The Dallas Mavericks stunned the basketball world on Saturday night by parting ways with the face of their franchise.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Mavericks traded five-time All-Star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, among other assets, in a three-team blockbuster deal.
Doncic, 25, has been one of the brightest stars in all of basketball since the Mavericks selected him with the No. 3 pick in 2018. Doncic is coming off his best season as a pro in 2023-24 when he averaged a career-high 33.9 points per game and led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals.
Although the Mavericks had struggled to a 26–23 record this season and currently sit eighth in the Western Conference, all signs pointed to Dallas being championship contenders for years to come with Doncic and Kyrie Irving as its one-two punch. So, why did the Mavericks trade away Doncic?
ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Saturday that the Mavericks had "major concerns" about two things when it came to Doncic's future—his conditioning issues and committing to another supermax contract extension, which he would have been able to sign this coming offseason.
The Mavs had major concerns about moving forward with Luka Doncic due to his constant conditioning issues and the looming commitment of another supermax contract extension this summer, sources told ESPN.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 2, 2025
Doncic's conditioning has been put into question at times over his career, and he has even admitted to being out of shape in the past. Doncic is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game this season but has been out since late December with calf issues.
Doncic has two years remaining on his contract and will make $45.9 million next season and $48.9 million in 2026-27. He would have been eligible to sign a five-year contract extension worth a reported $345 million this summer, but the Mavericks are opting to change course in their franchise's future.
Doncic now will join LeBron James in his pursuit of another NBA championship in Los Angeles.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Two Reasons Behind Mavericks' Shocking Decision to Trade Luka Doncic to Lakers.
