NBA news: Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers - A game-changing move or billionaire greed?
Luka Doncic’s trade to the LA Lakers has shaken the NBA world, with many questioning whether it’s a bold step for the future or a move driven solely by business interests.
In this article, Sports News Blitz writer George Dempsey examines the implications of this trade, the reactions it’s sparked, and what it means for both Doncic and the Mavericks going forward.
Love for the Lakers, heartbreak for Mavericks fans
On paper, Doncic joining the LA Lakers is the most seismic trade in the history of the NBA and highlights everything wrong with sports in the modern day.
But is it really that bad a deal?
Valentine’s Day is a time for love. If you’re a billionaire NBA owner, nothing turns you on like destroying the product to make even more money.
Despite winning four of five contests heading into the All-Star Break, Dallas Mavericks’ fans aren’t in a rush to send chocolate and roses the way of majority shareholder Patrick Dumont and general manager Nico Harrison.
It’s been the best part of two weeks since the Doncic trade and it’s still the hot topic in the NBA.
In exchange for a generational talent that guarantees you stay competitive as a team for a decade, the Mavs received Anthony Davis and Max Christie.
They also got a 2029 first-round draft pick in a deal that saw them wave goodbye to Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris.
MORE ON THE STORY: NBA news: An in-depth look at the blockbuster Luka Doncic–Anthony Davis trade
A business of billionaires and the shock of the Luka Doncic trade
It comes to something when Dallas fans are getting behind Dwayne Wade, the villain of the 2006 NBA Finals in their eyes, who theorised that this was nothing more than “billionaire business.”
LA Lakers power forward Davis had one foot out the door on date night when he received a call informing him he’d been traded to the Mavs.
Coming the other way was the NBA’s most marketable asset overseas becoming a part of the most marketable overseas franchise.
LeBron James, arguably the NBA's greatest player, once referred to Doncic as a "bad motherf***er" and his "favourite player."
Over the next 18 months, James will mentor Doncic and shape him into the face of the Lakers, before handing him the torch and likely bidding farewell to the game.
Although Harrison tried to defend his position by saying he initiated the trade because he believed “defence wins championships”, the move was met by widespread disbelief across the league and among the fanbase.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson asked reporters if it was an early April Fools joke.
Meanwhile, Devin Booker echoed Dwayne Wade’s sentiments by saying “It’s a business… So don’t think you’re safer than you are.”
The shock wasn’t confined to the NBA, with Superbowl runner-up and Mavericks fan Patrick Mahomes also expressing his disbelief.
But perhaps the most interesting response came from Tristian Thompson, the Cleveland Cavaliers power forward who thinks the trade “has to have a deeper story behind it.”
Why Luka Doncic wasn’t the right fit for Dallas
Doncic departed with a stat line of 28.3 points per game, 8.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists in the 2024/25 season. Players of that ilk just don’t get traded.
While no one on the team is coming close to matching his production, there are some suggestions that his dominant presence isn’t quite as welcome as you may think.
First came these comments from Dumont: “If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with - Jordan, Bird, Kobe, Shaq - they worked really hard, every day with a singular focus to win.
“And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work… You shouldn’t be a part of the Dallas Mavericks.”
That would certainly indicate that something about Doncic wasn’t the right fit for the organisation in his mind - a sentiment that may have been echoed by Kyrie Irving.
Irving said: “You have Jason Kidd and Nico doing their things behind the scenes and making sure we’re a good group personality-wise."
Sources close to the Mavs have hinted in the past that not everyone was thrilled with the prominence of Doncic’s role and the lack of opportunity to shine when he was on the court.
Top NBA teams will always boast a star player, yet no Championship winning side can do so without a star-studded supporting cast that fits the mould.
The Slovenian scoring machine is no longer the biggest name in the locker room, but he is the face of the NBA for years to come so this is a major win for the Lakers.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Man City’s collapse: Just How Crucial Is Rodri to Pep Guardiola’s team?
Mavs make moves as the Doncic fallout unfolds
The fallout from this trade is going to spill over into the coming months, perhaps even seasons, and only then will we see the full picture.
In the meantime, the Mavs have acquired an NBA All-Star and a defensive behemoth.
He slots perfectly into this team, where the presence of Derrick Lively II and Daniel Gafford may allow him to slot in at four.
Davis was recently quoted as saying the Lakers needed to add another big to compliment his game.
Four wins in five have seen the Mavericks surge towards the playoffs, where they could potentially clash with Doncic and the Lakers in April or May.
READ NEXT: Six Nations news: Five candidates to replace Warren Gatland as Wales head coach
