Consider my reaction on February 2 as the Dallas Mavericks announced a blockbuster deal trading away superstar Luka Doncic. So the New Orleans Pelicans traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. This championship winning move has been, arguably, the high water mark for both franchises. These clubs have every reason to want to deepen their talent pools and make future championship runs.
The trade came with its complexities. The Mavericks needed Davis to waive his $5.1 million trade bonus for the trade to go through. In order to get four first-round picks in the trade, Dallas would have had to complete a separate deal with Austin Reaves. That proposed deal would have netted them two future first-round picks. This complex tapestry of negotiations showed just how difficult an agreement was for either side to reach.
The Lakers are $3.5 million under the second apron as of now. This reality can deeply restrict their capacity to absorb new salary in trading. The Mavericks ran $526,000 under the first apron, providing them with some wiggle room. Both clubs operated almost entirely in secretive mode, making the trade discussion more difficult.
Read between the lines into the negotiation process and it seems clear that the Lakers preferred one particular type of trade package. This preference ended up dictating their whole strategy. The Mavericks had two teams that met this criterion: the Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. That’s despite the fact the Lakers came with some very strong offers. One of those included Damian Lillard and a 2031 unprotected first-round pick, while the other had a package of Trae Young, Onyeka Okongwu, and two unprotected first-round picks (2025 and 2029).
And the Mavericks were still there to punish the inevitable counter. Their best bet would have been with a package of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and unprotected first-round pick for 2031. For example, they might decide to deal both Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves. This trade would involve that ’29 unprotected first-round pick, as well as a 2030 first-round swap and the same ’31 unprotected first-round pick.
Even Mark Cuban, owner of Mavericks, guessed on the trade-everyone-for-everyone dynamic.
“If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing,” – Mark Cuban
He felt like a different outcome was possible. This would have only been true had they locked in four unprotected first-round picks in addition to Davis and Max Christie.
“Just get a better deal. No disrespect to Anthony Davis, but I still firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected No. 1s and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation.” – Mark Cuban
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was likewise vocal about her fears of affecting team stability during the swap discussions.
“It was really important to me that we didn’t blow up the team,” – Jeanie Buss
This monumental transaction serves as a reminder that both clubs are still very much works in progress as they continue to compete within the cutthroat world of the NBA. Soon enough Doncic joined Davis in leaving LA, so now Davis has ironically followed DOC to Dallas. Fans are looking forward to seeing how this trade will shape their teams’ seasons to come!
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