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Mavericks Notes: Irving, Kidd, Davis, Simmons

February 14th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Faced with a fan backlash following last week’s Luka Doncic trade and dealing with a series of injuries that have decimated their frontcourt, the Mavericks could have gone into a tailspin heading into the All-Star break.

Instead, Dallas has won four of its past five games, including a shorthanded home victory over Miami on Thursday that saw the club run out a starting five of Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, Max Christie, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Kessler Edwards. All five players scored in double figures, as Exum led the way with 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting.

“No one is pouting. Everyone is playing,” head coach Jason Kidd said after Thursday’s win, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “Big win before the break. Now we can rest, regroup and get ready for the second half.”

Kyrie Irving had to sit out Thursday’s game – the second of a back-to-back set – due to a right shoulder injury, but he has been playing through a back issue and is averaging a team-high 36.6 minutes per game on the season. His resiliency and leadership has trickled down to the rest of the roster, Clark writes.

“He sets a standard,” Edwards said. “If he sees any of us slacking, he holds us to that. He also has a great personality. It’s light in the locker room around him, so it’s great.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

  • The Mavericks and Kidd won’t be fined for the head coach’s decision to skip Monday’s post-game press conference, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, who notes (via Twitter) that the league typically responds to first-time violations of that rule with a warning rather than handing out a fine.
  • The Mavericks haven’t issued a formal update on Anthony Davis‘ projected recovery timetable from an adductor strain since he was injured in his first game with his new team on Saturday. As Stein writes in a story for his Substack, the lack of a publicly shared timeline is thought to be by design, with the hope being that Davis can take a non-surgical treatment path to recovery. As he reported earlier this week, Stein says there’s optimism that surgery can be avoided, but cautions that it hasn’t been entirely ruled out at this point.
  • Within that same Substack story, Stein reports that the Mavericks would have had interest in entering the bidding for Ben Simmons on the buyout market, but their hard-cap restrictions prevented them from emerging as a serious suitor. The prorated veteran’s minimum deal that Simmons got from the Clippers carries a cap hit of approximately $756K, whereas Dallas is only operating about $171K below its first-apron hard cap.
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Mavericks Governor Stands By Luka Doncic Trade

February 9th, 2025 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks team governor Patrick Dumont is sympathetic toward angry fans, but passionate in his defense of the controversial Luka Doncic trade.

Speaking to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News in his first public comments since the deal was completed last Sunday, Dumont talked about the need to “make tough decisions and stand by them.” That’s what led the organization to part with the 25-year-old mega-star who may just be entering him prime after five years as a first-team All-NBA selection.

The reaction from Dallas fans has been intensely negative, capped by a “Rally for Luka” held outside American Airlines Center prior to Saturday afternoon’s game. Dumont said the backlash was expected, but he stands by his belief that the team has improved by adding Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers‘ 2029 first-round pick.

“Look, it’s been an emotional week for everyone. It really has. I clearly understand that, and I really appreciate that,” Dumont said. “I’m a big Luka fan. My family are big Luka fans. I have a really deep appreciation for what he brought to this team, what he brought to Dallas, and the excitement he brings. He’s an electrifying player. I want you to know I really sympathize with all of our fans who feel hurt. Look, as far as I’m concerned, Luka is a Mav for life and I really wish him nothing but happiness and success in his career as he continues in LA.”

Dumont expressed confidence in general manager Nico Harrison, who put the deal together in virtual secrecy through a series of talks with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. Dumont and L.A. owner Jeanie Buss were reportedly the only other people who were aware that negotiations were occurring.

At a press conference last Sunday, Harrison took ownership of the decision to trade Doncic, but Dumont said he signed off on the deal as well.

“I’ve said it all along: In Nico we trust,” Dumont said. “You have to respect the track record. You have to respect his intellect. You have to respect his relationships and his judgment and his point of view and the way he communicates. I respect that. Our whole family respects it.”

Harrison also talked about “culture” and the need to acquire players who reflect the organizational philosophy. Although Dumont didn’t directly address concerns about Doncic’s weight and conditioning, he implied that the Slovenian star was no longer a good fit.

“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win,” he said. “And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks. That’s who we want. I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us.”

Dumont denied that the decision to part with Doncic was motivated by finances. If he had stayed in Dallas, Doncic would have been eligible to receive a record-breaking $345MM extension this summer, which would have affected other roster decisions moving forward. Dumont also cited a motivation to keep improving after losing to the Celtics in five games in last year’s NBA Finals.

“You don’t know how I felt when we lost the Finals and I was standing there with confetti falling on my head in Boston,” he said. “I was pretty unhappy. I’ll never forget that.”

That Finals run came after Harrison retooled the roster at last year’s deadline, adding Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington in separate trades. The new combinations clicked, and Dallas became one of the best teams in the league over the second half of the season.

The organization remained aggressive during the summer, adding Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes while re-signing Spencer Dinwiddie. Injuries played a role — especially to Doncic, who was only available for 22 games — but there was disappointment with the 26-23 start when the Doncic deal was made.

Dumont said Harrison and the player personnel staff were comparing the Mavericks to their Western Conference rivals and the top teams in the East and weren’t satisfied with how they matched up.

“Not only do we have to fight a Western Conference, where a lot of teams got better through the trade deadline, we also, in order to get to our ultimate goal, have to survive the East,” Dumont said. “We looked at this season to see, ‘Did we get better since The Finals last year?’ And we’d play this season to see where we were. If you look at our record up until the trade deadline, we were not there.”

Dumont also addressed rumors that trading Doncic was the first step in a plan to eventually move the Mavericks out of Dallas. The Dumont and Adelson families issued a formal denial this week, and Dumont amplified that position.

“I’m not sure where this is coming from,” he said. “I appreciate people asking. Our family happens to live in Las Vegas, but we have investments all over the world. And the Dallas Mavericks is the team we bought. We had options to buy other teams in the past, but Dallas was the city that we wanted to be in, and that’s where it’s going to be.”

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Mavericks Notes: Davis, Irving, Christie, Martin

February 6th, 2025 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis could make his Mavericks debut tonight at Boston, tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Davis, who has been sidelined for the past week with a strained abdominal muscle, was upgraded to questionable in the team’s latest injury report. He was able to participate in this morning’s shootaround, and a decision on his status will be made closer to tipoff.

[Update: Davis is more likely to make his Mavericks debut on Saturday, per NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).]

Davis met with the media on Tuesday for the first time since the shocking deal that sent him from the Lakers to the Mavs, Afseth writes in a full story. He told reporters that his long-standing relationship with Dallas general manager Nico Harrison has made the experience of changing teams much easier.

“Nico’s known me since I was in high school,” Davis said. “Obviously, one of the guys I got close to when I signed with Nike. And then, to stay close throughout the years, we remained good friends. And now to come back kind of full circle and be together here in Dallas, it’s going to be fun.”

Davis also expressed excitement about being able to return to his preferred position of power forward on a team that’s stocked with centers. Although he may see some time in the middle while Dereck Lively is injured, that should be temporary.

“Obviously, Dereck is dealing with an injury, but Gaff (Daniel Gafford) is playing phenomenal. So I think that’s the plan, but we’ll see how it goes,” Davis said. “Right now, I’m just excited to get back to playing basketball. Given the whole trade thing but also the injury, each time I’m on the floor, I feel better. But I haven’t played power forward in a long time, since I was first in LA. To be back at the four, I’m excited to see how it goes.”

There’s more on the Mavericks:

  • Davis is also thrilled to finally reunite with Kyrie Irving, Afseth adds. They both played for Team USA in the 2014 World Cup and have been interested in joining forces in the NBA for several years. “Me and Kai talked about this, I think, in 2018 when I asked for a trade from New Orleans,” Davis said. “He was in Boston at the time, and he ended up leaving for Brooklyn. We’ve been wanting to play alongside each other for a very long time. Now we got that opportunity to do so.”
  • Max Christie had an impressive first game for the Mavs in Tuesday’s loss at Philadelphia, Afseth states in a separate story. He scored 15 points while hitting all four of his three-point attempts, added nine rebounds and played high-level defense. “Christie was great. With 30 minutes on the floor and no practice, he was better than advertised,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He showed his skills as a basketball player on both sides of the floor for us tonight.” Christie said he enjoyed his debut, even though he’s still learning the sets that Dallas runs.
  • Because the Mavericks were playing in Philadelphia, Caleb Martin was able to join his new team right away when he got traded to Dallas before Tuesday’s game, notes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Martin signed with the Sixers in free agency last summer, but injuries have limited him to 31 games and he hasn’t played since January 10 due to a strained right hip. “It’s kind of disappointing to see him gone,” Joel Embiid said. “True professional. Obviously, we’ve had a tough season — all of us. We just haven’t been healthy. He’s been part of this. I feel like we never really got to see what we all envisioned about all of us.”
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Joel Embiid Available To Play Tuesday After Month-Long Absence

February 4th, 2025 at 4:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 4: Embiid will be available to play on Tuesday vs. Dallas, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 3: Joel Embiid could return to action on Tuesday. The Sixers are listing their star center as questionable to play against the Mavericks, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports tweets.

Embiid hasn’t seen action since Jan. 4 due to lingering left knee issues. The big man has only appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29.5 minutes per game. He was limited to 39 games last season, when he averaged a career-best 34.7 PPG, 11 RPG and 5.6 APG.

The return of Embiid could factor into the Sixers’ plans regarding their roster with the trade deadline looming. Philadelphia’s brass reportedly has no intention to give up on this season, even though Embiid and prized free agent Paul George have been sidelined for a chunk of its games. George is listed as out on Tuesday due to a finger injury, but he, like Embiid, practiced on Tuesday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

The Sixers have a 19-29 record after losing their last two games following a four-game winning streak.

Embiid isn’t the only Sixers player close to returning after an extended absence. Embiid’s backup Andre Drummond (left toe), Caleb Martin (right hip) and KJ Martin (left foot) are also questionable to play on Tuesday. As Bodner points out, Drummond has only played in four games since Dec. 23, Caleb Martin has been out since Jan. 10 and KJ Martin hasn’t seen action since Dec. 23.

As for their opponent, the Mavericks are listing Anthony Davis and Max Christie as questionable to play on Tuesday, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Interestingly, Davis’ abdominal strain was not listed on the Mavs’ injury report. Instead, the questionable tag was due to “trade pending,” though Dallas has officially announced the blockbuster deal with the Lakers and Jazz.

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Mavericks Notes: Doncic Trade Reactions, Thompson, Davis, Christie

February 3rd, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks players learned about the Luka Doncic trade through Shams Charania’s tweet late Saturday night and they had the same incredulous reaction as everyone else, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoop Journal (subscription required).

“I was like everybody – did Shams get hacked? It was a real big shock,” Dante Exum said. “I’ve been traded twice, and you just learn that it’s how this business works, and it’s something you have to adjust to.”

The aftershocks of the surprise mega-deal continued to reverberate throughout the league on Sunday, particularly in the Mavs’ locker room as they played an afternoon game in Cleveland just hours after finding out that their franchise player was headed to Los Angeles. With Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively and Dwight Powell all sidelined due to injuries, Dallas couldn’t keep the game competitive, giving up 91 first-half points and losing by 43 to the best team in the East.

“It’s tough, but we all have a job to do,” Jaden Hardy said. “Obviously a lot of people were caught off guard, same with the team, like the rest of the world. He was special. A lot of guys felt for him. Still shocked right now.”

Hardy adds that Doncic sent out texts to all his teammates to say good-bye. He expressed gratitude for what they accomplished together and reflected on the bonds they created.

“He texted the team, thanking everybody for everything,” Hardy said. “That was nice from somebody that got traded, reaching out and letting everybody know his thoughts.”

There’s more on the Mavericks:

  • After years of playing alongside Stephen Curry with Golden State, Klay Thompson decided to come to Dallas last summer to team up with another elite player in Doncic. Even though they were only teammates for a few months, Thompson isn’t second-guessing his decision, Afseth tweets. “ I live with no regrets. I’m happy to be a Maverick,” Thompson said. “Incredibly grateful to be a Maverick. I’m excited to be in Dallas and I’m very excited for what’s ahead.”
  • The Mavericks aren’t sure when Anthony Davis will be ready to make his debut, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Davis suffered an abdominal strain last week, and the Lakers were planning to reevaluate his condition on Wednesday. Dallas general manager Nico Harrison told reporters yesterday that the injury isn’t “significant” and he’ll have a better idea of when Davis can resume playing once his physical is complete. “I don’t have a perfect answer for that,” Harrison said. “I mean, everything just happened. I don’t even think it was midnight last night, like 2, 3 in the morning. So we’re still trying to get physicals, figure out how long that’s going to take, get people into the market.”
  • Max Christie was overshadowed by the bigger names in the trade, but he could turn out to be a valuable addition, observes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, who lists five things that Mavericks fans should know about the 21-year-old shooting guard.
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Scotto’s Latest: DFS, Grimes, Kleber, Toppin, Jazz

February 2nd, 2025 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers‘ acquisition of Luka Doncic in the three-team blockbuster with the Mavericks and Jazz could improve their odds of retaining veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Scotto previously reported that Finney-Smith was expected to decline his $15.4MM option for next season in order to enter unrestricted free agency. Doncic and Finney-Smith, who was acquired from the Nets this season, are close friends. Doncic will undoubtedly lobby the Lakers’ front office to retain Finney-Smith, Scotto notes.

Here’s more from Scotto:

  • The Mavericks‘ acquisition of young guard Max Christie along with Anthony Davis in the trade could impact Quentin Grimes‘ status with the organization. Grimes, who reportedly declined a three-year rookie scale extension offer prior to the October deadline, has become a key contributor, averaging 10.2 points per game while shooting 46.7% from the field and 40.7% from beyond the arc. He’ll become eligible for restricted free agency this summer, while Christie is signed through 2027/28, including a player option.
  • Prior to adding current injured Maxi Kleber to the Doncic deal, the Mavericks held exploratory talks involving Kleber with the Pacers. Dallas had its eyes on power forward Obi Toppin. Kleber is signed through the 2025/26 season and if he’s not dealt again prior to Thursday’s deadline, he’ll become a more valuable trade asset for the Lakers in the offseason when he’ll have an expiring $11MM contract.
  • The Jazz, who facilitated the Doncic/Davis trade, are expected to remain active ahead of the trade deadline. Utah is looking to flip veteran forward P.J. Tucker, who was acquired from the Clippers on Saturday, for another team’s salary dump to land more future draft assets. Tucker will be bought out of his $11.54MM contract if he’s not traded. John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton have all come up in trade discussions. Walker Kessler has also drawn interest but the Jazz’s high price tag makes it unlikely he’ll be dealt this week.
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Inside The Stunning Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis Trade

February 2nd, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Rory Maher

Luka Doncic “was completely floored” when he learned that he had been traded to the Lakers, league sources tell Dallas-based NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link).

Stein reiterates that Doncic did not request to be traded and confirms reporting from ESPN that the Mavericks had reservations about giving the Slovenian star a five-year, super-max extension in the offseason due to his “conditioning, ability to stay healthy and his off-court commitments to those pursuits.”

In an appearance on SportsCenter last night (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst called the trade a “rebuke” of Doncic from the Mavericks’ perspective. While the primary focus from people around the league has been on Dallas’ end of the deal, Windhorst says LeBron James has “dreamed” of playing with Doncic, though it’s unclear how he feels about the move, given his close relationship with Anthony Davis.

As Stein writes, there had been whispers in the week leading up to perhaps the most shocking trade in NBA history that the Mavs were on the verge of making a deal, but rival teams weren’t sure what they were planning. General manager Nico Harrison has a preexisting relationship with Davis and zeroed in on the 10-time All-Star as an ideal return package for Doncic.

According to Stein, Harrison “essentially” only had the Lakers in mind as a trade partner, in large part due to Davis. That choice of wording is interesting, because league sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that “at least one other team” was approached by Dallas nearly two weeks ago about the prospect of trading Doncic for a different star. That offer was declined.

Amick’s story has several sourced details, particularly from the Lakers’ end. According to Amick, Lakers leadership has grown weary of James and Davis’ continual public requests for more on-court help. Amick also hears Los Angeles had concerns about Davis’ “durability and availability and a belief that he could never truly be counted on as a top option” going forward.

In a fascinating interview with Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, Harrison said he approached Lakers head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka more than a month ago to have “basketball” conversations. Harrison noted that the two have known each other for a couple of decades from their previous jobs, when Harrison was a Nike executive and Pelinka was a player agent.

“Then all of a sudden we’re like, ‘Would you ever do this?’

‘Nah, you’re joking, right?’

‘Hmm. Interesting. Maybe I would.’

“And then it just built over time over the last three weeks,” Harrison told Townsend.

Harrison admitted Doncic’s contract situation was a primary motivating factor in making the trade. Doncic will no longer be eligible for an extension worth 35% of the salary cap this summer after being moved; the most he can make now is 30%.

“We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the super-max and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract,” Harrison said. “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.”

He also said he hasn’t had direct communication with Doncic since the news broke, having talked to his agent Bill Duffy. His text and phone call to Doncic went unanswered, with Harrison telling Townsend, “My guess is he probably doesn’t want to talk to me.”

Davis has publicly said multiple times he views himself as more of a power forward rather than a center. Harrison told Townsend that while Davis will likely finish games in the middle, he will also play alongside Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively when the latter returns from an ankle fracture, pointing to Cleveland (Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen) as an example of a two-big pairing that has been successful.

Here’s more on the blockbuster trade:

  • James has a full no-trade clause, but both Stein and Amick write that the four-time MVP must be evaluating whether he’s still determined to finish his career in Los Angeles after the trade. According to Amick, there was an expectation that James would decline his $52.6MM player option for ’25/26 in the offseason to seek another contract, but it’s unclear if the Lakers would be willing to offer it.
  • Sources tell Stein (Twitter link) that the first time Harrison and Pelinka talked about trading Doncic for Davis was in person on January 7, when the Lakers were in Dallas to play the Mavs. League insider Chris Haynes hears the Lakers contacted Davis’ agent Rich Paul sometime after they heard the offer, viewing Doncic as a long-term replacement for James (Twitter video link).
  • After the trade was completed, Pelinka made three phone calls, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter links): the first was a joint call with Davis and head coach JJ Redick; the second a call to Paul; and the third to James. McMenamin also hears from sources that Davis chose to waive his trade kicker for multiple reasons, one being that he wants to sign an extension with Dallas in the future.
  • According to Stein, Doncic had been targeting February 8 as his return date from a left calf strain prior to the trade. The five-time All-NBA guard has been out with the injury since Christmas.
  • Doncic’s now-former teammate Kyrie Irving was also “stunned” by the deal that will send Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick to the Mavericks, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports (via Twitter).
  • Both the Lakers and Mavericks are expected to continue to be active in trade talks leading up to Thursday’s deadline, according to Stein, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and Christian Clark of The Athletic (Twitter links). “Everybody knows the Lakers are trying to do more even after this,” a source told Reynolds.
  • In a full story for The Athletic, Clark takes a look at Harrison’s history of making major roster moves at three consecutive deadlines. John Hollinger of The Athletic views the trade as a potential disaster for the Mavs, given the ages and injury histories of Irving and Davis. Hollinger also speculates that Doncic could sign a short-term extension with the Lakers in the offseason in order to maximize his future earnings, a possibility Bobby Marks of ESPN (YouTube link) discussed as well.
  • Mavs fans were understandably heartbroken by the trade, writes Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. “I’m hoping to wake up from a bad dream,” one fan said. “You have the most talented Mavericks team in Mavericks history and you have Luka right here. It’s like, ‘Boom.’ We just went to the finals, we finally get this team around him, it’s all right here, and then you trade him? It’s the biggest joke ever.”
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Luka Doncic To Lakers, Anthony Davis To Mavs In Three-Team Trade

February 2nd, 2025 at 9:14am CST by Arthur Hill

February 2: The trade is now official, according to a press release from the Mavericks.

“We are thankful for Luka and grateful for his efforts during his time with us,” stated general manager Nico Harrison. “He helped build this team and was an integral part of the success we’ve seen throughout the years, including our recent NBA Finals run, along with Maxi and Markieff who are veteran voices equally valued across this team.

“This is a new chapter, and we are excited to welcome Anthony and Max to the fold. AD is an experienced veteran, who can play both ends of the floor while helping elevate us defensively. He knows first-hand what it takes to win, and I know he’s motivated to be a part of what we’re building in Dallas.”

February 1: The Lakers are acquiring superstar Luka Doncic in a stunning blockbuster trade that will send Anthony Davis to the Mavericks as part of a three-team deal involving Utah, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

L.A. will also receive Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, while Max Christie and the Lakers’ first-round pick in 2029 are headed to Dallas.

The Jazz will take on the salary of second-year Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino while receiving two 2025 second-round picks, one from the Mavericks and one that originally belonged to the Clippers (via the Lakers).

Utah will also send $55K in cash to both the Lakers and Mavericks, a source tells Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

It’s one of the most shocking trades in NBA history, to the extent that Charania had to publish multiple tweets after breaking the news confirming that it’s real, while other reporters verified that he hadn’t been hacked. It’s the first time in league history that two players who earned All-NBA honors have been traded for each other during the following season, per ESPN.

There had been no indication that the Mavs were looking to part with Doncic or that the Lakers’ front office was considering breaking up Davis’ long-time partnership with LeBron James, who was surprised by news of the deal and didn’t know it was in the works, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“I believe that defense wins championships,” Dallas president of basketball operations Nico Harrison told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon in explaining his motivation. “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.”

Doncic did not request a trade, sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The Mavericks simply liked the return from L.A. enough to part with their franchise player, who was “stunned” when he was informed of the trade, Charania said during an appearance on SportsCenter (Twitter video link).

Doncic would have become eligible during the 2025 offseason for a record-setting super-max contract projected to be worth $345MM over five years. According to MacMahon, Dallas had concerns about making that commitment due to Doncic’s diet and conditioning, which the team believes have been major factors contributing to his injuries over the years.

Sources tell Charania that the Mavericks initiated the deal, while the Lakers believed it was in their best long-term interest to give up Davis, who will turn 32 next month, to acquire the 25-year-old Doncic, who could be the face of the franchise for the next decade.

Doncic will no longer be eligible to sign a super-max contract in Los Angeles, since that option comes off the table once a player is traded. That means his next deal figures to start at 30% of the 2026/27 cap instead of 35%. The exact amount of that contract will depend on when he signs it and how many years it covers, but it would max out at about $296MM over five years rather than $345MM.

Dallas contacted several teams this week to see if they were willing to reroute salary in a potential three-team deal, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). While several teams had an indication that the Mavericks were working on something, no one else had any idea that it involved Doncic, Fischer adds.

Doncic has been sidelined since Christmas Day when he suffered a left calf strain in a game against Minnesota. He had been expected to return soon, and John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweets that Dallas was preparing for him to play next Saturday.

Doncic has a been a franchise-changing talent since the Mavericks traded up for the opportunity to select him in the 2018 draft. After winning Rookie of the Year honors, he was a first-team All-NBA selection and finished in the top eight of MVP balloting in each of the next five seasons, including third in 2024. He’s not eligible for individual awards this year because of the strained calf and other ailments that have limited him to 22 games.

Davis is one of the top big men in the league and helped the Lakers capture the 2020 title in his first season with the team. The eight-time All-Star is currently sidelined with an abdominal strain, but he has been remarkably durable over the last two years despite a history of injuries. He has appeared in 42 of L.A.’s 47 games this season after playing 76 in 2023/24.

Davis is looking forward to joining the Mavericks, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). He has a history with Harrison from their days together at Nike, and his long-time preference to play power forward rather than center will be less of an issue in Dallas with Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively on the roster.

Davis has agreed to waive his 15% trade bonus, which would have been worth $5.9MM, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes and Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links). That decision leaves the Mavericks $628K below the luxury tax line — they were $5.1MM above the tax threshold before the deal, Marks notes.

Davis’ current maximum-salary contract will pay him a projected $112.6MM over the next two seasons after this one, with a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28.

Because they’re not sending anyone out in the trade, the Jazz will have to open a roster spot before they can acquire Hood-Schifino, points out salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). That’s likely to happen by waiving or reaching a buyout with P.J. Tucker or Mohamed Bamba, both of whom were acquired from the Clippers in a deal earlier on Saturday.

Gozlan states that Hood-Schifino will be absorbed into Utah’s $8MM room exception, leaving the team $16.7MM below the tax line after Saturday’s dealings. The 21-year-old guard may get a greater opportunity to play with the Jazz after appearing in just two games this season and 23 total since being selected with the 17th pick in the 2023 draft.

Christie could be a valuable addition for Dallas, as he has blossomed into a solid rotation player during this third NBA season. He’s in the first season of a four-year, $32MM contract that he signed last summer as a restricted free agent.

Kleber suffered a broken right foot last weekend, so he won’t provide any immediate help to the Lakers. The 33-year-old big man is under contract for one more year at $11MM. Morris, a 35-year-old power forward, has an expiring veteran’s minimum contract.

Tristan Tucker and Luke Adams contributed to this story.

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Eighteen More Players Become Trade-Eligible

January 15th, 2025 at 7:00am CST by Luke Adams

Today is Wednesday, January 15, which means that a total of 18 players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.

Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:

  1. The player re-signed with his previous team.
  2. He got a raise of at least 20%.
  3. His salary is above the minimum.
  4. His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.

The following players met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Wednesday:

Most of the players on NBA rosters are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt.

That group includes Kings forward Doug McDermott, who becomes trade-eligible on Thursday, Celtics sharpshooter Sam Hauser (trade-eligible on January 23), Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (Jan. 26), Grizzlies big man Jay Huff (Jan. 28), Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (Feb. 2), and Knicks center Ariel Hukporti (Feb. 5).

Additionally, there are several players who won’t become trade-eligible at all prior to this season’s February 6 deadline, including stars like Joel Embiid, Lauri Markkanen, and Jamal Murray.

Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be dealt.

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Lakers Notes: Trade Deadline, Christie, Reaves, LeBron

January 5th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers have gone 8-3 since they moved Max Christie into the starting lineup last month, ranking sixth in the league in defensive rating over that span, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. That makes the third-year guard highly unlikely to be moved prior to the February 6 trade deadline, according to Woike.

In fact, Christie is just the type of player the Lakers should be targeting, someone who can provide off-ball shooting, athleticism and perimeter defense. However, people around the NBA are quick to point out that just about every team is looking for players in that mold, Woike notes.

As Woike writes, the Lakers have frequently been linked to centers like Jonas Valanciunas and Walker Kessler, but acquiring a big man seems less likely after the acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith, a floor-spacing forward who is capable of defending multiple positions. Rival teams are skeptical that the Jazz would even trade Kessler, preferring to keep the 23-year-old.

Los Angeles would also like to get a look at a second unit featuring a healthy Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt — the latter is expected to make his season debut in January, while Vincent is currently dealing with an oblique injury.

Making an all-in move for a maximum-salary star seems very far-fetched, per Woike, as the failed Russell Westbrook experiment and the restrictions of the new tax aprons has made acquiring another massive contract unpalatable and impractical, if not impossible.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

  • Trading D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to Brooklyn acquire Finney-Smith and Shake Milton wasn’t just about adding complementary role players — it was also a way for the Lakers to see if Austin Reaves can develop into the third offensive star they’ve long been searching for, contends Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link).
  • As Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group details, Reaves’ usage rate has skyrocketed over the past few weeks, with the 26-year-old given more opportunities to run the offense. The Lakers have been far more efficient offensively when Reaves is on the court, especially lately, but he acknowledged there will be an adjustment period, Price adds. “I’m excited,” Reaves said. “I’m going to do dumb things. I’m going to mess up. I’m going to do dumb things and I’m going to learn from them. That’s all I can really do. I’m taking on this role on the fly, trading D-Lo, getting more on-ball reps. I’m just gonna learn. This is my fourth year in the league. Every day I can still learn something new. I’m really excited to continue to learn, to continue to grow and become a better player.”
  • Anthony Davis jokingly pointed out that it took him seven more seasons to accomplish the feat, but LeBron James broke Michael Jordan‘s NBA record for the most regular season games (563) scoring at least 30 points in Friday’s victory over Atlanta, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays. “It’s very humbling,” James said. “Anytime I’m mentioned with any of the greats, and arguably the greatest ever to play the game, super cool. It’s someone I idolized in my childhood, and I wear 23 because of him.”
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