Subscribe
Follow Us
It has been nearly a week since the groundbreaking news of the trade between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, sending Luka Doncic out west in exchange for Anthony Davis, broke, and the shockwave it sent through the basketball world has still not died down.
Many figures within the basketball world as well as the sports world as a whole have given their opinion on the matter.
Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports and Anthony Davis' agent, became one of the latest figures to speak out.
“Rich Paul on the Anthony Davis/Luka Dončić trade: ‘This one was a shock. And again, the timing of it was a shock, who was involved was a shock, (but) the destination was not a shock, just based upon the relationship. AD has been someone that Nico (Harrison) has coveted since he got the job, so that’s not a shock to me,'” Kevin Gray Jr. posted via Twitter/X.
Doncic is still looking to get back on the floor after being sidelined with a calf injury since Christmas Day. He is aiming to play against the Utah Jazz on Monday, per Marc Stein.
Davis is expected to be available for Saturday's game after not playing since Jan. 28.
What are Luka Doncic's thoughts on being a Laker?
The blockbuster trade sent the star guard to one of the NBA's most iconic franchises, where he will team up with one of the best to ever play the game in LeBron James. It took time for the former Dallas Mavericks star to process the news.
Doncic broke his silence on the move in his introductory press conference.
“It was a big shock,” Doncic said via AP. “(Dallas) was home, so it was really hard moments for me. … (But now) I get to play in the greatest club in the world, and I’m excited for this new journey.”
It took Doncic some time to come to terms with things.
“Honestly, it was hard at first,” Doncic said. “That first day was really hard. I felt like these last 48 hours was one month. Emotionally, it was really hard, but today was much better. This is the Lakers. It’s one of the best clubs in history, so I’m excited to be here.”
Getting to play with James is one of the things Doncic is most excited about with the new opportunity.
“It’s just like a dream come true,” Doncic said. “I always looked up to him. There’s so many things I can learn from him, and I’m just excited to learn everything and get to play with him. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Rich Paul hopes to see his client Anthony Davis perform well in Dallas as a member of the Mavericks.
