Luka Dončić has officially been unveiled by the Los Angeles Lakers after a blockbuster trade deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. 

The move has shaken the foundations of the NBA, with many experts considering Dončić an untouchable player before he was dealt on the weekend after weeks of clandestine negotiations between the Lakers and Mavericks. 

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka described the union between Dončić and the Lakers, one of the most storied franchises in the league, “a seismic event in NBA history”.

The deal was such a shock to basketball circles that when ESPN’s lead newsbreaker Shams Charania first revealed details of the proposed trade, many NBA experts assumed his X account had been hacked. Charania began his follow-up tweet by saying, “Yes, this is real” in order to clarify that he hadn’t been hacked.

How did Dončić’s move to the Lakers come about?

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison proposed the deal that would send the five-time All-Star to the Lakers. 

Harrison and Pelinka have a long-standing relationship, having worked together with late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, with Pelinka serving as Bryant’s long-time agent, while Harrison was his Nike representative. 

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Pelinka said the trade negotiations when he and Harrison shared “a coffee in Dallas” last month, adding that his relationship with Harrison meant “there was a fabric of trust in the discussions”.

“When the concept was initially introduced to us, the only way we could have these discussions is if it’s between the owners and GMs, and there was a commitment to that,” Pelinka said at Dončić’s introductory press conference.

“If we broke that commitment, this day would never happen. Trust was at the centre of all those discussions. I called (Lakers owner) Jeanie (Buss) after the coffee and brought her in immediately.” 

“It started out as a coffee that was more, ‘Hey, would you ever?’ … and then it built upon that,” Harrison said after the trade was confirmed.

“We kept it between us, we had to, we had to keep it tight. J-Kidd (Mavericks coach Jason Kidd) didn’t know about it, but J-Kidd and I are aligned and we talk about archetypes and the culture we want to create, so I know the type of players that he likes without actually taking to him.”

No one else knew about the initial trade negotiations outside of the two general managers and the team owners. Other parties found out once the terms of the trade were finalised last week.

When asked about how Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont reacted to the trade, Harrison said, “the first time, he laughed at me”.

What does Dončić think about the move to LA? 

Dončić still appeared to be relatively emotional when he was unveiled as a Lakers player on Wednesday morning (AEDT).

“That first day was really hard. I feel like these last 48 hours was one month. Emotionally, it was really hard,” he said.

“Everybody was surprised, so you can imagine how surprised I was. I was almost asleep, so when I got a call I had to check it wasn’t April 1st. 

“I didn’t really believe them at first and it was a big shock, it was a hard moment for me. It (Dallas) was home so it was a really hard moment for me, especially that first day.”

Dončić, who was acquired by the Mavericks in a trade on the night of the 2018 NBA Draft, said he had no plans to move anywhere prior to the trade.

“I thought I was going to spend my whole career there because loyalty is a big word for me and I was trying to stay by that,” he said.

Dončić also responded to reports suggesting those within the Mavericks organisation had concerns with his conditioning.

“At some point I knew this (leaks from the Mavericks) was going to happen, but I will say I always take the high road,” he said.

“I had amazing moments in Dallas with all my teammates, coaches and most importantly the fans. They always supported me and it was an amazing journey.”

The trade means Dončić will be paired up with LeBron James, a player he grew up idolising. Dončić said James reached out to him after the trade via a phone call. 

What did Davis say about being traded to the Mavericks?

Like Dončić, Davis, a 10-time All-Star, also had no plans to leave his team during this season.

Since being traded to the Lakers prior to the 2019 season, Davis had become central to the Lakers’ title hopes and was major part in the team’s 2020 NBA title. 

Davis said he learned of the trade when he received a phone call from Pelinka and Lakers coach JJ Redick on Sunday after watching his teammates beat the New York Knicks in a national TV game.

“I was shocked. I had no idea,” he said.

“I had just sent the team a text about congratulations on the win against the Knicks, big win, and then looking forward to Tuesday’s game against the Clippers, as far as standing purposes. And then, found out like an hour later I was no longer with the team. I was in shock, obviously. Had no idea that it was happening.

“But, I mean, now I’m kind of over it, and just kind of getting ready to play with Dallas.

“Nico (Harrison) believes in me and what I can add to this team. We are both extremely excited about what we can do, and I think we have a great opportunity to win a championship.”

Davis had a $6 million trade kicker included in his contract with the Lakers, but chose to waive it.

Had Davis opted to retain the trade kicker, while the Lakers would have paid the amount, it would have counted against the Mavericks’s salary cap.

What role does the ‘supermax’ contract play in this deal?

A key part in the Mavericks’s decision to move Dončić on via a trade was due to his upcoming potential ‘supermax’ contract extension.

The ‘supermax’ is a contractual lever within the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement that allows high-performing players to be paid more than their counterparts, up to 35 per cent of the salary cap. 

It was introduced as an incentive that would help teams retain their best players instead of losing them to trades or free agency.

In order to qualify for a ‘supermax’, a player must entering his eight or ninth season in the NBA, while also satisfying one of the following three conditions:

• Be named to an All-NBA first, second or third team in the immediately preceding season of the extension or in two of the last three seasons.
• Be named Defensive Player of the Year in the immediately preceding season of the extension or in two of the last three seasons.
• Be named NBA MVP during one of the last three seasons.

The team offering the extension must have originally drafted the player or obtained him in a trade while on his rookie contract. 

Having made five All-NBA teams between 2020 and 2024, Dončić was eligible for a ‘supermax’ extension from the Mavericks, an extension which would have netted him $345 million across five years. 

Dončić is no longer eligible to receive the ‘supermax’ extension after being traded, but will become eligible to sign a four-year, $228.6 million extension from August 2 if he chooses to do so. 

Ironically, Davis was initially traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Lakers after he’d indicated that he would not sign the ‘supermax’ extension with the franchise.

Why did the Mavericks want to trade Dončić?

Dončić has been the face of the Mavericks since his second season in the league, spearheading them to the NBA finals last season. 

Despite being one of the NBA’s most destructive offensive players, Dončić is considered to be a below-average defensive player. 

The Mavericks currently rank 14th in the league in terms of defensive rating, and ranked 18th in the league last season in the same metric despite their finals trip. 

In adding Davis, who has made five All-Defensive teams and has led the NBA in blocks three times, the Mavericks believe they are better positioned to win an NBA title. 

“We’ve had a vision and a culture that we’ve wanted to create since we’ve been here, and the players that we’re bringing in we believe exemplify that,” Harrison said.

“We think defence wins championships and we’re bringing in one of the best two-way players in the league. They’re adding into the culture we’re trying to build here. We feel like we’re built to win now and in the future.

“There’s people that fit the culture and there’s people that come in add to the culture, and those are two distinct things. I believe the people that are coming in are adding to the culture.”

Harrison also suggested Dončić’s upcoming ‘supermax’ eligibility might have proved to be troublesome for the organisation.

“There’s some unique things about his contract that we had to pay attention to,” he said.

“There were other teams loading up and he was going to be able to decide and make his own decision at some point on whether he wants to be here or not, whether we want to supermax him or not, whether he wants to opt out. 

“We had to take all of that into consideration and feel like we got out in front of what would’ve been a tumultuous summer.”

When asked whether he was considering rejecting a potential ‘supermax’ extension from the Mavericks, Dončić said, “Absolutely not”.

Why has this trade been so controversial? 

Dončić’s trade to the Lakers immediately became arguably the most controversial trade in league history for a variety of reasons. 

Typically, players of Dončić’s calibre do not get traded, particularly at his current age of 25 with multiple years left on the contract. 

Despite Harrison’s reasoning for the trade, experts have derided the fact that the Mavericks did not get more in return for a player widely considered to be one of the top three in the league. 

Dončić is the only player in NBA history to have posted over 10,000 points, 3,000 rebounds, and 3,000 assists, while making five All-NBA teams and winning five play-off series in his first six seasons.

While the Mavericks were able to add Davis, an All-NBA level player, and Max Christie, a good young defensive player, they only added one future draft pick from the Lakers.

Typically, deals centred around superstar players in the NBA have resulted in a host of future draft picks and swap rights being sent the other way. 

For example, when Kevin Durant was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns, the Suns sent four first-round draft picks and a 2028 pick swap to the Nets along with three other players.

Then there is the other issue – the fact that no one knew Dončić was available to be had in a trade. 

Harrison negotiated solely with Pelinka and the Lakers, partly because he was focused on getting Davis, but also because of his pre-existing relationship with the Lakers GM, a fact that made conspiracy theorists around the league run wild. 

Had Harrison opened up the trade field to the rest of the league, it is likely Dallas would have received a better return in terms of future draft assets.

The fact that a player of Dončić’s standing was traded without his knowledge has left the league’s other big-name stars on edge, and could have widespread ramifications in terms of player movement in the coming years.

There has also been significant blowback to the way Dallas pointed to Dončić’s fitness as a reason for his trade, with his father Sasa taking aim at the organisation on Slovenian TV shortly after the deal was completed.

“With this trade, the hypocrisy (from Mavs organisation) hurts me personally,” he said.

“I think Luka absolutely did not deserve this. I know he sacrificed a lot. I know Luka really respected Dallas. He respected the whole city, he helped children and it was not a problem for him to go to hospitals and charity events. 

“He played 100 games last season for like 40 minutes per game, constantly being doubled … I feel it’s really unfair from certain people from Dallas.”

What has been the reaction in Dallas to the trade?

Simply put, the reaction has been a mix of fury, sadness and disbelief from Mavericks fans and the wider NBA community. 

Dončić was seen as the successor to Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, who played his entire 21-season career in Dallas. The pair shared the court for the Mavericks during Nowitzki’s final NBA season, which was Dončić’s rookie campaign.

Nowitzki was the Finals MVP for Dallas’s 2011 NBA title, and is the franchise leader in games (1,522), rebounds (11,489), points (31,560) and blocks (1,281).

Nowitzki has a statue outside of the American Airlines Center where the Mavericks play their home games, with the words “loyalty never fades away” written below his name.

Since the trade, the Nowitzki statue has been central scene for Mavericks fan protests, with fans laying down their Dončić jerseys as well as signs calling for Harrison to be fired. Several signs laced with profanities have been aimed towards Harrison and the Mavericks ownership as well. 

Some fans even placed a coffin next to Nowitzki’s statue.

The disappointment has also permeated within Dallas’s locker room, with Dončić’s running mate Kyrie Irving saying he and the players remain “hurt” by the sudden move.

“Just really shocked,” he said.

“You just don’t imagine that you’re going to get ready to go to sleep and then you find out news like that. 

“It’s still a grieving process right now. We just built some bonds that went beyond the basketball court. So if anybody can understand at home, when a few people leave in a trade it’s going to be difficult, so that’s what we’re dealing with right now. 

“This is a business and it’s way above my pay grade. 

“I’m getting ready to go back to Dallas to speak in front of our fans, I know they’re feeling it too, I’m feeling it too, guys. It’s just an adjustment period.”

When will Dončić and Davis first play for their new teams? 

Dončić has been named a “day-to-day” prospect by Pelinka as he continues to rehab his calf injury. He is expected to return before the All-Star break, which commences on February 16.

“Luka’s got trusted sports performance folks that are going to become a part of our family,” Pelinka said.

“We have a five on five (practice) tomorrow scheduled for Luka and we’re going to take it one day at a time just to make sure that the calf injury is in a good and safe space. 

“I would truly say at this stage he’s day-to-day and we’re going to take it one step at a time. If the days go well and Luka feels good and confident, he’ll be in a game soon, but we’re going to partner with him and his amazing team.”

“For the first time, I took my time getting it to heal 100 per cent. Other times I think I just wanted to go back on the court to play basketball and I wasn’t healthy,” Dončić added.

Davis is also currently sidelined with an abdominal strain he suffered a week ago. He is expected to return sometime this week. 

“I’ll go through a work-out today, see how I feel, and depending on that, get another one in tomorrow,” Davis said. “And then depending on that, see how I feel.

“If not Thursday, then more than likely Saturday at home.”

Christie has already made his debut for the Mavericks, scoring 15 points to go along with nine rebounds and three assists in Dallas’s 116-118 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.