Dallas Mavericks

NBA fans weren't the only ones shocked by the Dallas Mavericks' decision to trade Luka Dončić less than one year after he led his team to the Finals.

Mavericks players were also "blindsided" by the Saturday night deal, according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, Christian Clark, Tony Jones, David Aldridge and Alex Andrejev.

According to The Athletic reporters, one player "believed Dončić would accompany Dallas on its five-game road trip."

Instead, it could be Anthony Davis joining the Mavs for the road swing after Dallas acquired him as part of the Dončić trade reported late Saturday night.

Dončić has not played since suffering a non-contact calf injury on Christmas Day, but the Lakers reportedly believe he could come back by the time the All-Star break begins on Feb. 16.

That could have theoretically put Dončić on track to return by the time the Mavericks close out the road swing with a Thursday game against the Boston Celtics. Instead, he will continue progressing toward his return with the Lakers.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported on Saturday night that Mavericks star Kyrie Irving was "stunned" by learning about the Dončić trade while in a training session ahead of the Mavericks' Sunday afternoon game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Kyrie Irving was also stunned by the Luka-AD trade. I’m told he was doing a training session in Cleveland when he saw the news come across from @ShamsCharania

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 2, 2025

Dončić's new Lakers teammate, LeBron James, was also reportedly "surprised" by the trade, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin:

LeBron James learned of the Davis-Doncic trade after the Knicks game when it broke while he was out to dinner with his family, sources close to James told ESPN. James was surprised by the news, is processing it and had no idea it was in the works, sources said.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 2, 2025

Players from other teams around the NBA weren't shy about showing their surprise when ESPN's Shams Charania broke news of the blockbuster trade late on Saturday night:

🥶🌎

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) February 2, 2025

WOWWWWW NO F WAY

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) February 2, 2025

wtf ?????

— Tyler Herro (@raf_tyler) February 2, 2025

♟️!!

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) February 2, 2025

HUH!!!!

— Tyrese Maxey (@TyreseMaxey) February 2, 2025

Even other league executives reportedly didn't see the trade coming. The Ringer's Ryen Russillo reported Sunday that multiple NBA teams told him "they had no idea Luka was available," while NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Mavs had decided "to pursue Davis and pretty much no one else" ahead of the trade.

Dončić's former Mavericks teammates don't have much time to process the trade before they're back in action. Sunday's road game against the Cavaliers tips off at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Davis, who has recently been sidelined with an abdominal strain, was declared out for at least a week on Wednesday. He will likely not make his Mavericks debut until at least Thursday's game against the Celtics.

The Dallas Mavericks had reportedly been considering trading Luka Dončić for weeks before sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers in a Saturday night blockbuster.

According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Mavs reached out to another NBA team "nearly two weeks ago" about potentially trading Dončić "for another star."

"That bid was turned down, but the message sent in the process had been clear: There was trouble brewing in Dallas," Amick wrote.

The Lakers capitalized by snagging the 25-year-old Dončić in a deal that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas.

Dončić has not played since suffering a non-contact left calf injury on Christmas Day.

The Mavs slipped down the Western Conference standings quickly without him, going 4-8 over the next three weeks while sliding out of a guaranteed playoff spot and into the play-in round.

It may have been at that point that the Mavericks reportedly started looking at trading their injured star.

The report that the Mavs reached out to another team and proposed a trade comes after general shock that Dončić was moved to the Lakers so abruptly, rather than widely marketed in an effort to receive the largest possible return.

Dončić would have been eligible for a five-year, $345 million supermax extension this summer had he remained with the mavericks, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.

Although that number dips now that Dončić will seek an extension with a new team, he is still extension eligible for a five-year, $229 million contract, per Marks.

Any team considering a Dončić trade had to be willing to both part with a star player and potentially take on a new contract worth more than $45 million per year.

Whatever the Mavericks' hopes as to who they would get in return for Dončić, The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor previously reported the Lakers have had their sights set on the Mavs star since at least before the start of the 2024-25 season.

Shams Charania said in a Sunday appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter the Lakers are hoping to see Dončić return from his calf injury ahead of the All-Star Break. The Lakers have five games remaining before All-Star weekend begins on Feb. 16.

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison made what for good or bad will be a legacy-defining move Sunday morning.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported the Mavs are sending Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, with other pieces included in the deal. Dallas also received the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick and guard Max Christie.

Davis will join was already a solid frontcourt.

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Mavericks Depth Chart

• Point Guard: Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jaden Hardy 
• Shooting Guard: Klay Thompson, Max Christie, Quentin Grimes 
• Small Forward: P.J. Washington, Max Christie, Quentin Grimes 
• Power Forward: Anthony Davis, Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington 
• Center: Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, Anthony Davis

---

Bobby Marks of ESPN provided the Mavericks' new outlook in terms of finances and draft capital:

I am intrigued by this roster

They can certainly roll out some big lineups pic.twitter.com/W4zbZXAlxq

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 2, 2025

Harrison told ESPN's Tim MacMahon that swapping Dončić for Davis makes the team "built to win now and in the future" thanks to its improved defense.

The small salary cap flexibility Dallas created from this trade will be beneficial because it's hard to see the current roster as a true title contender. All things considered, Dončić is simply a more valuable player than Davis, and Christie isn't enough of a difference-maker to raise the Mavericks' ceiling.

Coveting Davis specifically is a little puzzling as well. Harrison emphasized his defensive impact, yet the Mavs had a strong two-deep center rotation with Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. Protecting the paint wasn't really an issue before.

The presence of Gafford and Lively means Davis will slot in as the power forward, and that's not his best position when he remains a sub-30 percent three-point shooter.

The domino effect trickles down further since P.J. Washington will have to play small forward more than he ever has. There's a clear difference between utilizing Washington as a small-ball 4 and having him operate on the wing.

Trading the 25-year-old Dončić for Davis, 31, puts an even higher emphasis on the Mavericks to win now. Beyond the gap in their respective ages, Davis has a worse track record in terms of injuries.

Harrison is putting his reputation on the line with this one.

Maybe history will prove him correct in moving on from Dončić much earlier than expected, and Davis could be the optimal piece alongside Kyrie Irving. But it still looks like further reinforcements are needed in order to better last year's runner-up finish in the NBA Finals.

The Dallas Mavericks made the shocking decision to trade Luka Dončić on Saturday, and general manager Nico Harrison said it was for defensive reasons.

ESPN's Shams Charania broke news of the stunning trade, noting the Mavericks ended up with Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Los Angeles Lakers' 2029 first-round pick in the three-team deal. Los Angeles landed Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, while the Utah Jazz got Jalen Hood-Schifino and 2025 second-rounders from the Mavericks and L.A. Clippers.

"I believe that defense wins championships," Harrison said of ending up with Davis, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "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."

The general manager also provided more insight to the team's thought process and told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, "I understand why they would be shocked, initially. But I do believe that we positioned ourselves to win now and also win in the future.

"And that's ultimately the goal and why we're here. It's one of those things where it's my job to make the tough decisions that put our goals first and foremost."

Harrison and the Mavericks are not wrong about Davis being a better defensive player than Dončić.

After all, the big man is a five-time All-Defensive selection who has led the league in blocks per game three times during his career. His ability to play dominant interior defense and protect the rim is one reason he is a surefire future Hall of Famer.

As for Dončić, he doesn't have the defensive accolades that Davis does and has a reputation of struggling on that side of the floor. Yet opponents have shot 0.7 percent worse than their normal averages from the field when he guards them this season, per NBA.com, so he is far from a complete liability on defense.

Even if the front office was focused on defense, this is still a stunning move from Dallas' perspective.

Dončić is just 25 years old and was presumably going to be the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future. This is the same organization that kept Dirk Nowitzki his entire career, and Dončić seemed like a candidate to follow in the all-time great's footsteps.

Nowitzki himself seemed quite surprised when news of the trade broke:

😳

— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) February 2, 2025

Yet the Mavericks decided to go a different direction before they were on the books for a five-year, $345 million supermax extension for the former face of their franchise. ESPN's Tim MacMahon also reported the team was concerned with Dončić's conditioning and its impact on his overall health, which seemed to have also played a factor.

"We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the supermax and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract," Harrison said, per Townsend. "And so we really felt like we got out in front of that. We know teams, they've had it out there, teams have been loading up to try to sign him once that comes available."

It's also not as if the Mavericks didn't get an impact player back in return.

Davis can anchor their interior defense during a Western Conference playoff run that could include matchups against Chet Holmgren, Nikola Jokić, Alperen Şengün and Jaren Jackson Jr., among others.

If defense truly does win championships, the Mavericks might be in position to make a second straight run at the NBA Finals.

The Dallas Mavericks started the conversations with the Los Angeles Lakers that resulted in Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis swapping teams, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Charania reported Mavs general manager Nico Harrison reached out to Lakers GM Rob Pelinka "a few days ago" to offer up Dončić. Los Angeles "had to huddle internally" because the organization had never seriously considered moving Davis.

Harrison and Pelinka deserve to have a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame for the way in which they negotiated this trade. It's incredible that a deal of this magnitude not only developed so quickly but also flew completely under the radar.

Nobody sensed Davis or Dončić was a possible trade candidate, let alone that they'd be traded for one another.

It's clear Dallas coveted Davis over any other target.

In February 2023, Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd reported the Mavs could be a dark horse to land the nine-time All-Star, whose relationship with LeBron James had been the source of speculation at the time. Harrison's interest in Davis isn't new.

But it's worth wondering whether the Mavericks sacrificed value in the name of secrecy.

Dallas acquired a star whose ideal position is center when it already had Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. Davis is a somewhat odd fit from that standpoint.

The Mavs didn't manage to get all of the Lakers' draft assets, either. They could've gotten a 2031 first-rounder from L.A. in addition to some pick swaps.

Things would've gotten a little messy in Dallas if it got out that Harrison was openly shopping Dončić around. Still, the trade deadline is only a few days away. Surely creating some tension within the locker room would've been acceptable if it meant soliciting the best return possible.

Instead, many will likely feel Harrison rushed to reach a resolution.

The Dallas Mavericks "had major concerns about moving forward" with star guard Luka Dončić that ultimately led to his trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Shams Charania of ESPN reported the Mavs are sending Dončić to L.A. in return for a package that includes nine-time All-Star Anthony Davis.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin offered context behind MacMahon's reporting, writing that "there had been significant frustration within the organization about Doncic's lack of discipline regarding his diet and conditioning, which team sources considered a major factor in his injury issues.

"Though Doncic was relatively lean by his standards when he reported to camp, his weight ballooned to the high 260s early this season, sources said."

Stories about Dončić's conditioning aren't all that new.

MacMahon reported in December 2021 he had arrived at training camp weighing more than 260 pounds for two successive years, which was 30 pounds over his listed weight.

After Dallas was eliminated in the 2022 Western Conference Finals, head coach Jason Kidd challenged his team to be more focused in the offseason in pursuit of a championship. Some were left to wonder whether he was subtly referencing his best player with the comments:

Jason Kidd after Mavs eliminated: “Now, it’s about what’s our appetite come next season? Next season, are we going to be hungry? And then, are we going to train this summer to understand what it means to play until May and June?”

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 27, 2022

The narrative persisted even after the Mavs reached the 2024 NBA Finals. ESPN's Jay Williams said Dončić not only needed to get better defensively but also had to "lose weight" to help get Dallas over the top.

Nobody knows the state of Dončić's conditioning and his commitment to staying in shape better than the Mavs. Perhaps that's getting overlooked with everyone almost unanimously agreeing they got fleeced by the Lakers.

It was hard to be too worried about the 25-year-old's physical state while he was performing at an MVP-type level. Through 22 appearances this season, he's averaging 28.1 points on 46.4 percent shooting and 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.0 steals.

But Dončić could be on an arc similar to that of James Harden, another marquee star whose training habits were long called into question. Harden has noticeably fallen off into his 30s after he was the NBA's premier scorer for multiple seasons.

The more restrictive collective bargaining agreement in place forces teams to be more prudent with supermax contracts. If we're three or four years down the road and Dončić's game is slipping a bit, then it will have serious ramifications for his team.

Still, many will believe general manager Nico Harrison is taking a far bigger gamble by trading the five-time All-Star now, when he's indisputably an elite talent.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, there is "optimism" that Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić will return to the team from his calf injury before the NBA All-Star break.

Dallas' final game before the break is a February 13 contest against the Miami Heat.

Dončić exited in the second quarter of the Mavs' Christmas Day loss to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves after suffering what appeared to be a non-contact injury.

He was visibly limping as he left the court, and ESPN's Shams Charania later reported he used crutches to leave the arena after the game.

Luka Doncic went back to the locker room after an apparent injury on this play. pic.twitter.com/R8xlcLdeHQ

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 25, 2024

Charania originally identified the injury as a calf strain, and reported that the Mavericks were preparing for Dončić to "miss an extended period of time."

Dončić was playing in the contest after missing two games with a left heel contusion.

He was also sidelined for five games earlier this season with a right wrist sprain, and sat out one other contest with a right knee contusion.

The Mavericks star's latest injury was especially concerning given his history with left calf injuries. He was sidelined for three games during the 2022 postseason with a left calf strain and missed part of training camp and preseason this fall with a contusion to the same calf.

Dončić was leading the Mavericks with 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game prior to his injury.

Without Dončić, the Mavericks have won just five of 15 games and his return will be an obvious boost to a team currently in the play-in spots in the Western Conference playoff picture.

Already playing without Luka Dončić due to a calf injury, the Dallas Mavericks are also going to be missing Dereck Lively II for an extended period of time.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Lively is expected to miss two to three months after being diagnosed with a small fracture in his right foot.

Lively has missed the past three games with what the Mavs were calling a sprained right ankle. He suffered the injury in the first quarter of a Jan. 14 game against the Denver Nuggets when he landed awkwardly on Nikola Jokić's foot going for a rebound.

The Mavericks officially listed Lively as questionable for Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but head coach Jason Kidd suggested earlier in the week that he wasn't nearing a return.

"I don't think so," Kidd said prior to Monday's matchup with the Charlotte Hornets when asked if Lively was close.

Injuries are threatening to derail what was supposed to be a promising season for the Mavericks after they reached the NBA Finals last season. They were third in the Western Conference standings with a 20-13 record after Dec. 31.

Dončić suffered a left calf strain in the second quarter of Dallas' 105-99 loss to Minnesota on Christmas Day. The team said he would be re-evaluated in a month, which is coming up in the next few days.

The Mavs have lost nine of their last 13 games since Dončić's injury and sit in seventh place in the West with a 23-20 record. They are only 1.5 games up on the Golden State Warriors (21-21) in the 11th spot.

Lively didn't make great strides this season after a promising rookie campaign, but he's been the starting center in Dallas for 25 of 32 games he's played thus far. The 20-year-old is averaging 9.1 points on 70.1 percent shooting and 7.8 rebounds per game.

A three-month timeline would likely mean Lively wouldn't return unless the Mavs make the playoffs. They will wrap up the regular season on April 13 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 106-98 at home on Friday. The game was a rematch of the 2024 Western Conference semifinals, which saw Dallas beat OKC in six games.

Afterward, Irving said that this game was "personal" and "the start of a healthy rivalry" in his chat with reporters.

"It's personal. I think it's the start of a healthy rivalry," Irving said, per Austin Veazey of Dallas Mavericks on SI.

"We're gonna be seeing them a lot over the next few years so it's good that you set the precedent now what it's gonna be like... When the pushing and shoving occurs, that's just good competitive NBA basketball that we feel is only right at this point because we gotta protect ourselves. Somebody comes into the middle of the circle, starts pushing, you know it's gonna lead to everybody protecting themselves. It's good. It's healthy."

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd seemed to agree on the rivalry front.

Jason Kidd on if he thinks Mavericks-Thunder is turning into a rivalry:

“I think we played each other a lot here in the last couple years. It’s gonna be chippy. Guys are competing…It’s just is what it is. We played them in the playoffs, it was chippy then. It’s chippy during… pic.twitter.com/dzYY0bqbH7

— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) January 18, 2025

The 34-7 Thunder are in control atop the Western Conference, but the Mavs remain their Achilles' heel. Two of their seven losses are against Dallas, who beat OKC both times without superstar Luka Dončić.

On Friday, Dallas and OKC combined for five technical fouls and a flagrant foul on P.J. Washington in the third quarter when he committed some hard contract on Thunder center Jaylin Williams during a drive to the hoop. After the play, Irving and Thunder guard Alex Caruso had some words.

There was some back-and-forth otherwise in this game between the two teams, and the rivalry even extended into the American Airlines Center speakers.

The Dallas Mavericks’ arena speakers briefly played “Last Time That I Checc’d” by Nipsey Hussle in the final moments of the game before defeating the OKC Thunder.

This song has tons of history between these two teams, as Dallas played this song from their locker room in November…

— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) January 18, 2025

These two teams won't wait long to play each other again with OKC hosting Dallas on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

The NBA's Last Two Minute Report revealed that referees missed a goaltending violation that would have given the Dallas Mavericks a late lead during the team's 119-116 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

The Last 2 Minute Report acknowledges that the refs missed a goaltending violation that would have given the Mavs the lead with seconds remaining in last night’s loss to the Pelicans. pic.twitter.com/aITKDulBf8

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 16, 2025

With Dallas trailing by one point and 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie had his layup blocked by Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III. It appeared as though Murphy blocked the shot after the ball had already hit the backboard.

After the game, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd discussed the call.

"The league wants to get it right," Kidd said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "The referees have a tough job. They clearly did not get that right, and it cost us maybe the game."

Following the play that was initially ruled as a block, Murphy recovered the ball and was fouled before hitting a pair of free throws. A last-second three-point attempt from Naji Marshall didn't connect, resulting in the win for New Orleans.

Dinwiddie expressed his displeasure with the call following the defeat.

"If people follow my career, and I beat the big or whatever, and I hold it out here, I put it directly on the glass for two reasons," Dinwiddie explained, via ESPN. "One, I'm tall and long. I'm extending, so they have to jump over and block it. If you do happen to block it, it's already on the glass and I'm scoring. I've literally made a whole bunch of money doing that exact move."

The veteran guard finished with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting 6-17 from the field and connecting on three of his eight attempts from behind the arc.

26 makin' a 𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉 in the 3rd 💦 pic.twitter.com/oPkOE5OnKM

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 16, 2025

As for Murphy, he posted a double-double by scoring 24 points and pulling down 10 rebounds to go along with four assists of his own. He shot 38.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.

The Pelicans improved to 10-32 with the win, still sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

The defeat was especially costly for the Mavericks, as they now own the No. 7 spot in the West with a 22-19 record and are currently one game back from the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 5.

Dallas will look to put the tough finish in the rearview mirror and stop a three-game losing streak during its next contest, a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.