Once the dust settled and people realized that the trade was official, there were a few common conclusions to draw.
First off, what were the Dallas Mavericks thinking in trading away one of the best players in the league before he’s even hit his prime? Secondly, if Luka Dončić was available for trade, who wasn’t?
NBA Stars Show Their Shock for the Luka Dončić Trade
Immediately after the move, stars like Alex Caruso and Tyrese Haliburton believed that ESPN’s Shams Charania was hacked. But once it became clear that it was reality indeed, Josh Hart posed a simple question, “So who are the ‘untouchables’ in the league?”
So who are the "untouchables" in the league?
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) February 3, 2025
It was a statement that became immediately true as a franchise icon, just 25 years old, might be the very definition of untouchable. Other stars had similar messages to share — even Devin Booker, who’s had a storied history with Doncic including an intense seven-game playoff series, couldn’t hide his shock.
“It’s crazy man. I really don’t know what to say about it. Luka being a guy that everybody has claimed is untouchable and untradeable. The NBA shows you again. It’s a business. They’re always having a conversation about you. Don’t think that you’re safe.”
"It's crazy man. I really don't know what to say about it. Luka being a guy that everybody has claimed is untouchable and untradeable. The NBA shows you again."
Devin Booker on colossal Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade.
"It's a business. They're always having a conversation… pic.twitter.com/p2DdVR7u3N
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 2, 2025
His teammate, Kevin Durant, who’s received a lot of slack from media and fans alike about his decision to switch teams didn’t hold back on the double standard. Instead, KD was very outspoken about how players and teams received different treatments for similar actions.
“Insane. It’s crazy. It’s crazy… I would have never thought Luka Doncic would get traded at this age, mid-season… The NBA is a wild place, man. If he can get traded then anybody’s up for grabs. For the fans, for somebody spectating it’s pretty fun. I know it’s kind of nerve-wracking though, probably for Luka, everybody in Dallas, LA, AD… For everybody involved, I’m sure their heads are spinning right now.
“It’s always been a transactional business. Players are held to a different standard of loyalty, commitment to a program, but organizations don’t get held to that same standard from the outside world: media members, fans. We all should be held to that same standard. It’s a transactional game, there’s a lot of money involved.
“We shouldn’t be too shocked about trades. It’s a pretty wild time in the NBA, especially around the trade deadline. I know everybody’s gonna be watching their phone for the next week. We got five days, so I know everybody’s gonna be following the updates, so it’s crazy.
“It’s the nature of the sport, anything can happen, keeps you on the edge… I mean, you start seeing stuff like that and you, as an organization, you might get a little bit more courage to do some stuff when you see another team trade away somebody like that…
“This gotta be the biggest trade I’ve seen since I’ve been in the league or since I’ve been watching the sport, this is insane. So yeah, every other team might get the confidence to say ‘f*** it, I’ll trade my — you know what I’m saying? I’ll trade my top players, a few of my top players, f*** it, if this ain’t working… I’m still shocked.”
And the shocking part of the ordeal is the truth about Durant’s statement. If a 25-year-old superstar is up for trade, even an all-time great like Durant, who’s now entering the tail end of his career, has to keep an eye out.
Similarly, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had his thoughts on the matter. The Greek Freak had a lot to say on the subject and opened up about how shocking the move was for him. First, he began with a long soliloquy praising the Slovenian for his already incredible run in the league.
After tonight's game, Giannis Antetokounmpo was asked for his thoughts on Luka Dončić getting traded by the Dallas Mavericks.
Turns out Antetokounmpo had quite a few thoughts on the matter: pic.twitter.com/nNWNpg1LfJ
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) February 3, 2025
“If a five-time All-NBA first team, a 25-year-old, a guy that just made it to the Finals seven months ago, a guy that led the league in scoring, a guy that finished second or third in MVP voting, a guy that scored 70 something points one time, a guy that had a 60 point triple-double, a guy that knows how to play the game of basketball, I can keep going and going, an All-Star, not just an All-Star, an All-Star starter, a guy that averaged 34/9/10, but I’m not here to talk about Luka and how good he is.”
Instead, his focus was on the sheer unbelievability of the trade. “I thought it was fake news. It’s insane. Obviously, I’ve played against Luka a lot of times and AD and all the people that were included in the trade. This is the world we’re living in. It’s a business, you have to understand nobody’s safe, nobody’s safe.”
He would continue speaking about the challenge on hand for players day in and day out. “At the end of the day, I said this in the past, you get evaluated every single day. You don’t take nothing for granted. Being an All-Star, you don’t take it for granted. Being able to go out there and put the jersey on and represent your team, you don’t take that for granted.”
He too circled back to the same point about the discrepancy in reactions to players and franchises. “I understand the business of basketball that sometimes teams need to make the best moves that are good for their organization and for their own pursuit of greatness and championships. But at the same time, it goes both ways. You cannot have a double standard here.
“When the team makes the best moves for them, and they believe they can get another player to win now. When a player believes that he can go to a different team, and he believes he can have a chance to win a championship, we cannot crucify the person and say that he’s not loyal and that he didn’t do the right thing and let everybody down.
“Because history has shown you, you have to do what is best for you and your family. You have to do what’s best/most important to win.”
It was a powerful message from a usually more cavalier player, leading to him making a joke to lighten the mood as it is.
After that answer, Antetokounmpo realized how serious he was talking and made a quick request.
"OK, let's say something funny because I took it and spoke very, very serious…"
Antetokounmpo: https://t.co/Xon5QJ5At3 pic.twitter.com/x8FE7KeAip
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) February 3, 2025
But the reality of the situation has settled in. Now, players are more aware and careful of their own value to a team. As reports of Zion Williamson, Joel Embiid, and Paul George being removed from injury reports emerged, fans joked that those players were worried about being traded as well.
Every player in the league, bar none, now is within the realm of possibility of being traded. Because the question is, if Dončić is available for trade, who isn’t?
