In a stunning move announced late Saturday night, the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz completed a three-team trade late Saturday night that sent Luka Dončić to Los Angeles and Anthony Davis to Dallas.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania first reported the news.
BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
“The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah,” Charania wrote on X.
The announcement was so shocking that ESPN had to confirm that Shams hadn’t been hacked.
“We’re gonna try and dial up Shams to make sure he didn’t get hacked. This has been confirmed, though.”
Phil Murphy after reporting the Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis blockbuster on SportsCenter. pic.twitter.com/Y1dPYjvKxe
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 2, 2025
Charania soon clarified the details of the trade, including the other players involved as well as several draft picks that changed hands.
Yes, this is real. Sources tell ESPN: Full trade:
– Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
– Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 LAL 1st
– Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers 2nd, 2025 Mavericks 2nd https://t.co/bltojdTaQj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
The move is stunning given how much the 25-year-old Dončić has been linked to Dallas in his six-season NBA career. In five and a half seasons with the Mavericks, the Slovenian phenom has been a five-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA first-teamer. He was also named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2019 and was the 2024 NBA scoring champion.
Davis has been hampered by injuries but the 31-year-old is still a 10-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA first-teamer. He also won an NBA championship with Los Angeles in 2020.
The Lakers will now pair Dončić with LeBron James as they attempt to keep pace in the Western Conference and try to get James one more championship before his storied career is over.