NEW DELHI — The course of the 2024-25 NBA season took a huge turn on Sunday
(IST) with reports of Dallas Mavericks’ franchise player Luka Doncic having
been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers sending shockwaves throughout the
association.
As reported by ESPN, Mavericks have agreed to send Luka
Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, reserve
guard Max Christie as 2029 first-round draft pick.
The news broke during the game between Phoenix Suns and
Portland Trail Blazers, Kevin Durant was seen looking in disbelief on the bench
upon hearing the news. The two-time NBA Champion reacted to the news after
losing 108-120 at the Moda Center.
"Insane. It’s crazy, crazy. I never would have thought
Luka Doncic would get traded at this age, mid-season. The NBA is a wild place,”
said Durant to reporters post-game.
The 2013-14 NBA MVP then went on to point out the fact that
a move of this magnitude might cause a chain reaction throughout the
association and potentially lead to more teams making more trades ahead of the
deadline.
"When you start seeing stuff like that, as an
organization, you might get a little more courage to make moves. You see
another team trade away somebody like that—this has got to be the biggest trade
I’ve seen since I’ve been in the league or since I’ve been watching the sport.
"This is insane. So yeah, every other team might get
confidence and say, I’ll trade a few of my top players if this ain’t
working," Durant commented on other teams starting to make similar trades.
The report further stated this deal materialised in the
shadows, and even Lakers’ star LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Davis
and Doncic were both not involved in the decision.
Questions arise as Lakers will certainly be thinking about
life after LeBron, who turned 40 in December, and whether a potential move for
NBA’s all-time top scorer is on the cards soon.
