Kevin Durant referred to it as “crazy.” Bill Simmons, the founder of Ringer, called it “the most shocking trade I think in the history of the NBA.” Dirk Nowitzki, a legend of the Dallas Mavericks, could only produce one emoji:
As fans and commentators attempt to process a move so strange that many at first did not think it was genuine, the blockbuster trade to transfer NBA star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers has evoked a mixture of disbelief, disgust, and perplexity.
Shams Charania, the league’s in-house scoopmaster, revealed the news shortly after midnight on Sunday. Even NBA players made jokes and conjectured that Charania’s account had been compromised because the transfer was so abrupt and surprising.
He had to stress that the sale was on more than an hour later: “It’s 1000% real,” he commented on X.
The Mavericks officially welcomed Anthony Davis to the team later on Sunday.
Doncic, a Slovenian player who is 25 years old and has demonstrated the potential to dominate games offensively, is one of the NBA’s most promising young stars. Alongside star player Kyrie Irving, he guided the Mavericks to the NBA Finals the previous season.
However, the team has been somewhat disappointed this season. Doncic has been out since Christmas due to a calf injury, and the Mavericks are currently in eighth place in the Western Conference.
Even the most speculative sports commentators, however, were not considering a trade, much less one in which Dallas would receive comparatively little compensation. The Mavericks are apparently getting one first-round selection in addition to Davis, a 31-year-old center who has also struggled with injuries. In exchange for Mikal Bridges, a gifted player who isn’t thought to be the kind of franchise-defining player that Doncic has become, the New York Knicks handed up five first-round draft picks in July.
Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs and a native of Texas, encapsulated the sentiments of many Mavericks supporters.
Many NBA players voiced their opinions, most of them in shock. Knicks guard Jalen Brunsonon posted recently X, asking, “April fools right?” Every NBA player should keep their suitcases packed, according to a post by CJ McCollum of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Similar to this, NBA punditry surged, with hundreds of emergency podcasts and YouTube videos released.According to the website, a topic concerning the transaction on the NBA-focused Reddit group received almost 16,000 comments. Jokes were flying on social media.
Reports concerning the situations of the teams and individuals involved started to surface following large trades, as is customary. LeBron James, the top player for the Lakers, colorfully refuted one allegation that he and Davis had a falling out. ESPN NBA reporter Dave McMenamin claimed that his sources informed him that James was unaware of the agreement beforehand (NBC News has not confirmed that reporting).
Regarding Dallas’ justification, general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN that “defense wins championships” and that adding Davis will strengthen the team as a whole (Doncic has been under fire for his defense).
That hasn’t done much to lessen the general shock and astonishment that have spread around the NBA community. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who seldom runs out of things to say, may have captured it best: