The sports world was rocked late Saturday night when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Don膷i膰 to the Los Angeles Lakers.聽
The trade heard around the sports world Saturday night will have implications in the NBA for the next decade and perhaps longer longer.聽Don膷i膰, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris are heading to the Lakers as part of a three-team trade.
The Mavericks got Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers' 2029 first round pick in return while the Jazz acquired Jalen Hood-Schifino, the Los Angeles Clippers' 2025 second round pick and the Mavericks' 2025 second round pick to help round out the deal.
It is the biggest trade in the NBA since at least 1975 when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Lakers. It is certainly the most shocking trade ever, especially when considering that this is the information age and stars often demand trades before they happen.
Don膷i膰 did not request a trade according to reports.聽Nobody, not even the best NBA insiders saw this trade coming. The shocking nature of this deal could wind up being a good thing for the league.
The NBA has left the national sports conversation among casual fans in recent years. Since the 2019 finals, no NBA game has had more than 15 million people watch. For reference, over 31 million people watched Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
The聽Don膷i膰 trade put the NBA at the top of the national sports conversation during Super Bowl week. That alone was a feat that seemed impossible just a week ago. Just the intrigue of this deal is good for the NBA as a whole.
Typically when a trade occurs, it's a player attempting to force his way out of an organization and into a better situation. That is not what happened here.聽Don膷i膰 did not want to leave Dallas and it was the Mavericks who called the Lakers about trading the 25 year-old, five time first team All-NBA player.
If you are a Mavericks fan, you are likely upset and you should be. Trading a young superstar just entering his prime years who had no desire to leave your organization is baffling. Even more concerning if you're a fan is the return.
Trading Don膷i膰 for a 31 year-old Davis, a role player and a first round pick in four years is a gross miscalculation of how valuable聽Don膷i膰 is. The Mavericks say this is a win-now move, but trading a star in his prime for a top five player in the sport does not help you win championships in the short term.聽
If I were a Mavericks fan, I would be disgusted a player who was tracking to be the best player in the history of the franchise was traded for 50 cents on the dollar.聽
As a massive NBA fan, I'm excited to see the new look league. The last move this big was when LeBron James joined the Miami Heat. That generated a ton of interest in the league and drove fans to their televisions to see how that team would work.聽Don膷i膰 to the Lakers could have a similar effect and as a basketball fan I hope it does.聽
Super Bowl Prediction
Chiefs 28, Eagles 24
The Kansas City Chiefs are the best situational football team I have ever seen, and the numbers bear that out.
Super Bowls are typically close games, decided by plays in the final minutes. In a game expected to be tight there is no way I can go against the Chiefs.
Kansas City has won 17 consecutive one-score games dating back to 2023, an NFL record.聽
That is not a streak of luck or referees' favoritism, that is a streak about the quarterback and the coach.聽
Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid may be the most dominant coach and quarterback duo in NFL history. On Sunday that dominance will continue.
The game will be close, the Eagles will have some success and I expect it to be a thriller. At the end of the day, there is no way I can bet against Reid and Mahomes.
I trust the Chiefs to make one or two more plays than the Eagles and cement themselves as the greatest dynasty in the history of the NFL with a third straight Super Bowl.聽
