The Dallas Mavericks made the first big splash heading into the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. Late Saturday night, Feb. 1, the Mavericks reportedly made one of the most epic and shocking trades in NBA history, trading Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.
The Utah Jazz were also involved in the three-team deal, with the Lakers and Mavs sending them additional capital.
The Lakers received a generational superstar, and Dallas brought in one of the best two-way big men in the league in Davis. He was brought in to fortify the Mavericks’ frontcourt, as Dereck Lively II (foot) will miss the rest of the season. It’s a good “win-now” move for the Mavericks while the Lakers have their next cornerstone, a franchise player post-LeBron James.
It’s hard to imagine the Mavs trading away Dončić, a 25-year-old perennial MVP candidate, but the deal helps both sides. Here are the winners and losers from the blockbuster deal.
Winner or Loser? Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers: Winner
The Lakers were buyers leading up to the trade deadline, holding the fifth spot in the Western Conference standings. Los Angeles needed to make a move to its roster after prevailing in just two playoff series since winning the championship in 2020.
LeBron James recently turned 40, and Davis was approaching 32. Even if they managed a playoff run this year, the James-Davis pairing no longer looked capable of living up to the franchise’s championship standard.
True contenders (Like Cleveland, Houston, Boston, and Memphis) typically rank in the top 10 in offense and defense; the Lakers didn’t qualify in either category. Currently, they are ranked 17th in the NBA for scoring offense and 18th for defensive efficiency.
Meanwhile, James’s quality of play has understandably slipped this season, and his uncertain retirement timeline looms over the franchise. If the Lakers kept running back James and Davis together, they were looking at the possibility of a painful rebuilding cycle once the former decided to hang it up.
Rather than repeat that cycle or be stuck trying to land a star partner for an aging Davis sometime down the road, the Lakers boldly landed Dončić as the heir to James. Dončić has recorded 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game this season, averaging close to a triple-double.
who’s stopping this team? 💀 pic.twitter.com/Sk2pYxo10C
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) February 2, 2025
Dallas Mavericks: Loser
The Mavericks gave up on Dončić less than one year after he led them to the NBA Finals, adding a veteran player rather than gaining draft capital.
Dončić has been battling a calf strain since Christmas and has dealt with consistent questions about his health, conditioning, and temperament throughout his career. Also, the Mavs were looking at a possible scenario where they had to pay Dončić a five-year, $345 million extension this summer, and Dallas didn’t feel comfortable with that.
Despite those challenges, Dončić’s supreme skills have carried Dallas. He has been a first-team all-NBA selection for the past five years and led the NBA in scoring last season. Parting ways with a player with that much upside will be a bitter pill for Mavericks fans to swallow, especially if he thrives with the rival Lakers.
Don’t get it twisted; Davis is one of the NBA’s most underrated stars. His vast two-way abilities have often gotten lost in James’ shadow, and he’s been a consistent and healthy force over the past two seasons.
Davis is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and an easy player to build lineups around. He is also aligned age-wise with guard Kyrie Irving and should keep the Mavericks relevant and competitive in the challenging West for the foreseeable future.
Also, keep in mind that Davis has battled injury issues in three of his six seasons with the Lakers. It’s unclear how well his game will age as he gets deeper into his 30s. The Mavs have locked in an expensive veteran core trio of Davis, Irving, and Klay Thompson that would have been fearsome in 2018 rather than 2025.
