The Los Angeles Lakers were able to acquire Luka Doncic for less than the Dallas Mavericks wanted to give in return.
The Athletic's Fred Katz, Joe Vardon, and Sam Amick reported that due to the secrecy of negotiations, the Lakers couldn't reach out to Doncic to gauge his interest in being with the franchise long-term. As a result, Los Angeles told the Mavericks the franchise couldn't go all-in on a trade for the 25-year-old star. Dallas general manager Nico Harrison relented in his demands.
From the piece:
"So without the ability to gauge Dončić’s appetite to remain in L.A. long term, the Lakers expressed they couldn’t go all the way in for him, league sources said. And the Mavericks acquiesced, eventually agreeing to deal Dončić, along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris for Davis, Christie and one first-rounder. For salary-cap reasons, the Jazz also took on Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-round picks."
That's smart business by Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. He was able to land Doncic while only surrendering one first-round pick while holding on to Austin Reaves.
The Athletic's report added this kicker to the story:
Now that the trade is official, answers are emerging. Dončić is ecstatic about joining the Lakers, and all early signs point to a long-term future with the team, a league source said."
The Mavericks landed an All-NBA player in Davis and an emerging three-and-D wing in Christie, while adding a first-round pick. But they clearly could have gotten more from the Lakers to consummate the deal.
More of the Latest Around the NBA
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mavericks Lowered Their Asking Price for Luka Doncic Trade After Lakers Pushed Back.
