The Los Angeles Lakers struck gold when Nico Harrison agreed to trade Luka Doncic to Hollywood in exchange for Anthony Davis. It's a trade Rob Pelinka would do a million times over without thinking twice. Doncic not only answers the question of what the Lakers will do post-LeBron, but he has also elevated LA's chances of winning a title with LeBron before he retires.
Meanwhile, it didn't take long (exactly three quarters) for Harrison to see why trading a then 25-year-old for an injury-prone then 31-year-old wasn't the best idea. Davis got hurt in his Mavericks debut and missed a month and a half before returning with a couple of weeks left in the regular season. Dallas managed to secure a Play-In Tournament berth as the No. 10 seed, and won the first game against Sacramento before losing to Memphis.
Davis posted 27 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, one steal, and one assist in 35 minutes in the win over the Kings. He upped his point-total against the Grizzlies, finishing with 40 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal in 37 minutes. Davis re-aggravated his adductor injury against Memphis and was clearly in pain.
You'd be lying if you said AD wasn't one of the most dominant players in the game, but only when he's healthy. Lakers fans know that better than anyone. It's unfortunate that he's dealt with several injuries throughout his career, making the Mavericks' decision to trade Luka for AD that much more confusing.
Luka Doncic trade will never age the way Mavericks want it to
On Tuesday, The Athletic released its annual anonymous NBA players poll (subscription required) that was conducted in March and April. Unsurprisingly, the poll included asking players how they felt about the Luka-AD trade. One player was more optimistic than most of the other responses, saying:
“I think it will eventually work out for both sides if all the players are able to stay healthy,” one player said, a reference to the Mavericks’ snakebit injury luck since the deal.
Harrison has harped on about defense being the reason why he traded Luka to LA. He believes it puts Dallas in a better position to win a championship. Again, if AD were younger and not injury-prone, the decision to trade Luka would make a little more sense. You can't ignore the facts, though.
The trade will never "eventually work out for both sides" because all of the players involved won't be able to stay healthy. Davis played 76 games in his last full season with the Lakers in 2023-24, which is a notable achievement, but also an anomaly.
Doncic has also dealt with injuries, but not to the same extent that AD has. Luka is only 26, so there's a great chance that his best basketball is still ahead of him. You can't say the same for Davis.
There isn't a Lakers fan who should be actively rooting against AD after all he did for LA. As nice as it would be to see him stay healthy, the odds of that happening aren't high.