieces who add to the team’s culture.
“As we turn the page, it’s important to know that J-Kidd and I have a vision of the culture we want to create since we’ve been here. The players that we’re bringing in, we believe exemplify that. We believe defense wins championships and we’re bringing one of the best two-way players in the league… We feel they’re adding to the culture we’re trying to create here instead of just fitting into it.”
“How do we make our team better? There were some unique things about his contract we had to pay attention to. There were other teams that were loading up and he would be able to decide to make his own decision at some point of whether he wants to be here or not, whether we want to supermax him, or if he wants to opt-out. We had to take all that into consideration. I feel like we got out in front of what could be a tumultuous summer.”
Despite saying what he said, Harrison revealed that Luka never said anything to even indicate he’d leave the team in the summer or as a free agent.
“No not at all. Nothing verbally would lead me to believe that.”
He then shocked Mavs fans around the world by revealing he didn’t field a single offer for Luka, secretly discussing this trade with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka for the last three weeks, not even informing Jason Kidd about these conversations.
“I’d like to give Rob Pelinka a lot of credit. Trades don’t happen at the smallest level without stuff getting out. Rob and I were able to have really intense conversations over the course of 3-4 weeks. It started out as a coffee and then became a, ‘Would you ever?’ ‘Would I? Let me think about it.’ It built upon that and we kept it between us. We had to keep it tight.”
“J-Kidd didn’t know about it, but we are aligned. We talk about archetypes and the culture we wanna create. I know the type of player he likes without actually talking to him. And J-Kidd coached him when they won a championship. I think when you’re aligned with your coach like that, I know the players that he likes. I felt good about it making sense to where we’re trying to go.”
In what might be one of the biggest trades in NBA history, the Mavericks made the decision to move on from a 25-year-old perennial MVP candidate who carried them to the Finals in June 2024.
Doncic has one of the most impressive resumes for players his age in NBA history but he’ll fulfil his potential as a Laker instead. The Mavericks clearly didn’t believe in Doncic’s ability to ever buy into being a defender or keeping himself fit enough to fulfill his ridiculously high potential.
The scary thought is that if the Mavericks deemed Luka to be so problematic despite what he achieved for them, what kind of a prospect are the Lakers getting? Have his injuries taken such a toll on him he’ll never be the same? Or will he now be motivated to fulfill his potential and then some by dominating the most famous franchise in the world?
This is an incredible trade, with the Mavericks hoping Anthony Davis’ current ability as a two-way force can elevate the Lakers to a title in the next few seasons. That’s a massive bet, especially with the Mavericks forgoing offering Doncic to teams who likely would’ve offered up their entire draft asset pool to land a player like Luka.
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