NBA: Doncic joins Lakers, Davis heads to Mavericks in three-team trade
In a blockbuster trade that figures to impact the Western Conference balance of power for years to come, the Lakers, Mavericks and Jazz completed a three-team trade that sends Luka Doncic to Los Angeles and Anthony Davis to Dallas.
The Lakers received Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Mavericks, who announced the trade Sunday morning. Dallas acquired Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.
The Jazz received Jalen Hood-Schifino, the LA Clippers' 2025 second-round pick and the Mavericks' 2025 second-round selection.
"I believe that defense wins championships," Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN's Tim MacMahon, explaining his motivation to deal Doncic for Davis. "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 trade talks were initiated by Dallas, league sources told ESPN, and began a few days ago. Harrison and Rob Pelinka, the Lakers' vice president of basketball operations and general manager, have a long-standing relationship dating to when Harrison was Kobe Bryant's marketing manager at Nike and Pelinka was Bryant's agent.
The Lakers' front office, ownership group and coaching staff were in alignment on the deal, excited to acquire a young superstar in Doncic while recognizing it takes a lot to get a lot in the NBA.
"Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come," Pelinka said in a statement released by the team Sunday. "His killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for the team. We will be relentless in building a roster around the on-court vision Coach Redick has for this basketball team and there is an unwavering commitment to that work to serve our loyal and dedicated fans. We are grateful for today and look forward to what's next."
After the Lakers and Mavericks agreed to the deal late Saturday night, sources told ESPN that Pelinka made three calls in quick succession: a joint call with Davis and Lakers coach JJ Redick; a call to Davis' agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports; and a call to LeBron James.
Harrison told the Dallas Morning News that he texted Doncic and left him a voicemail.
"My guess is he probably doesn't want to talk to me," Harrison told the newspaper.
James learned of the trade when it broke while he was out to dinner with family after Saturday's win against the Knicks in New York, sources close to the Lakers superstar told ESPN. James was surprised by the news, sources said. Davis and Doncic were also not informed of the trade ahead of time, sources told Charania.
The deal pairs Doncic with James as the new 1-2 punch in Los Angeles, while Davis would be forming a new star duo with Kyrie Irving in Dallas. James intends to stay with the Lakers beyond Thursday's trade deadline, a source familiar with the four-time MVP's plans told ESPN, confirming a report earlier Sunday from NBA reporter Chris Haynes.
The trade also reunites Doncic with Redick, his former Mavericks teammate. Doncic was one of the Mavericks players on the floor when Redick came out of a game for the final time on May 11, 2021.
Davis waived his $5.9 million trade kicker as a part of the deal, sources told ESPN. The decision was made to give the Mavericks flexibility with the salary cap to be as competitive as possible while also recognizing that the money can be made back in other ways, with no state taxes in Texas and in signing a contract extension with Dallas in the future.
The Mavericks were motivated to move Doncic because of his constant conditioning concerns, sources told MacMahon. There had been significant frustration within the organization about Doncic's lack of discipline regarding his diet and conditioning, which team sources considered a major factor in his injury issues.
Though Doncic was relatively lean by his standards when he reported to camp, his weight ballooned to the high 260s early this season, sources said. He sat out five games in late November, when the Mavericks listed him with a sprained right wrist, an extended absence to allow Doncic to focus on his conditioning. He had a similar early-season layoff in the 2022-23 season.
Doncic has been limited to 22 games this season because of a variety of injuries. He has twice strained his left calf since reporting to Dallas before training camp in late September, although the Mavericks reported the fall injury only as a calf contusion, sources said.
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