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The fallout from the massive Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade is still taking place, which puts into perspective just how big of a deal that it was. The Mavericks acted quickly and quietly to move off of their young superstar in favor of a defensive anchor in the middle.
One of the biggest questions that remained coming out of the trade was why the Mavericks and general manager Nico Harrison would just send Doncic to the Lakers for a seemingly diminished return instead of shopping him and getting the maximum value back.
Rumors surfaced that the Mavericks may have also reached out to the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves to gauge their interest in a Doncic trade, and that may be (sort of) true according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
“I have naturally been asked by readers to respond to/expound upon recent reports that the Mavericks engaged in Luka Dončić trade talks with two other teams besides the Lakers,” Stein wrote. “Yet I can only expound on my own reporting on the trade, which has consistently informed that Dončić — by name — was only discussed with one team: The Lakers.
“The Mavericks' talks with Milwaukee and Minnesota, as described to me, were very brief in nature and intentionally broad and vague … meaning they did not specifically identify Dončić.”
Of course, the chances that the Bucks or Timberwolves would have been willing to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo or Anthony Edwards seem low, especially because it would have been a huge risk to assume that Doncic would want to re-sign there. That is a risk that even the Lakers took, although it feels like a safer bet that he will want to stay in Los Angeles.
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How Mavericks, Lakers are playing since Luka Doncic trade
The Davis trade hasn't worked out yet for the Mavericks as the former Lakers big man got injured in his first start for Dallas. The Mavericks are waiting to get Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively back from injury before they can see what they look like whole.
On the Lakers side, the early returns are very encouraging with Doncic in the lineup. The Slovenian is still getting his legs back underneath him after returning from a calf injury but his contribution to winning is apparent.
The Lakers have won six games in a row with Doncic on the floor and have emerged as one of the true threats to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference. Los Angeles has a real shot to secure the No. 2 seed in the West and nobody will want to face a team with that kind of star power in a playoff series.
