Even nearly a month later, most basketball fans still cannot wrap their heads around “the trade.” Before the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Anthony Davis. Many were shocked by this move as neither star was considered a potential trade candidate.
On Tuesday night, the Lakers and Mavericks met up for the first time since the trade went down. Doncic recorded 19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and two blocks in a victory. Davis, however, was inactive as he is dealing with a groin injury. Even so, the Lakers gave Davis a tribute video regardless.
Tribute to a Lakers legend: Anthony Davis 💜 pic.twitter.com/IbhmfrGkju
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 26, 2025
Though he is no longer with the Lakers, it is clear that the organization still has love for him. Additionally, Lakers president Jeanie Buss also recently opened up about the trade. In doing so, she revealed that the Lakers “were not looking to” trade the one-time NBA Champion.
“You know, in my position, there are certain players in the league that you think, ‘There’s no way I’ll ever have that player on my team.’ It’s just impossible. Unless you draft a star like that, they usually don’t move. When the opportunity came up, we were not looking to move Anthony Davis. He was our rock-solid player, and so we had to give up a lot to get Luka… I look back, and the last time I saw Kobe alive was about a month before he passed. He had brought Gigi to a Lakers game to see Luka play because Luka was Gigi’s favorite player. The idea that Luka is now a Laker—I know how happy that would make Kobe and Gigi.”
Los Angeles Lakers President Gets Real About Prior Anthony Davis Trade Plans
Anthony Davis Was Not the Only Laker Traded
While Davis and Doncic were the headliners of the trade, Max Christie was another asset that got sent out to Dallas. Through his first nine games with the Mavericks, Christie is averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1 steal. He is also shooting 44.2% from the three-point line.
Before his matchup against his old team, the Michigan State alum opened up about the deal and revealed he had “zero seconds of sleep that night.”
“I had my suspicions when I got that call,” Christie, 22, told Andscape after a 126-102 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. “The emotions at that moment obviously were pretty overwhelming. And then going back to the hotel room, I got zero seconds of sleep that night. I was up from 12 [a.m.] to 8:15 [a.m.] I had a flight the next morning at 8:30 to go to Dallas.”
In his first game against the Lakers, Christie recorded 10 points, six assists, one rebound, and one block.
The Last Word
Davis will have just one more chance to take on his former team this season. The Lakers will visit Dallas on April 9. Since this is one of the final games of the season, this could have major playoff implications for both teams. Until then, it will be worth monitoring both teams to see how far they can go after the trade.
© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
