There have been major trades in NBA history, but none feel as massive as this past weekend’s, when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. The Slovenian hooper has now shared his first public statement following the landscape-shifting exchange.
“Dear Dallas,” he wrote on X and Instagram on Sunday (Feb. 2). “Seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream of playing basketball at the highest level. I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship.” The five-time All-Star got close last year when he led the Mavericks to an NBA Finals matchup with the Boston Celtics, which they lost in five games. In 2022, he led them to a Western Conference Finals matchup against the eventual championship winners, the Golden State Warriors.
“The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of,” he continued. “For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home. In good times and bad, from injuries to NBA Finals, your support never changed. Thank you for not only sharing my joy in our best moments, but also for lifting me up when I needed it the most.” He also thanked the organizations he worked with in his seven years in the Dallas community, and called it his home away from home. Check out the full statement below.
The full trade details included Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris going to the Los Angeles Lakers; Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round draft pick going to the Dallas Mavericks; and Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2025 second-round draft pick, and an additional 2025 second-round draft pick, from the Clippers going to the Utah Jazz. It is important to note that neither Luka Doncic nor Anthony Davis were being “shopped around” by their respective former teams, but rather private conversations between both organizations brought this to life.
The Mavericks general manager, Nico Harrison, stated that Dallas was in a “win-now” mindset and, despite Luka leading them to playoff success, Harrison believed Davis could get them over the hump when paired with star guard Kyrie Irving. There were also reports that the Mavericks brass wasn’t happy with Doncic’s ineffectiveness on defense and his lack of conditioning. Had he stayed in Dallas, he likely would not have been offered the 5-year, $345 million supermax contract he was eligible for. Now that he has switched teams, the most he can receive from the Lakers or any future team is in the $240 million range.
As for Anthony Davis, the Lakers management did not want to offer him an extension due to his age (31) and his battles with health over the years. Davis was an integral part of the Lakers winning a championship in 2020 and returning to the conference finals in 2023, but they have had early playoff exits or completely missed the postseason in the years between, largely due to Davis not being at 100%. Doncic not only presents a change of pace and unique threat alongside LeBron James, but he is a stronger successor to LBJ as the face of their franchise upon James’ retirement.
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