By Jackson Melin
From left to right: Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis. Photo by ESPN
On Feb. 2 the Dallas Mavericks had a blockbuster trade package that included point guard Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Mavericks received power forward Anthony Davis.
The trade was seen as a surprise to analysts and players. On social media, Mavericks fans felt betrayed by the transaction.
Many speculated the reason as to why the team would trade Dončić for an older player in Davis. Both players have many of the same accolades: All-Stars status, All-NBA team affiliations and Olympic achievements. However, among popular media, there seems to be a consensus winner of this trade. That being the Lakers.
Some insider reports have stated that the Mavericks had concerns with Dončić’s conditioning and weight gain. Another rumor in this trade was his contract. He’s eligible for a sizeable extension in the next couple of years and is slated to earn over $50-60 million per year. Juxtaposed to Davis, who is currently under a 3-year $186 million contract.
Additional information was leaked about the trade that said the Lakers didn’t plan on resigning him.
Injuries have plagued Davis throughout his career, causing him to miss months at a time. He has missed a total of 134 games over the past five and a half seasons.
In their debut games, Davis outperformed Dončić. Davis scored 26 points on 55% shooting, with 16 rebounds and seven assists. Dončić meanwhile scored 14 points on 35% shooting, with five rebounds and four assists.
But once again, Davis sustained an injury. A left adductor strain left him sidelined for the next two weeks.
Dončić also suffered a calf injury, which limited him day-to-day. Thus far, he’s had career lows in points scored and field goal percentage. However, he went on to score 32 points en route to a Lakers victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Without Davis, the Mavericks will hope to hold onto their eighth seed playoff record by relying on guards Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson.