Luka Doncic Trade Leaves Looming Question for Knicks

Mikal Bridges needed five first-round picks to be traded to the New York Knicks, while the Los Angeles Lakers only needed one for Luka Doncic.

Feb 1, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are no stranger to blockbuster trades, but they took a step back after the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in a stunning three-team deal.

The NBA hasn't seen a trade this shocking since the summer when the Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns.

For those trades, the Knicks needed to send five first-round picks for Bridges and a three-time All-Star, Donte DiVincenzo and one first-round pick for Towns. When stacking them up to Doncic's trade return package — Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round pick — how do they compare?

First-round picks are often viewed as gold to some teams, especially to the Brooklyn Nets, who were looking to replenish their cabinets as much as possible after going years without any future draft capital. But that doesn't mean each front office views everything the same way.

The Mavs made this move because they don't want to "rebuild." They felt Doncic was not properly taking care of himself, which led to acquiring Davis, who has been arguably one of the top 10 players in the league this season. Pairing him with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson is what Mavs general manager Nico Harrison thinks is best for the rest of the season.

Comparing this trade with what the Knicks have done is natural, but the circumstances are extremely different. It doesn't mean the valuations of these players are wrong because the teams making trades had opposite motivations.

At the end of the day, teams are going to do what they feel is best for them regardless of how other teams feel about it. Is that the best way to conduct business? Maybe it would have behooved the Mavs to seek out better offers, but for the time being, they have to accept their choices, just like the Knicks have with their trades.

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