In a shocking move late Saturday night, the Los Angeles Lakers traded away Anthony Davis as a part of a three-team deal with the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz.
In return, Los Angeles gets five-time All-Star and 2024 scoring champion Luka Dončić.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania was the first to report 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 news was so surprising that many people thought Charania had been hacked. Even SportsCenter had to clarify that the NBA trade was, in fact, real.
“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
Along with Dončić, Los Angeles also get Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. Dallas gets Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ 2029 1st-round pick. Meanwhile, Utah gets Jalen Hood-Schifino, the Clippers’ 2025 2nd-round pick, and the Mavericks’ 2025 2nd-round pick.
The Lakers are currently 28-19 and in fifth place in the Western Conference. The move not only allows them to pair Dončić with Lebron James to compete for an NBA title but it also positions the Slovenian as the face of their franchise when James finally leaves or retires.
As for Davis, he now joins his third NBA team after spending seven seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans and five with the Lakers. He is a 10-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA first-teamer, and won an NBA title with Los Angeles in 2020.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.