Mavericks make baffling move with Luka Doncic trade

Doncic has been out since Christmas Day with a calf injury, but the Mavericks expected him back before the All-Star break. Instead, he's heading to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he'll team up with LeBron James.

In return, Dallas received Anthony Davis, who is a 10-time All-Star and one of the league's best defensive players — but six years older than Doncic. It also received 21-year-old Max Christie and the Lakers' first-round pick in 2029. Considering that zero-time All-Star Mikal Bridges netted five first-round picks, plus a first-round pick swap, it's stunning that the Mavericks couldn't get more for a young superstar who led them to the NBA Finals last season.

Mavericks GM Nico Harrison insisted that the deal was purely about improving the team "now and in the future," telling ESPN, "I believe defense wins championships."

There's been frustration in Dallas with Doncic in the past. He's often shown no interest in his conditioning, appearing out of shape, and has reportedly been seen smoking cigarettes before games. Head coach Jason Kidd has criticized Doncic for his constant arguing with referees, often to the detriment of getting back on defense. Doncic was going to become eligible for a five-year contract this summer worth $345 million.

But Doncic is still a guy considered to be one of the NBA's top five players. It's hard to imagine Dallas settling for this trade without something else happening behind the scenes, whether it was a trade demand or a falling out with management or the Mavericks' new owners, Miriam Adelson and her casino-owning family.

Maybe Dallas loves Christie. Maybe it has some advanced metric that says Davis is more valuable than Doncic, and it didn't want to extend Doncic. But on its face, this looks like the Lakers get one of the NBA's biggest stars one month shy of his 26th birthday at a massive discount.