Mavs trade Luka Doncic to Lakers for Anthony Davis in NBA blockbuster
The Los Angeles Lakers have reached a deal to acquire Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks as part of a three-team trade that has Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick going to Dallas in a stunning blockbuster trade that also involves the Utah Jazz, a person familiar with details of the deal told USA TODAY Sports.
The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly until the trade is official.
The Lakers will also receive Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in the trade. The Jazz will receive Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 second-round pick from the Lakers and a 2025 second-round pick from the Mavericks.
News of the unbelievable trade broke shortly after the Lakers defeated the New York Knicks 128-112 Saturday at Madison Square Garden with LeBron James going for a 33-point, 12-assist, 11-rebound triple-double.
It is seismic shift in the Western Conference, which Dallas won last season.
Even James did not know the trade was happening and was at a post-game dinner in New York when he learned of the deal as it broke, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. James and Davis are close friends and are both represented by Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports.
The 31-year-old Davis, now a 10-time All-Star, is sidelined with an abdominal strain, and the 25-year-old Doncic, a five-time All-Star, has been out since Christmas with a strained left calf. Both are expected back in the lineup this month.
ESPN first reported details of the trade. The deal comes just ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
The Lakers get one of the league’s best young players who is just entering his prime years. Doncic finished third in last season’s MVP voting and led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, where they lost to Boston in a five-game series. Before his calf injury on Christmas, Doncic averaged 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists and shot 46.4% from the field and 35.4% on 3-pointers this season.
Doncic is one of the league’s most gifted offensive players, and he gives the Lakers offensive help now alongside James in Los Angeles coach JJ Redick’s offense, and he gives the Lakers another face of the franchise, especially when the 40-year-old James decides to retire.
Davis provides All-NBA offensive and defensive versatility for Dallas and averages 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.2 steals in 2024-25. He joins a team that features Kyrie Irving and a deep roster with six other players averaging at least 10 points, including Klay Thompson.
Before the start of the 2023-24 season, Davis signed a three-year extension and he is under contract through 2027-28 at $175.3 million. However, he has a player option on the 2027-28 season and can become a free agent in the summer of 2027.
Doncic signed a five-year, $215.1 million contract with the Mavs in 2022. He is under contract through 2026-27 but can become a free agent in the summer of 2026. He is also eligible for an extension this summer.
The Lakers are 28-19 and in fifth place in the West, just one game behind the Denver Nuggets. Dallas is 26-23 and in ninth place in the West – but just 2½ games behind the sixth-place Los Angeles Clippers.
This story has been updated with new information.
