Los Angeles Lakers shake up NBA with surprise trade
Slovenian NBA star Luka Dončić has been traded by his Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in a surprising and unprecedented three-way deal with the Utah Jazz that American sports media are describing as a shock that will change the face of the NBA for years to come, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.
In news first reported by ESPN, it was announced that Dončić, along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, was traded to the Lakers for Anthony Davis and the Lakers' 2029 first round draft pick. The Utah Jazz will get Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.
Insider reports suggest that the Mavericks approached the Lakers, and that neither Dončić nor Davis or any other player involved in the trade had known anything abut it in advance.
A five-time all star, the 25-year-old Dončić has been a pillar of the Mavericks since he joined the Texas club in 2018 and has finished no worse than sixth in voting for most valuable player in four of the past five seasons.
Dončić led the Mavericks to last year's NBA finals. He has career averages of 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists, and was the top scorer in the league last season with 33.9 points per game.
However, his fitness has been called into question several times over the years. Most recently, he has been sidelined for more than a month by a calf injury. ESPN cited unnamed sources as saying that the Mavericks were concerned about his lack of discipline regarding diet and conditioning.
The deal will see Dončić join forces with Lakers superstar LeBron James, who had apparently not been informed about the talks. Commentators say his arrival gives the Lakers an eventual heir to the 40-year-old James, while the Mavericks' general manager Nico Harrison said Davis gives Dallas a much-needed strong defensive presence.
Dončić was in line to receive a five-year, $345 million contract this summer but because of the trade, he is no longer eligible for what is called a supermax deal, according to ESPN.
Dončić is yet to publicly speak out on the matter, but several current and former players have taken to social media to express amazement and surprise at the deal.
