The initial reaction of many, especially Mavericks fans, to Dallas's blockbuster trade of superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team deal was shock. Many of those same people were also perplexed at the fact that the Mavericks seemingly eschewed any long-term visions of the future with the 25-year-old Doncic for a more short-term vision with the 31-year-old Davis.
But some, namely Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and TNT's Inside the NBA analyst Shaquille O'Neal, more clearly see the deal's upside for the Mavericks. During TNT's pregame show before the game between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaq offered a take on the Mavs' surprising trade of Doncic likely to be viewed as unpopular by some.
"For the next 2 years, I think Dallas won that trade." 👀
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 5, 2025
Shaq on the Luka & AD trade. pic.twitter.com/wkCrTxtcSI
"There's a lot of speculation, 'Can him [Doncic] and 'Bron [LeBron James] play with each other?' The answer is yes, of course they can play with each other. It's going to be interesting. However, I think Dallas got the better of the trade ... For the next two years anyway."
It's certainly not a popular take, but also not a completely outrageous one. Davis, a 10-time All-Star and NBA champion with the Lakers who finished second in the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year voting, is still one of the best big men in the league, a versatile inside-outside scorer and stout defender of the paint.
Davis isn't the offensive player that Doncic, who just last year led the NBA in scoring at 33.9 points per game, is. But he's skilled enough to hold his own offensively and has proven he can anchor a championship-level defense.
Put it all together and, provided Davis and Kyrie Irving stay healthy (not always a guarantee in their respective careers), it's not hard to see Shaq's vision. Unfortunately for Dallas, they may need to win a title in the next two seasons for this trade to be deemed anything remotely close to a win in the eyes of many, particularly the organization's fanbase.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shaq Has Contrarian Take on Mavericks' Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis Trade.
