Luka Doncic was traded by the Dallas Mavericks in a shocking move on Saturday Mavs moved their perennial All-Star for Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis By GODWIN MATHEW Published: 08:37 EST, 5 February 2025 | Updated: 13:57 EST, 5 February 2025 Shaquille O’Neal has waded in on the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade, expressing who he feels the move benefits the most out of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. Late Saturday night, NBA insider Shams Charania revealed the shocking news of Dallas Mavericks trading their franchise star Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. While many – including Doncic himself – thought it was a prank, the Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison revealed the trade had been in the works for weeks and that only he and Lakers counterpart Rob Pelinka were aware of it. And O’Neal, who was a Laker for eight years and integral to their three-peat during this time, revealed he was as stunned as others when he saw the news of Doncic getting traded to the Purple and Gold, before adding who he thinks are the winners of the trade. ‘I think Dallas got the better of the trade for the next two years anyway,’ said the four-time NBA champion on the Inside the NBA show. ‘Obviously Dallas didn’t want to move forward with one of the greatest young players that we have seen today. ‘I wish the business of basketball could have been handled a little better. ‘You would think a guy that five years in the league, five first team All-NBA’s would at least get a conversation.’ Dallas certainly got one of the best two-way bigs in the league in Davis, alongside a handy two-way player in Max Christie, but trade experts believe the franchise would have got a bigger haul if they would have informed other teams of potentially moving Doncic. Since his rookie season in 2018, Doncic has made five All-Star teams, five All-NBA first-teams and led the Mavs to only their third-ever NBA Finals appearance. Davis on the other hand is an NBA champion and has the credentials to lead the Mavs to a successful season, but is 31 and prone to injuries. During the Mavs press conference after the trade, Harrison confirmed the franchise executed the move to contend for a title in the immediate future. ‘Anthony Davis fits our time frame, if you pair him with Kyrie and rest of the guys, he fits right along with our time frame to win now and win in the future and the future to me is three – four years from now. The Mavs, who were pre-season favourites, have not had a great first half of the season and sit 11th in the Western Conference with a 26-25 record. Doncic’s effort on the defensive end has always been questionable and while Davis does bring that, will he be able to fill the void No 77 has left on the offensive end is a question only time will answer.
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Luka Doncic was traded by the Dallas Mavericks in a shocking move on Saturday Mavs moved their perennial All-Star for Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis By GODWIN MATHEW Published: 08:37 EST, 5 February 2025 | Updated: 13:57 EST, 5 February 2025 Shaquille O’Neal has waded in on the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade, expressing who he feels the move benefits the most out of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. Late Saturday night, NBA insider Shams Charania revealed the shocking news of Dallas Mavericks trading their franchise star Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. While many – including Doncic himself – thought it was a prank, the Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison revealed the trade had been in the works for weeks and that only he and Lakers counterpart Rob Pelinka were aware of it. And O’Neal, who was a Laker for eight years and integral to their three-peat during this time, revealed he was as stunned as others when he saw the news of Doncic getting traded to the Purple and Gold, before adding who he thinks are the winners of the trade. ‘I think Dallas got the better of the trade for the next two years anyway,’ said the four-time NBA champion on the Inside the NBA show. ‘Obviously Dallas didn’t want to move forward with one of the greatest young players that we have seen today. ‘I wish the business of basketball could have been handled a little better. ‘You would think a guy that five years in the league, five first team All-NBA’s would at least get a conversation.’ Dallas certainly got one of the best two-way bigs in the league in Davis, alongside a handy two-way player in Max Christie, but trade experts believe the franchise would have got a bigger haul if they would have informed other teams of potentially moving Doncic. Since his rookie season in 2018, Doncic has made five All-Star teams, five All-NBA first-teams and led the Mavs to only their third-ever NBA Finals appearance. Davis on the other hand is an NBA champion and has the credentials to lead the Mavs to a successful season, but is 31 and prone to injuries. During the Mavs press conference after the trade, Harrison confirmed the franchise executed the move to contend for a title in the immediate future. ‘Anthony Davis fits our time frame, if you pair him with Kyrie and rest of the guys, he fits right along with our time frame to win now and win in the future and the future to me is three – four years from now. The Mavs, who were pre-season favourites, have not had a great first half of the season and sit 11th in the Western Conference with a 26-25 record. Doncic’s effort on the defensive end has always been questionable and while Davis does bring that, will he be able to fill the void No 77 has left on the offensive end is a question only time will answer.

In a move that sent shockwaves through the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks traded their franchise star Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

The unexpected trade, revealed by NBA insider Shams Charania, saw Dončić heading to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.

At first, many, including Dončić himself, thought the news was just a prank.

However, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison confirmed that the trade had been in the works for weeks, with only him and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka being in the know about the deal before it was finalized.

Shaq Weighs In on the Trade

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal shared his thoughts on the trade, weighing in on who he believes emerged as the real winner between the Mavericks and the Lakers.

O’Neal, who played for the Lakers for eight seasons and helped lead them to three consecutive championships, was as shocked as the rest of the basketball world when he heard the news about Dončić’s departure from Dallas.

Speaking on Inside the NBA, Shaq didn’t hold back his opinion.

“I think Dallas got the better of the trade for the next two years anyway,” he said.

O’Neal pointed out that Dallas didn’t seem to want to move forward without one of the most exciting young talents the league has seen in years.

“I wish the business of basketball could have been handled a little better,” O’Neal added.

He felt that a player like Dončić, who has been named to five All-NBA first teams in his five years in the league, should’ve been given more of a say in the decision.

What Does the Trade Mean for Both Teams?

While the Mavericks received one of the league’s best two-way players in Anthony Davis, as well as the versatile Max Christie, many believe Dallas would have likely gotten a bigger return if they had been more open about the possibility of trading Dončić with other teams.

Since his rookie season in 2018, Dončić has been a dominant force for the Mavs, making five All-Star appearances and leading the team to their third-ever NBA Finals appearance.

Meanwhile, Davis, though an NBA champion with a solid track record, is 31 years old and has struggled with injuries throughout his career.

During a press conference following the trade, Harrison explained that the move was made with an eye toward contending for an NBA title in the immediate future.

“Anthony Davis fits our time frame,” Harrison said.

“If you pair him with Kyrie Irving and the rest of the guys, he fits right along with our time frame to win now and win in the future.”

Will the Mavs Be Better Off?

The Mavericks have struggled so far this season, sitting 11th in the Western Conference with a 26-25 record.

After being preseason favorites, their performance has been underwhelming, prompting the trade.

The question remains whether the addition of Davis will be enough to fill the gap left by Dončić, particularly on the offensive side of the game, where Davis isn’t as dominant.

While Davis is known for his defensive prowess, Dončić’s offensive skills were a huge part of the Mavs’ success.

Whether Davis can lead the team to victory and complement Kyrie Irving and the rest of the roster remains to be seen.

Only time will tell if this trade pays off for Dallas or if they’ve let go of one of the NBA’s brightest stars too soon.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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