Mavericks receive abysmal grade for trading Luka Doncic to Los Angeles Lakers

The Dallas Mavericks pulled off one of the most shocking trades in NBA history over the weekend, sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, with some other pieces trading hands. It was universally panned by everybody almost immediately.

ESPN's Kevin Pelton released grades for the trade, giving the Lakers an "A", the Jazz a "B", and the Mavericks an "F".

Every grade there makes sense. The Lakers completely and shockingly reset their timeline by acquiring a 25-year-old megastar before he even hits his prime without giving up major assets. They surrendered an aging Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and one future first-round pick. That's it. This is a trade you do every single time. The Jazz were just trade facilitators to take on extra salary and got picks, there's no downside.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic reacts after a three-point shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first 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

Here is part of Pelton's explanation for giving the Mavericks an "F".

"Don't take my grade as a dismissal of Davis, who earned one of my votes to start the All-Star Game in the Western Conference frontcourt this season. Although Davis hasn't been quite as dominant defensively as when he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2019-20 and the Lakers won the championship, his 30% usage rate is his highest with the Lakers and has come with only modest decline in terms of efficiency.
The biggest issue here is simply the aging curve. As he approaches his mid-30s, Davis is likely to see his production decline just as Doncic is reaching his peak years. By 2027, when Dallas will send a top-2 protected pick to the Charlotte Hornets from the Washington deal, Davis will be 34. By 2030, when the last of the Mavericks' pick obligations (a swap with the San Antonio Spurs) conveys, Davis will be 37. It's probable Davis will still be a good player by then, perhaps even an All-Star. It's unrealistic to expect he'll be as good as Doncic.
...
Let's stipulate the Mavericks were right to be concerned about Doncic's conditioning, as ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported, or even that his impressive stats overstated his impact. (That case is getting harder to make with each loss, particularly in the wake of last year's Finals run.)
If all that is true, Dallas still should have gotten more in return for Doncic. I suppose I can understand wanting to avoid the distraction of open bidding for Doncic -- and the Mavericks did manage to keep their negotiations historically quiet -- but the only way that works is to use the threat of hanging up the phone to get the best package possible.
It's inconceivable Dallas didn't end up with everything of value the Lakers had to offer in this trade, including the 2031 first-rounder, Knecht and pick swaps. Given Doncic's desirability, the Mavericks should have operated with maximum leverage instead of making a deal short of perfect. Even if things work out perfectly, in an analogy befitting the team's ownership, Dallas left money on the table."

Everything Pelton says in his spiel (that goes on much longer than that) is true. As great as Anthony Davis is, he just isn't Luka Doncic. This trade tears the relationship between the fans and the team, they didn't get nearly as much as they should've, and they traded a perennial MVP candidate in his prime. None of it makes sense.

The Full Breakdown Of The Luka Doncic Trade

Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 Lakers first-round pick

Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris

Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers second-round pick, 2025 Mavericks second-round pick

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