On Saturday night, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks turned the NBA world on its head, as a trade for the ages sent guard Luka Doncic to the former team and center Anthony Davis to the latter.
The nitty-gritty of the deal was shocking enough, but ESPN's Shams Charania reported a further element to the deal that defied comprehension: neither of its principals, nor uber-connected Lakers forward LeBron James, knew it was coming.
"I'm told Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, LeBron James—the players, coaches... had no idea. I can assuredly tell you, it's a fact, LeBron James had no idea this was coming," Charania said.
“This deal materialized in the shadows … LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Anthony Davis had no idea this was coming. I’m told Luka Doncic is still stunned about this trade.”@ShamsCharania on the Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic trade between the Lakers and Mavericks pic.twitter.com/Hp4bL3UX2M
— ESPN (@espn) February 2, 2025
That tracks with reporting from Charania's ESPN colleague, Dave McMenamin, who said James was taken by surprise while eating dinner with his family.
"This deal materialized in the shadows. This came out of nowhere," Charania said. "Definitely the most stunning trade that I've been a part of in recent NBA history."
More of the Latest Around the NBA
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shams Charania Says Blockbuster Luka-AD Trade ‘Materialized in the Shadows’.
