The three-team trade involving Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis has social media making the same face over and over again. No one saw it coming. Within a few seconds, fans and netizens were torn over how the face of the franchise, Luka Doncic, was reportedly traded to the Lakers. Former Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki, who once made a bold claim about the team’s future, was equally shocked.
A few hours ago, the news broke out that a trade between the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz was taking place. As a result, the Serbian maestro will now sport the Purple and Gold while Davis will move to Mavericks. Further, the Lakers are also sending Max Christie and a first-round draft pick to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris.
Taking to X, formerly called Twitter, Nowitzki added a shocked emoji. Much like many netizens, he too must have been speechless at how things unfolded. Just a few months back, when Klay Thompson joined the Mavericks, there was an air of excitement among the fans.
The Mavericks made it to the NBA finals in the previous season however, lost to the Celtics. Along with Thompson, Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic were expected to elevate the game.
Nowitzki, who led the Mavericks to the NBA championship in 2011, had a similar idea. He was clearly excited and even claimed, “Adding Klay, one of the best shooters the game has ever seen, should give Luka [Doncic] and Kyrie [Irving] freedom on the ball. I really think we have a great, deep team… If we stay healthy, I think we can make a long run again.”
Jan 22, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on during a stoppage in play during the first half of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
But if the rumored deal takes place, it seems Doncic won’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks‘ roster. However, the Mavericks, owned by Mark Cuban, likely have the advantage in the deal by acquiring Davis.
How did LeBron James react to the trade?
For those who are worried that Davis’ teammate was aware of the deal, rest assured, he likely wasn’t. As per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James found out about the trade while he was out to dinner with his family. This was after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ win over the Knicks. It was just as shocking to him as well.
“James was surprised by the news, is processing it and had no idea it was in the works,” McMenamin said. However, that didn’t stop the criticism from coming James’ way. Former NBA player Kevin Garnett took to his Instagram Story to pen a cryptic message expressing his doubt about the situation. He too doubted that James might have known about it.
A national reporter claimed that King James was frustrated with Davis. While the 4x NBA champ didn’t react to Garnett’s enigmatic message, he did have a response for the reporter. He wrote, “You a fkn lie!!!” along with a clown emoji. It remains to be seen how the outcome of the deal will play out. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.
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