Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Dallas Mavericks welcomed Anthony Davis to the franchise on Sunday following the blockbuster deal that will see Luka Doncic move to the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most jaw-dropping trades in NBA history. In a bombshell development that sent shockwaves rippling throughout the basketball world, it emerged late Saturday that the Mavs were trading away Doncic — a 25-year-old five-time All-Star — in exchange for Lakers big man Davis as part of a three-team deal.
The extraordinary trade gives Dallas badly needed defensive heft with the acquisition of Davis, while the Lakers have at a stroke solved the riddle of how to prepare for life after LeBron James, the 40-year-old superstar who is the current face of the franchise. While the Mavericks confirmed details of the deal in a post on social media, there had not been any formal confirmation of the trade by the Lakers as of early Sunday. Neither Davis, Doncic nor James had commented on a deal that, according to US reports, was brokered by team officials without any advance warning to the players involved.
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ESPN reported that James first learned of the deal late on Saturday while out for dinner in New York with his family following the Lakers’ victory over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Davis and Doncic were also not warned ahead of time, ESPN said. ESPN’s reporter Shams Charania, who routinely breaks NBA trade news, said the news was initially so shocking that many people contacted him to ask if his social media account had been hacked.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison meanwhile said late Saturday that Davis’s arrival could turn Dallas into title contenders after they were beaten in the NBA Finals last season. “I believe that defense wins championships,” Harrison told ESPN regarding motivation for the trade. “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”
The wider NBA community meanwhile was still struggling to comprehend the magnitude of a deal that no one saw coming. “Insane. It’s crazy. Crazy,” Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant said late Saturday on his reaction to news of the deal. “Would have never thought Luka Doncic would get traded. At his age, midseason. The NBA is a wild place, man. If he can get traded, then anybody is up for grabs. This got to be the biggest trade I’ve seen since I’ve been in the league or since I’ve been watching the sport.”
Durant said the deal was a reminder of the cut-throat nature of the NBA, where players can be traded away by franchises at a moment’s notice. “Players are held to a different standard of loyalty and commitment to a program, but the organizations don’t get held to that same standard from the outside,” Durant said. “It’s just the nature of the sport. Keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
Other players took to social media to express incredulity at the deal. “April fools right?” New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson posted on X. Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid added: “Wowwwww NO F WAY.”
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