The Los Angeles Lakers have clearly won the Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis trade. It is some overwhelmingly in the favor of the Lakers that it’s not even a question who won the trade.
Davis has only played one game for the Mavericks and now might be shut down for the year now that Kyrie Irving has torn his ACL. Meanwhile, Doncic has helped the Lakers surge up to second in the Western Conference standings.
While this trade isn’t even a month old, it’s clear that the results are so lopsided in the favor of Los Angeles. Not just for this season, either.
Read more: Lakers Still Being Viewed as Frauds Out West Despite Recent Hot Streak
The Mavericks are in a massive bind now. Irving is going to be out for a year, so their title window for both this year and next year has closed already. One NBA insider seems to think that the Mavericks should already try to trade Davis.
Tim Bontemps of ESPN thinks that the Mavericks should trade him this summer and try to get the maximum value for him by also shutting him down for the rest of this season.
“I’m going to be honest, I don’t think Anthony Davis should ever play for the Mavericks again. He shouldn’t play the rest of the season, and they should trade him this summer.” 👀👀👀
– Tim Bontemps
(Via Hoop Collective / h/t @ClutchPoints )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 5, 2025
Bontemps claims that the title window is closed for this season with Irving injured and Davis getting older. He thinks the Mavs have no path to contending as currently constructed.
It seems a bit extreme for the Mavericks to trade Davis after just a single game. The only way that they end up doing this is if Nico Harrison gets fired at the end of the year, which is not out of the realm of possibility.
More Lakers news: Lakers’ Jarred Vanderbilt Appears to Approve of His New Viral Nickname
Harrison is the biggest pariah in the city of Dallas right now, but he would not give up on Davis this easily. He has to keep doubling down on the trade to have any shred of justifying trading Doncic to the Lakers.
Lakers fans feel bad for Davis after he helped deliver them a title in 2020, but they love having Doncic on the team. Now, the Lakers are a serious contender to win the NBA championship.
With the Lakers and the Mavs, Davis is averaging 25.7 points, 12 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game this year.
More Los Angeles Lakers news: Lakers’ LeBron James Reacts to Hitting 50K Career Points
Lakers’ Jeanie Buss Reveals if Anthony Davis’ Center Request Led to His Trade
For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
Feb 13, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Mark Cuban laughs during the second half of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat at American Airlines
The Boston Celtics are one of the teams who are expected to be a contender at the end of the season. They are the defending NBA champions, so they feel like the
Nikola Jokić is still rewriting the record books — and treating it like just another day at the office. In a 149-141 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns
The New York Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA, but as of late, they have been defined more by their struggles than their triumphs.The Knicks are 0-7