Luka Dončić–Anthony Davis trade

The Luka Dončić–Anthony Davis trade was a significant National Basketball Association (NBA) trade made on the night of February 1–2, 2025, which saw Luka Dončić traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis in a three-team deal facilitated by the Utah Jazz. It was the first time in NBA history that two reigning All-NBA Team players were traded for each other midseason. It is considered one of the most unexpected and lopsided trades in NBA history, even though the Mavericks still received an All-NBA player, as Dončić is perceived as a generational player and is almost six years younger. At the time of the trade, Dončić, who led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals and had made five consecutive All-NBA First Teams and All-Star appearances (every year other than his rookie season), had established himself as the cornerstone of the franchise. The popular perception was that the Mavericks would never trade him, with Dončić himself stating that he wanted to spend his entire career in Dallas. The Mavericks stated that they traded Dončić to improve the team's defense, and the Mavericks also had concerns about his behavior, work ethic and conditioning, as he reportedly weighed as much as 270 pounds (120 kg). Their belief that Dončić would not be able to improve his fitness was disproven when Dončić underwent a physical transformation after the Lakers' playoff exit, appearing in a Men's Health Magazine article. Journalists have called the transaction one of the most unexpected trades in NBA and American sports history, with many media members, fans and NBA players criticizing it and expressing shock as Dončić had not even requested a trade and was an All-NBA player in his prime. The overwhelming consensus was that the Lakers won the trade. Mavericks fans reacted negatively to the trade and protested it after the announcement, with many calling for the firing of general manager Nico Harrison. The trade received revived scrutiny when the Mavericks obtained the first overall pick from the NBA draft lottery (used to select Cooper Flagg) in the 2025 NBA draft, despite having just a 1.8% chance of obtaining the #1 pick, with accusations of it being rigged and meant as a compensation for the lopsided trade. Harrison was fired by the Mavericks on November 11, 2025, which many commentators attributed to the negative backlash to the trade and the team's sluggish start to the 2025–26 season.

Tables

· Timeline and rationale › The trade

mw- .mw- PG Luka DončićPF Maxi KleberPF Markieff Morris$55,000 (from Jazz)

To Los Angeles Lakers

mw- .mw- PG Luka DončićPF Maxi KleberPF Markieff Morris$55,000 (from Jazz)

To Dallas Mavericks

C/PF Anthony DavisSG Max Christie2029 1st-round pick (from Lakers)$55,000 (from Jazz)

To Utah Jazz

PG Jalen Hood-Schifino2025 2nd-round pick (from Clippers via Lakers)2025 2nd-round pick (from Mavericks)

To Los Angeles Lakers	To Dallas Mavericks	To Utah Jazz
mw- PG Luka DončićPF Maxi KleberPF Markieff Morris$55,000 (from Jazz)	C/PF Anthony DavisSG Max Christie2029 1st-round pick (from Lakers)$55,000 (from Jazz)	PG Jalen Hood-Schifino2025 2nd-round pick (from Clippers via Lakers)2025 2nd-round pick (from Mavericks)

· Reaction › NBA and sports media

"Shocked. I was on the court. ... A fan told me at half court. ... Like when Michael Jackson died (or) 9-11 happened. Those moments you just know are forever."

Anonymous .mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } }This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (April 2025)

"Shocked. I was on the court. ... A fan told me at half court. ... Like when Michael Jackson died (or) 9-11 happened. Those moments you just know are forever."

"F—, I was shocked. I didn't think that was possible."

"I told my girl, 'Turn on ESPN.' And I was locked in the rest of the night. I think that was like, what, 12? ... I didn't go to sleep until 2, 2:30."

"I thought it was a joke. I DMed Shams and texted him, was like, 'Did you get hacked?' And it was real."

"It was disbelief. I thought it was a joke, thought it was a prank."

"I thought it was just the NBA doing it for viewership."

"When I'm not with my team, I'm a Mavericks fan ... I didn't know how to process it, because it happened so fast. ... I was taken aback."

"It just lets you know that nobody is untouchable in this league."

"Probably the worst decision in modern basketball history. Terrible."

"Psychotic. It didn't make sense. I don't know how you make it make sense."

"Blasphemy."

"I was in disbelief because if you're trading a guy like Luka Dončić, you get the entire kitchen sink back."

"Obviously with Anthony Davis ... but you would imagine several first-round picks attached to that, and there wasn't, so something is going on there."

"I don't get it. I think (Dončić) is probably the best player in the league for the next 15 years."

"Maybe there was something behind the scenes we didn't know about, but I didn't understand it."

"Terrible. Wow. Like, what did they do? I thought (the Mavs) were gonna come out of the West again two months ago."

"To not get back what they should've gotten back is ridiculous. Messed the league up."

"He just took you to the Finals, and now he's gone. That's crazy."

"Terrible decision. If (Dončić) came in weighing 500 pounds, so what? He's still averaging damn near a 30-point triple-double."

"Really puzzling. I didn't get it. I didn't understand it."

"I understand what they're talking about as far as the defense goes, but Luka's offensive strength outweighs his defensive weaknesses by a wide margin."

"Everybody talks about his defense and all that, but I just don't think you trade a generational motherf—er like that."

"I feel like you can find three, four hungry people in the league who are going to come in and pick up the slack."

"Dallas did Luka Dončić wrong."

"I think it's phenomenal decision. So smart. Wise. I'm a Nico Harrison fan."

"Thank you. I love it."

"I wasn't mad at it."

Anonymous ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output +link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output +link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output +.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } }This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (April 2025)

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (April 2025)