Further details emerge of Anthony Edwards-Luka Doncic talks before Lakers-Mavericks trade

How close were the two young stars to being traded for each other?

May 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) defends during the third quarter of game four of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The hottest topic in the NBA is still the swap between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, sending Luka Doncic to LA and Anthony Davis to Dallas. That trade happened nearly four weeks ago but it's still the only thing people want to talk about because it was that stunning of a deal given that Doncic is 25 years old, has made five First-Team All-NBAs in a row, and just led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season.

Both Mavericks GM Nico Harrison and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka expressed that the deal was kept between themselves and the owners, and reports came out immediately after that the Mavericks never considered any other offer. But that wasn't entirely true.

Reports surfaced a week or two ago that the Mavericks reached out to the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves to see if either team was interested in a possible trade involving Luka Doncic and either Giannis Antetokounmpo or Anthony Edwards, respectively. Now, some more details have surfaced about the conversation between the Timberwolves and Mavs.

READ MORE: Mavericks' Jason Kidd shares positive injury update on Anthony Davis

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) watches Oklahoma City Thunder during their free throws during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Dallas and Minnesota casually discussed a trade, but Minnesota had no interest. "...league sources tell The Athletic that the Mavericks and Timberwolves informally discussed the prospect of swapping Dončić for 23-year-old, three-time All-Star Anthony Edwards in the weeks before the Lakers deal went down. More specifically, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison reached out to the Timberwolves and asked if there was any chance they’d be willing to trade Edwards. He was promptly told no. The Timberwolves, league sources say, were stunned that Dallas was contemplating parting ways with Dončić."

The Timberwolves weren't the only ones who were surprised that the Mavericks even thought about trading Doncic, much less followed through with it, as Dallas fans are still wildly upset by the deal. It doesn't help that the return package felt lackluster to start and hasn't gotten any better due to the injury to Anthony Davis in his Dallas debut.

It is interesting that the Timberwolves didn't at least have a longer conversation internally about a possible swap, but they actually seem loyal to their franchise superstar. Must be nice.

READ MORE: Pressure on Anthony Davis, not Luka Doncic, if Mavericks-Lakers meet in NBA Playoffs

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