Sometimes, a trade so big happens that nobody believes it.
It was just a regular Saturday night, when Shams Charania tweeted that Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that included Anthony Davis.
The entirety of NBA twitter thought Shams got hacked... but he doubled down that it was, in fact, real:
Yes, this is real. Sources tell ESPN: Full trade:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
- Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
- Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 LAL 1st
- Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers 2nd, 2025 Mavericks 2nd https://t.co/bltojdTaQj
Once other reputable NBA reports confirmed it, the entire NBA landscape had changed: The Lakers just acquired arguably the best player in the world in a deal that saw one of its premier big men go back to the Mavs — which also caused quite the shift in the NBA Finals odds landscape.
NBA Championship odds
| Team |  |
|---|---|
 Boston Celtics |
+225 |
 Oklahoma City Thunder |
+230 |
 Cleveland Cavaliers |
+850 |
 New York Knicks |
+1100 |
 Denver Nuggets |
+1400 |
 Dallas Mavericks |
+2000 |
 Los Angeles Lakers |
+2000 |
 Memphis Grizzlies |
+2500 |
 Los Angeles Clippers |
+2800 |
 Milwaukee Bucks |
+2800 |
Luka Doncic trade moves Lakers title odds from 50/1 to +2000
The immediate aftermath of the Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis blockbuster didn't push either team to favorite status as the Dallas Mavericks remained at 20/1, but the Los Angeles Lakers did take a massive jump from +5000 to +2000.
This trade apparently was so out of left field... that none of the key pieces involved had any idea they could have been dealt:
“This deal materialized in the shadows … LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Anthony Davis had no idea this was coming. I’m told Luka Doncic is still stunned about this trade.”@ShamsCharania on the Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic trade between the Lakers and Mavericks pic.twitter.com/Hp4bL3UX2M
— ESPN (@espn) February 2, 2025
The trade provides more balance for Dallas, which adds one of the league's premier bigs — on both ends of the court — with a dynamic scoring guard in Kyrie Irving. The Lakers are acquiring a 25-year-old Doncic, perhaps the best player in the NBA, to add true star power alongside LeBron James... but sacrifice size and defense as a result.
The favorites still remain the defending champion Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder, but this is a once-in-a-generation trade that has turned the NBA landscape on its head.
Why did the Dallas Mavericks trade Luka Doncic?
It's not immediately known why Dallas suddenly pulled the trigger on dealing one of the faces of the NBA, but ESPN's Tim McMahon speculates that it was due to Luka's questionable conditioning and having to hand him another contract extension next season.
Covers' NBA expert Jon Metler also gave his take on Dallas' reasonings to make a deal now:
Clearly, the Dallas Mavericks felt like Luka Doncic was walking in 2026.
— Jon Metler (@JonMetler) February 2, 2025
Anthony Davis wants to play the four, and this is a dramatic swing for the Mavericks defense—Anthony Davis playing alongside Dereck Lively 😮💨 https://t.co/XAAK5T7kr1
