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Basketball writer Kirk Goldsberry appeared on The Bill Simmons podcast to recap the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers, and he indicated that there was a bigger deal on the table than what was eventually agreed upon, and the deal was whittled down from a package that included Dalton Knecht and another first-round pick.
“One of my sources inside the Lakers was indicating that the deal was bigger,” Kirk Goldsberry said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. “And I think you guys were literally joking about this last night, that there were two firsts and it was Dalton Knecht, and the deal got whittled down. Because I think Rob Pelinka was able to convince the Dallas Mavericks that Luka is a lot of risk and you guys are right for trying to look at this, this way because this guy, oh his drinking or his whatever, or his weight problem, whatever it is. So they were able to convince it, this was a week's long process, that's another thing that came out today, and Dallas started it.”
The Mavericks took a lot of heat from those in the league and fans on the outside for what they got back in return for Doncic. The main piece that Dallas got back was Anthony Davis, as the organization is looking to still compete for an NBA title this season. Still, the return likely could have been maximized much more, as shown by the initial deal that was on the table.
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The final package for Luka Doncic was one that many could not believe, as most fans thought ESPN's Shams Charania had been hacked when he announced the details. Charania even thought his phone had been hacked when he received the details.
Instead, it's real and the outlook for the Mavericks and Lakers have changed for the foreseeable future.
