In a night that could alter the trajectories of two NBA franchises for a generation, two of the league’s biggest stars are being traded just before the trade deadline.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers have acquired five-time All-Star Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. In exchange, the Lakers are giving up Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2020 first-round pick as part of a three-team deal that includes the Utah Jazz.
“BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah,” Charania wrote.
BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
All we can say is wow. Doncic and Davis are two of the biggest stars in the NBA today.
Davis still consistently delivers 25 points and close to a dozen rebounds per game when healthy. He’s a nine time All-Star, but eight of those All-Star appearances came between 2013 and 2021. Persistent injuries have limited Anthony Davis to 214 games over the past four seasons, during which he’s made just one All-Star Game.
The Lakers are also receiving a pair of veteran forwards in Kleber and Morris. Kleber is 32 and out for extended time with a foot injury while Morris is 35 and has played just 41 minutes this season.
Doncic is heading into his sixth straight All-Star Game and is one year removed from winning the NBA scoring title. He’s finished in the top 10 for MVP voting in each of those five years. Despite his excellence, Dallas just hasn’t been able to put the right supporting cast around him to enjoy a deep postseason run, other than last year’s NBA Finals – and things aren’t looking good for the Mavericks this year either.
Dallas also receives 21-year-old Max Christie, a third-year shooting guard showing a lot of promise and coming off a 21-point performance against the Wizards this past Thurdsay.
As for the other players the Lakers are getting,
We’ll have more details on this trade as they become available.
Related: Luka Doncic Trade Means Mavericks Could Make Run At All-Star Big Men