The Los Angeles Lakers have shocked fans and players around the NBA with one of the biggest trades of the 21st century. Lakers franchise player Anthony Davis has been sent to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for five-time All-NBA First Team selectee Luka Doncic.
The immediate fallout of the trade has been shock and awe from around the NBA, but one might be surprised to learn how wide the disbelief has spread.
Los Angeles exited Feb. 1 with a win over the New York Knicks and justified hype as a potentially legitimate contender. Mere minutes into Feb. 2, however, it turned the NBA on its head by swapping Davis for Doncic and completely transforming its identity.
In one of the most shocking reports about the trade, Dave McMenamin of ESPN revealed that LeBron James found out about the blockbuster deal the same way as everyone else.
LeBron James learned of the Davis-Doncic trade after the Knicks game when it broke while he was out to dinner with his family, sources close to James told ESPN. James was surprised by the news, is processing it and had no idea it was in the works, sources said.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 2, 2025
Shams Charania of ESPN later reported the same:
“This deal materialized in the shadows … LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Anthony Davis had no idea this was coming. I’m told Luka Doncic is still stunned about this trade.”@ShamsCharania on the Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic trade between the Lakers and Mavericks pic.twitter.com/Hp4bL3UX2M
— ESPN (@espn) February 2, 2025
It's easy to envision a scenario in which James is excited about playing with Doncic, but the manner in which this trade transpired is truly shocking.
LeBron didn't know about AD-Doncic trade, still processing it
One can't help but feel surprised by the fact that the Lakers broke up a championship-winning duo without warning. The human element is easy to wrap one's head around, as Rob Pelinka may have simply been shocked to hear that acquiring Doncic was an option.
It's entirely possible that, rather than risking the Mavericks reconsidering the deal, Pelinka capitalized on the opportunity to acquire a 25-year-old franchise player when he could.
Even still, the decision to move Davis without first conferring with he and James is sure to be controversial. Davis and James led the Lakers out of the depths of despair, guiding the team to its first championship in a decade and its first postseason appearance in seven years.
The Lakers made the playoffs in four of the five full seasons they played together, adding a second trip to the Conference Finals to their shared résumés.
Furthermore, the Lakers made a firm commitment to Davis as their new franchise player in 2024-25. It'd thus far paid off, as Los Angeles is 28-19, in sole possession of the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference standings, and trending toward a generally fruitful season.
Davis, meanwhile, has been a dominant force on both ends of the floor, averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game.
Doncic is an MVP-caliber player in his own right who led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals. The manner in which Los Angeles conducted its business, however, could potentially ruffle feathers and set a poor tone in the locker room.
Professionals will ultimately find a way to discuss and resolve their concerns, but the Lakers took quite a risk with the way they conducted business.