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The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks' blockbuster trade involving Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis predictably shook up the league. As a result, the NBA betting market has taken an equally immense shift.
The Lakers, whose title odds were previously in the gutter, now have the third-best odds to win the 2025 NBA Finals on ESPN Bet. Their odds increased from 40-1 to 16-1 after acquiring Doncic.
In turn, the Mavericks' odds decreased from 25-1 to 40-1. They now have one of the longest odds to win the championship in the NBA.
While the trade news undeniably affected the market, so have bettors. Since the trade, bettors have been rushing to their phones to place wagers on the Lakers to win the title in June. The action has been consistent across all sportsbooks, as BetMGM reported 64 percent of championship wagers have been on Los Angeles since the trade, per PR manager John Ewing.
However, despite the blind belief in the Lakers' new-look team, Doncic is not expected to play for at least another week. The 25-year-old has dealt with numerous injuries for most of the 2024-2025 season, resulting in just 22 appearances on the year. He is targeting a return before the upcoming All-Star break.
At the time of the trade, the Lakers sit in fifth in the Western Conference with a 28-19 record. The Mavericks are just a few games behind them at 26-23.
Lakers, Mavericks' Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade
In addition to Doncic, the Lakers also received veteran forwards Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Mavericks. To execute the deal, they sent Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick to Dallas while also shipping Jalen Hood-Schifino to the Utah Jazz.
Before the deal, both Davis and Doncic reportedly fell out of favor with their original front offices. The Mavericks reportedly grew “frustrated” with Doncic's lack of discipline, diet, and conditioning. Meanwhile, the Lakers were upset with Davis' viral sit-down interview with Shams Charania in January. In that conversation, Davis openly requested the team trade for a center while semi-criticizing the current roster construction.
Ironically, Davis will get what he asked for, just not in the way he imagined. He wanted to play power forward next to another true center, which is what he will get with the Mavericks, who boast a formidable one-two punch with Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. Both Gafford and Lively are known for stellar interior defense and rebounding.
