
This is how you win a news cycle. On the weekend before the NFL takes center stage in New Orleans for the run-up to Super Bowl LIX, the NBA announced one of the biggest and most surprising trades in league history. Luka Dončiċ, the 25-year-old perennial MVP candidate, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers late Saturday night for 31-year-old Anthony Davis.
In a league long on telegraphing personnel moves and short on surprises, it caught everyone in the NBA by surprise.
Durant said of the trade, “Insane. It’s crazy. I never thought Luka Dončiċ would get traded at this age.”
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, who was drafted by the Mavericks in 2018 and played with Dončiċ for five seasons, posted on X, “April fools, right?”
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes grew up in Texas and is a visible and vocal fan of the Mavericks, and he responded to the trade on X by posting, “I’m sick.”
Even Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka thought it was a joke when the Mavericks first approached him about a deal.
The full details of the trade involves more than just the two star players, and includes a third team. The Lakers get Dončiċ, forward Maxi Kleber, and forward Markieff Morris; the Mavericks receive Davis, guard Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick from the Lakers; and the Utah Jazz get Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2025 second-round pick from the Mavericks, as well as the 2025 second-round pick of the Los Angeles Clippers (from the Lakers).
NBA Championship Betting Fallout
It was less than a year ago that Dončiċ and the Mavericks were in the NBA Finals. And while they weren’t among the top betting teams to win the NBA Championship in 2025, they were tied for fourth with the shortest odds in the Western Conference at +2500.
That was before the trade. Now, after the trade, those odds have dropped to +3500. For the Lakers, they were also at +2500 before the trade was made. Now, with Dončiċ and James playing as teammates, they are paying +1800.
The sportsbooks, the fans, and the rest of the NBA seem to have reached a consensus. The big winner in this trade is the Los Angeles Lakers. The losers are the Mavericks, Maverick fans, and Dončiċ. Not that he won’t become a Lakers great and continue to play at an MVP level, but this trade costs him quite a bit of money. After this season, he was going to be eligible for the Designated Veteran Extension (Supermax) which is five years and $345 million. Now, following the trade, his extension is likely to be four years and $229 million.
Why Did the Mavericks Trade Dončiċ?
Davis is a very good NBA player, but Dončiċ is a superstar. So why did the Mavericks trade away one of the true top commodities in the league?
Ownership has changed in Dallas in recent years. Instead of Mark Cuban being the controlling owner, he has been a minority owner since he sold most of his stake in 2023 to the family of Miriam Adelson, the owners of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation.
Cuban is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the team, and this deal was solely the work of General Manager Nico Harrison and team governor Patrick Dumont, Adelson’s son-in-law. And Harrison admitted that this was a money decision.
“We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, [Dončiċ] being eligible for the supermax, and also a year away from being able to opt-out of any contract. And so we really felt like we got out in front of that.”

With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.