The NBA world was shocked when the Dallas Mavericks traded superstar guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for superstar big man Anthony Davis. The full trade includes Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris going to the Lakers, while the Mavs also got Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick; the Utah Jazz helped complete this trade, they got Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-round picks.
After this blockbuster trade, the instant reaction was critical of the Mavericks, and the logic makes sense. Why would Dallas trade a 25-year-old superstar who led them to the NBA Finals for a 31-year-old and just one first-round pick? Trading Luka is one of the most shocking decisions in NBA history. Doncic has also made five consecutive All-NBA first teams and is a top-three-level player. Additionally, the Mavericks reportedly only called the Lakers with their eyes set on AD, which is puzzling as they could have likely gotten more for Luka.
While it’s easy to mock the Mavs for this trade, it’s important to see this move from all sides. With trades like this, there has to be some sort of reasoning and certainly a great deal of thought that went into the move. Let’s explore some of the Mavericks’ reasoning and explain how the Boston Celtics could be connected to this trade.
Yes, this is real. Sources tell ESPN: Full trade:
– Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
– Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 LAL 1st
– Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers 2nd, 2025 Mavericks 2nd https://t.co/bltojdTaQj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
How the Celtics Influenced the Luka Doncic Trade
After the blockbuster trade occurred, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said,
“I believe that defense wins championships… I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”
Furthermore, Tim MacMahon reported the Mavericks had concerns about Luka’s conditioning and supermax extension. Doncic also reportedly reached 270 pounds. However, given these conditioning concerns, it’s puzzling to trade for a 31-year-old with an extensive injury history. Nonetheless, as stated earlier, we are trying to be open-minded here and understand this from the Mavs’ perspective. It’s certainly possible there’s something else the Mavericks know that made them want to trade Luka.
The clearest possible explanation is they are trying to match up better with other contenders. Yes, that might sound like an obvious goal and one that might not add up, considering they just traded a 25-year-old superstar who just led you to the NBA Finals. However, let’s break down why this is a possibility and how the Celtics could have influenced this move.
The Celtics’ Role in the Luka Trade
It’s long been said that once you win a title, you have a target on your back, and teams are trying to better match up with you. This is especially true if you lose to a team in the Finals. Doncic posted stellar averages of 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. However, his defensive deficiencies were on full display in the Finals. Luka was relentlessly attacked by the Celtics, especially in a close Game 3, where he fouled out. His lack of lateral quickness allowed him to get blown by at a historic rate. Given Nico Harrison’s explanation, it’s reasonable to believe Luka’s performance in the Finals contributed to this decision. Regardless, Luka is a generational offensive talent and is clearly capable of leading his team to a title, making trading him seem rash.
With Davis in the mix now, the Mavericks have one of the most formidable defenses in the league. Davis, alongside Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively (when healthy) is the best frontcourt defense in the league. In a matchup with Boston, the Mavericks’ frontcourt size and defense would be an advantage considering Kristaps Porzingis’ injury history and Al Horford’s age.
The Mavericks wouldn’t have won the title last year with Davis in place of Luka. However, it’s worth wondering if the series would have been closer, especially with Porzingis’ injury in the last three games. While interior defense is the main strength for Dallas after this trade, their perimeter and three-point defense will also improve allowing them to match up better with the Celtics. Dallas could look to add wing defense at the deadline to better match up with the Celtics’ wing duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in a possible Finals rematch.
Matching Up With Other Contenders
Furthermore, when looking at other contenders in the Western Conference, having frontcourt size is crucial. The Denver Nuggets are led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Additionally, the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder have Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Conversely, the Los Angeles Lakers now lack frontcourt size. While the Memphis Grizzlies and the Houston Rockets aren’t viewed as top-tier contenders, both teams have formidable frontcourts, highlighted by Jaren Jackson Jr. and Alperen Sengun, respectively. Other Eastern Conference contenders, like the Cleveland Cavaliers, have an elite frontcourt pairing with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, while the New York Knicks lack frontcourt depth.
With an even more elite frontcourt, it could be argued that the Mavericks now match up better with other contenders. Davis is still a top 10-level player who averaged 31.3 points and 11.2 rebounds in the first 14 games of this season. Earlier in his career with the New Orleans Pelicans, he was a consensus top-three player. Davis is capable of being the focal point of an offense and the top option on a championship team. Between this and the dynamic scoring of Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks are still clear title contenders. An elite guard paired with an elite big man is an ideal fit and makes Dallas a matchup nightmare.
The Last Word
Regardless of these possibilities, this trade is undeniably a massive risk for the Mavericks, and value-wise, it does seem underwhelming. Shrinking your title window by several years is certainly questionable. Ultimately, the Mavericks are going all-in on winning a title within the next few years. If they don’t win a championship, they will look ridiculous for trading a franchise player at 25 years old. All things considered, this is one of the riskiest and most shocking trades in NBA history. However, the Mavericks maximizing their frontcourt size with the hope of matching up with the defending champion Celtics and other contending teams is the best possible explanation for this trade.
Image credit: © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The post How the Celtics Influenced the Luka Doncic Trade appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.