One team wasn’t as eager as the Lakers to acquire Luka Doncic.
As concern within the Mavericks front office grew over Doncic’s durability and commitment to conditioning, they approached at least one other team two weeks ago about possibly swapping Doncic for another star, according to The Athletic.
But that undisclosed team rejected the Mavericks’ offer, allowing the Lakers to land Doncic.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said during Sunday’s press conference announcing the trade that he had not discussed trading Doncic with any other team, however.
Nico Harrison arrives to the arena before a Mavericks-Spurs game on Oct. 24, 2024. NBAE via Getty Images
As part of the stunning three-team trade early Sunday morning, the Lakers received Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, the Mavericks received Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick and the Jazz received Jalen Hood-Schifino, the Clippers’ 2025 second-round pick and the Mavericks’ 2025 second-round selection.
The trade shocked the NBA world, with most holding the sentiment that the Mavericks did not get enough in return.
Adding to the surprise, there had been almost no reporting or rumors that the Mavericks were looking to trade Doncic.
The Lakers acquired Luka Doncic from the Mavericks as part of a stunning blockbuster trade. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
“I think the long-term is the time frame,” Harrison said on Sunday at a press conference announcing the trade. “[Davis] fits our time-frame. If you pair him with Kyrie [Irving] and the rest of the guys, he fits right along with our time-frame to win now and win in the future.
“And the future to me is three, four years from now. Ten years from now, they’ll probably bury me and [head coach Jason Kidd] by then. Or we bury ourselves.”
Harrison said that he and Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka had been discussing the trade for weeks and that Kidd was unaware of the negotiations.
Anthony Davis looks on during the Lakers-Celtics game on Jan. 23, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images
“I’d like to give Rob Pelinka a lot of credit,” Harrison said. “Trades don’t happen, at the smallest level, without stuff getting out. Rob and I were able to have really intense conversations over the course of three or four weeks. It started out as a coffee [meetings], it was more ‘hey, would you ever?’ ‘Uh, I don’t know, would I? Let me think.’ It built upon that.
“We kept it between us. We had to, we had to keep it tight. [Kidd] didn’t know about it. But [Kidd] and I are aligned and we talk about archetypes and we talk about the culture we want to create. I know the type of players that he likes without actually talking to him.”
