The Lakers and Mavericks officially finalized one of the most shocking trades in NBA history on Sunday, making a deal so unexpected that we had to make sure ESPN's Shams Charania hadn't been hacked before we published our initial story late on Saturday night.
Luka Doncic, a reigning MVP finalist who has made the All-NBA First Team five years in a row, has been sent to the Lakers along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, with 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis headed to the Mavericks alongside Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.
Utah also got involved in the deal, taking on Jalen Hood-Schifino from the Lakers and getting a future second-round pick from both Dallas and L.A.
Much has already been written - and will continue to be written - about why each team (especially Dallas) felt motivated to make this move. Today, while we're still reeling from the news, we want to dig into the nitty-gritty of the trade, exploring how it works from a cap perspective, examining how it impacts Doncic's future earnings, and considering what the Lakers and Mavs do next to follow this up.
Let's dive in...
This is a fantastic breakdown but I wish I could find one that breaksdown the Mav’s logic.
Luka probably demanded a trade. NBA should investigate this trade, because the other Teams did not know that Luka was in the Trade Market.
Did the league just put their brightest young star in “FollyWood”? Got to sell for Big Pharma and compete with the C’s!!!