The NBA world was rocked late Saturday night when the Dallas Mavericks traded away their franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.
The move sent shockwaves through the league, as Doncic was considered one of the NBA’s untouchable stars.
But Mavericks GM Nico Harrison had other plans in mind.
During Sunday’s media session, Harrison addressed the blockbuster trade that sent the Slovenian superstar to Los Angeles.
His comments revealed some surprising details about the situation, as reported by Jason Gallagher.
According to Harrison, Doncic never expressed any desire to leave Dallas or indicated reluctance to sign an extension.
He also emphasized that among potential suitors, the Lakers were the only team Doncic had discussions with regarding his future.
“Nico just said Luka gave no indication he wanted out or wouldn’t sign an extension moving forward. He also said the Lakers were they only team he talked to. He’s saying this directly into a microphone.” Gallagher shared.
Nico just said Luka gave no indication he wanted out or wouldn’t sign an extension moving forward. He also said the Lakers were they only team he talked to.
He’s saying this directly into a microphone.
— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) February 2, 2025
The trade becomes even more puzzling considering Doncic’s trajectory.
At just 25 years old, he had already established himself as a generational talent, leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season.
Trading away a player of his caliber seems almost unthinkable, especially with a potential supermax extension worth $345 million looming this summer.
That massive opportunity now slips away from Doncic with this unexpected move.
Harrison believes the addition of Anthony Davis will help compensate for the loss of Doncic’s offensive brilliance.
The GM’s logic suggests that pairing Davis’s elite defensive prowess with Kyrie Irving could create a formidable duo.
If Dallas can maintain enough scoring punch between AD and Irving, they might just prove Harrison’s vision right, particularly in playoff scenarios.
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