Shockwaves were sent across the NBA world on Saturday night when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal involving Anthony Davis. Many wondered why the Mavericks would make such a move and their GM Nico Harrison has now revealed why.
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Mavs GM Nico Harrison told ESPN regarding his motivation to trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”
That is quite the bold claim that this move gives the Mavericks a better chance to win it all. Time will tell if this was a masterstroke or perhaps the worst mistake ever made by a franchise. The chances of it being the latter are much much higher.
Believing defense wins championships isn’t the only reason the Mavericks made this move. According to Tim MacMahon, they had concerns about Doncic’s conditioning and had doubts about giving him a five-year $345 million supermax contract.
“The Mavs had major concerns about moving forward with Luka Doncic due to his constant conditioning issues and the looming commitment of another supermax contract extension this summer, sources told ESPN.”
Doncic has been out with a calf injury since December and his conditioning has always been a big talking point. Still, trading him away just seems like a ridiculous decision, especially considering Davis’ injury history.
As more details come out regarding this deal, the shock factor just goes up. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Doncic did not request a trade. The Mavericks did this of their own volition and this might be the first time ever that a generational player has been moved without them wanting out.
Players like Doncic rarely come around and you try to hold on to them as long as you can. It would appear that the Mavericks did plan on doing that, but Harrison then stepped in, according to Stein.
“The Mavericks and Luka Doncic, until tonight, were heading toward a five-year contract extension in July worth a record $345 million. Dallas GM Nico Harrison made the call to abruptly change the direction of the franchise with one of the most stunning trades in league history.”
Harrison might just be the most beloved man in Los Angeles right now. NBA insider Shams Charania also reports that the Mavericks were the initiators in this trade.
“The Mavericks approached the Lakers recently and offered Luka Doncic, sources tell ESPN. Lakers brass met and believed the 25-year-old Doncic has the ability to be the face of their franchise for the next decade while giving Anthony Davis a win-now move in Dallas.”
The Lakers had to have been shocked at the Mavericks offering them Doncic out of nowhere. They can thank their lucky stars that Davis happened to be the player the Mavericks wanted, as they probably could have gotten a bigger haul from another team.
The only way the Mavericks would be able to justify this move is if they win a couple of titles with Davis. They just made the NBA Finals with Doncic and you’d have fancied their chances of winning at least one with him in the following years.
Doncic leaves the Mavericks as arguably the second-greatest player in franchise history. He averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the franchise in six and a half seasons. Doncic made the All-NBA First Team and the All-Star Team five times as well.
The Lakers would be thrilled to have Doncic among their ranks but you would expect them to make another move. They already needed a big man and with Davis gone, are in even more desperate need now.
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