Nobody expected the mega-trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, including the players involved.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison was candid in his surprising motivation to trade Doncic, which led to fury amongst the team's fanbase. Harrison said that "defense wins championships" through ESPN quickly following the move, speaking to his rationale in prioritizing Davis and his willingness to deal Doncic.
The Mavs had a quick turnaround after the franchise-changing and league-altering move, as they prepared for a Sunday matinee in Cleveland against the Cavaliers. Of course, 15 hours after the trade, the story wasn't anywhere close to the game on the court.
Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News spoke with Mavericks forward Naji Marshall before the game Sunday, who said that although he hasn't yet spoken directly to Doncic, the superstar had a simple message for his former teammates: "Thanks for everything."
“I was surprised like everyone else. Very good dude. Good teammate. I look forward to playing him again," Marshall said Sunday via Curtis and The Dallas Morning News.
Naji Marshall just told me he hasn’t spoken directly to Luka Doncic yet, but he said the former Mavs superstar texted the team’s group chat & said: “Thanks for everything.”
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) February 2, 2025
Marshall: “I was surprised like everyone else. Very good dude. Good teammate. I look forward to playing…
The shocking trade will take a while to digest, but the NBA keeps going. What a sad vibe in the team group chat as they were clearly stunned, too.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luka Doncic Dropped a Three-Word Message Into Mavericks’ Team Group Chat After Trade.
