Sunday Morning’s Luka Don
ić-Anthony Davis Swap Reigns as the Most Shocking and Star-Powered Trade in Sports History
The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to trade 25-year-old MVP candidate Luka Don
ić to the Los Angeles Lakers has sent shockwaves throughout the NBA. The move, which has been widely regarded as the most shocking and star-powered trade in sports history, has left many stunned and bewildered.
Just months after leading the Mavericks to an NBA Finals appearance, the team decided to trade away its young star to improve its defense. Don
ić, who is due for a super-max deal worth $345 million, was traded up to the third pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Kevin Durant, who has been traded before, called out NBA teams for their lack of loyalty to their stars, saying “Players are held to a different standard of loyalty and commitment to a program, but the organizations don’t get held to that same standard from the outside world, the media members, the fans.”
The trade has been seen as a bold move, with Durant suggesting that it may spark a flurry of trades throughout the league. “You start seeing stuff like that, as an organization, you might get a little more courage to do some stuff,” he said.
The trade, which saw the Lakers receive Don
ić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris, and the Mavericks take on Davis, Max Christie, and Los Angeles’ 2029 first-round pick, is the first time in NBA history that two reigning All-NBA players have been traded for one another midseason.
Don
ić, a 25-year-old Slovenian, has averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists throughout his career, putting him in the MVP conversation every year. Davis, a defensive player of the year candidate, has put up 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds this season, both slightly better than his career averages.
