The NBA world finally has insight into how Shams Charania broke the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and others.
Although a fair amount of time has passed since the trade, it remains a major talking point due to its sheer magnitude and long-term implications. After all, the Lakers landed a generational superstar, altering the landscape of the league.
What makes this trade even more stunning is the complete secrecy surrounding it until the news broke. Since Charania was the one who first reported it, fans might be curious about his unfiltered reaction and thought process at the time.
Shams Charania Was Given Inside Information About the Luka Dončić Trade Before Midnight
It almost sounds like something out of a storybook. The entire NBA world had no clue there was any real turmoil between Dončić and the Mavericks’ organization, despite some X users’ remarks that may dispute that. All they knew was that he was sidelined with an injury.
Charania revealed on “The Old Man and the Three” podcast that he was tipped off after 11 p.m. that something was brewing between the Lakers and Mavericks. He quickly began investigating with his own sources and soon discovered that a three-team deal was in place. He shared his thought process during the chaotic moments before breaking the story.
“By person, two-three, I’m hearing [Jalen] Hood-Schifino is going to Utah — it’s a three-team trade. Markieff Morris is going to the Lakers, too, and Maxi Kleber. And I’m picking all of these pieces apart and I’m like, ‘What’s the trade?'”
“Is this f——- real?” Charania asked. “And the person was like, ‘Yeah, it’s real.’ And obviously my hands were shaking. You had to make sure like every detail was right. You had to make sure there was no typo. And I just remember my hands were trembling. I didn’t have a graphic to go with it because it was so sudden.”
Given the rise of misinformation in sports reporting, Charania’s breaking news was initially met with skepticism. That prompted him to send a follow-up message reassuring fans that the report was completely legitimate.
It is extremely rare for a superstar to be traded for another superstar, especially without prior public speculation. One can only imagine Charania’s emotions upon realizing the scale of the news he was about to break.