The Dallas Mavericks stunned the sports world a few weeks ago when they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis and Max Christie in what was perhaps the most surprising trade in NBA history.
The pitchforks are fully out, and many fans are furious at the Mavs’ front office and ownership, which includes Jalen Rose, who recently called out ownership for the trade.
“I love Anthony Davis, but he was the second-best player on a championship team…To me, it seems like they didn’t want to pay Luka, so for me, if you don’t want to pay Luka, then just sell the team. That’s how I feel about it,” Rose said while speaking on the TNT panel prior to the All-Star Game on Sunday.
“It seems like [the Mavs] didn’t wanna pay Luka, so for me if you don’t wanna pay Luka, then just sell the team. That’s how I feel about it.”
Jalen Rose on Dallas trading Doncic to the Lakers 🗣️pic.twitter.com/gKujpt5BUm
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 17, 2025
Vince Carter responded to what Rose said by alluding to the theory that the Mavericks’ new owners are angling to move the team to Las Vegas since they are heavily involved in the casino industry, which would normally sound crazy, but nothing seems crazy when you are willing to make a trade like this.
Rose also mentioned how it’s common practice for players involved in trade rumors to start hearing negative things leak about them publicly but pointed out how ridiculous it was that this happened to Luka both before and certainly after the trade, as the Mavericks have been publicly burying him after the trade.
There are so many variables to this trade and we’ll probably never fully understand what happened, and it still doesn’t feel real to see Luka in a Lakers uniform.
NEXT: DeSean Jackson Reveals Anthony Davis’ Reaction To Being Traded
.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1 "Craig Richards knows Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev better than most")
