NBA players sound off on Lakers-Mavericks Luka Dončić trade: ‘Blasphemy’

What did NBA players really think of the controversial Luka Dončić trade?

One thing is certain: They were just as surprised as you were. As part of The Athletic’s annual NBA player poll, we quizzed more than 150 players across all 30 teams on what they made of the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to deal the perennial MVP contender two months ago.

Sixteen players used the word “shocked” in their responses, and 18 deemed it “crazy,” among other more colorful language. “My immediate reaction, word for word,” one player said, “was ‘What the f—?’”

Beyond the preliminary stunning, players described being confused by Dallas’ motivations to swap the then-25-year-old Dončić for 32-year-old Anthony Davis (“I don’t even know if 2K would’ve allowed that trade,” one quipped). Some, however, were — perhaps surprisingly — more understanding of the deal.

“I think it will eventually work out for both sides if all the players are able to stay healthy,” one player said, a reference to the Mavericks’ snakebit injury luck since the deal.

Here are some of the responses around the biggest topic of debate from this season, or perhaps any season, from those who play the game.

‘Fake news?’

Many players didn’t know whether to believe the Dončić trade when ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news on social media at 12:12 a.m. ET on Feb. 2.

“Shocked. I was on the court. … A fan told me at half court. … It’s one of those moments you won’t forget. Like when Michael Jackson died (or) 9-11 happened. Those moments you just know is going to be forever ingrained.”

“F—, I was shocked. I didn’t think that was possible.”

“I told my girl, ‘Turn on ESPN.’ And I was locked in the rest of the night. I think that was like, what, 12? It was like midnight. I didn’t go to sleep until 2, 2:30. I was like, what the hell? I thought it was a joke. I DMed Shams and texted him, was like, ‘Did you get hacked?’ And it was real.”

“It was a head-scratcher. Let’s put it that way.”

“It was disbelief. I thought it was a joke, thought it was a prank.”

“I thought it was fake. I started texting a bunch of people.”

“I didn’t believe it for a second. I talked to my agent and he confirmed it.”

“I didn’t believe it that evening, but when I woke up, I saw it was true.”

“It was the craziest trade I’ve ever seen. I thought it was fake like everyone else did.”

“I thought it was insane. I thought it was fake news at first … I don’t think anybody was expecting that.”

“I woke up; it was about 3, 4 in the morning where I was … I was like, is this the real Shams? That was insane. And then I was like, why? That’s a young superstar.”

“I thought it was just the NBA doing it for viewership.”

“When I’m not with my team, I’m a Mavericks fan … I didn’t know how to process it, because it happened so fast. … I was taken aback. It just let’s you know that nobody is untouchable in this league.”

“I think it was a ballsy decision.”

“It just shows you that the league is unpredictable and you never know what can happen.”

“It’s like a once-in-a-blue-moon type of thing. I don’t think something like that is ever going to happen again, but it definitely got franchise players and star players on edge.”

Luka Dončić, who later revealed that he threw his phone and cracked it when he found out he was being traded, got emotional during a tribute video during his return to the American Airlines Center earlier this month. (Jerome Miron / Imagn Images)

‘A horrible decision’

Most players polled were critical of the Mavericks, so let’s first hit a few rapid-fire thoughts on the decision, while weeding out some duplications…

“Probably the worst decision in modern basketball history. Terrible.”

“Psychotic. It didn’t make sense. I don’t know how you make it make sense.”

“Blasphemy.”

“Bad trade. Keep him. Generational player.”

“The dumbest idea ever.”

“The worst ever.”

“Not smart.”

“It’s one of the worst basketball decisions I’ve ever seen.”

“I don’t like it. I thought it was a bad trade.”

“I think it was the craziest trade in basketball history.”

“I did not think that was a smart decision. Very shocking.”

“I thought it was crazy. I thought it was dumb. I wouldn’t have done it.”

“Shocking. Surprising. Still don’t understand it. Still shocked.”

“Bad for (Mavs’) business. Bad work. Good for the Lakers, though.”

“Stupid … If Luka can get traded, everyone can get traded. So it’s kind of messed up the way that the NBA runs their league.”

“I don’t think they should have traded him. No way. And this is just the short term right now. We’ll see where it’s at five years from now. But you just can’t do that. No way.”

“Nobody’s safe.”

“Didn’t make sense. Didn’t make no sense at all. It’s a business at the end of the day.”

“It was ridiculous and eye-opening and scary to the business side of the NBA.”

“Dallas’ decision? Stupid. Lakers’ decision? Great.”

Some players questioned the return, which was lighter than the Mavericks could have demanded.

“I was in disbelief because if you’re trading a guy like Luka Dončić, you get the entire kitchen sink back. I mean, obviously with Anthony Davis, let’s not act like he’s not a top-75 player and perennial All-Star and an All-NBA guy himself. But you would imagine there would be several first-round picks attached to that, and there wasn’t, so something is going on there.”

“That was a terrible decision. Terrible. … I think Dallas went with a five-year window instead of a 10-year window.”

“I don’t get it. I think (Dončić) is probably the best player in the league for the next 15 years. Maybe there was something behind the scenes we didn’t know about, but I didn’t understand it. At the same time, getting Anthony Davis back is not like any slouch. He’s obviously a star in this league. So superstar for superstar. But I didn’t really understand the trade.”

“If (the Mavericks) feel that was the right move for them to compete for a championship, cool. As far as my opinion, I wouldn’t have traded a player like that, that young, for what they got back. I would’ve tried to get a lot more. A younger player than AD that can be a foundation piece for them. I can see why they did it, but I wouldn’t have done it.”

“I thought it was stupid. Anthony Davis is a top player, but you got a franchise player (in Dončić) who wants to be there. Ride it out with him.”

“Terrible. Wow. Like, what did they do? I thought (the Mavs) were gonna come out of the West again two months ago. That was terrible, man. I don’t care how you slice it. To not get back what they should’ve gotten back is ridiculous. Messed the league up.”

Pushing the ‘narrative’

Players disagreed with the team’s choice, of course, but also the timing — Dončić led the team to the NBA Finals less than a year ago — and the manner in which the decision-makers went about making the trade, including leaking concerns about Dončić’s skill set, conditioning and off-court habits.

“Terrible decision. If (Dončić) came in weighing 500 pounds, so what? He’s still averaging damn near a 30-point triple-double.”

“Crazy. Shocking. Franchise player. I guess it got to the point where you have to be in shape, have to be likable, all the things they tell you about in the draft.”

“They didn’t get a less injury-prone player [in Davis]. I think it’s bad because you didn’t get someone who is going to be more active than what you had.”

“I think that s— was idiotic, but I don’t think it was a bad trade. I just think that the way they did it and everything about it was idiotic. I think them shopping the franchise (face) of their organization — for a lot of players who already feel that this is a business (like), ‘The motherf—ers don’t care about you,’ I think it sets an example, like, ‘All right, why should I give a f— about this team if this is how they’re going (to treat me)? I came in here and I was All-NBA, like, five times in six seasons, an MVP candidate, and don’t even get told about none of this.’ I’m like, ‘This organization doesn’t give a f— about me. Why would I give a f— about any organization?’”

“(I) didn’t agree with it. You don’t trade somebody like Luka, regardless of the stuff you want to say about him. You turn the other cheek. There are some players you just don’t trade, I don’t care.”

“Really puzzling. I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand it. I understand what they’re talking about as far as the defense goes, but every player has strengths and weaknesses, and Luka’s offensive strength outweighs his defensive weaknesses by a wide margin. So, to be concerned about that, I don’t understand why you would trade a player like that in any circumstance. I’m sure there were tons of other avenues they could have exhausted to get the effort they wanted out of him before pushing that button.”

“Insane. I don’t like how they pushed a narrative after. If you just wanted to trade him, then stand on it.”

“It shows you in this league, nobody is safe. It’s a business so they don’t care who you are, what you do. If they don’t see you in their vision right now, then they’ll see your ass tomorrow. They’re going to let you go like you were never there. So you can’t have no feelings in this.”

“Everybody talks about his defense and all that, but I just don’t think you trade a generational motherf—er like that. I feel like you can find three, four hungry people in the league who are going to come in and pick up the slack. And obviously in today’s league, I feel like there’s always one person on the floor who can’t shoot it as well. I feel like Jason Kidd is a smart coach. He could have found ways to hide him [on defense] or make him a helper. I feel like they could have went into the summer and had a grown-man conversation so you make Luka the one who ultimately makes the decision for the front office. If he don’t want to play defense, all right, now it’s time to — we already talked about it. And they’ve been keeping him accountable. Just being around him, I feel like he’ll take feedback. But I feel like they should have went into the summer and then talked that out. That’s crazy.”

“Terrible. It doesn’t even make sense. It’s stupid. The face of Dallas should have been there his whole career. They just went to the finals (in 2024). It makes no sense. And then they got another team in the West better. If they would’ve traded to an East Coast team, then, ‘Yeah, OK, he’s over there. We don’t have to see him.’ But come on. Weird.”

“Although I understand why they did it, I think it was a bad idea because a player like Luka doesn’t just come around everyday. You see as soon as he goes to the Lakers, they’re second in the West. You see how they’re playing.”

“That was wild. That was a bad choice. Now look at them (Dallas finished the season 13-20 after the trade and fell to 10th in the West).”

“I think from the other standpoint of the fan base totally embracing him, he represented the city of Dallas in a great way, and they just traded him. And I think how good he is as a player showed the way nobody really talks about AD. It’s just, like, ‘They got rid of Luka.’ But I do think L.A. will be a good spot for him. They’ll be able to build a good team for him. I think with his personality, the way he is, L.A. is a good spot for him.”

“It was very weird, very unorthodox. Definitely not the norm. I don’t really know too much about the situation, but just from looking straight-on from what we do know, that just don’t make no sense. He just took you to the finals and being hurt as well, and he’s still young. It definitely is something that just came out of nowhere.”

“It just shows you that’s just the league. Not one person is bigger than the organization. Anybody can get traded, no matter what they say. It could happen to anybody.”

“That was one of the biggest trades, in my opinion, since LeBron went to Miami from Cleveland … I love AD, and what he did for L.A., and the respect I have for him is sky-high. In my mind, I never thought that they would trade AD. I never thought that, after him being there, bringing a championship, going through all the turmoil they went through and everything, ’Bron saying it was all going to be run through him. Just seeing that. … I just thought that they were going to make that work, somehow. I just didn’t think they would trade AD and Luka, especially in a way like that. It was just so anonymous.”

“Dallas did Luka Dončić wrong.”

Mavericks fans hold up a sign calling for the job of general manager Nico Harrison a little over a week after the trade. Such protests have not abated. (Tim Heitman / Getty Images)

‘A win-win’

Some players struck a different tone when discussing the trade, seeing the benefit for both teams.

“I think it was a good trade on both ends. I feel like L.A. got two steps better with Luka. And I feel like AD is going to fit perfect in Dallas. I feel like it wasn’t a trade where you’re just, like, ‘Oh, they won it.’ Or, ‘They won it.’ I feel like the swap was great.”

“I feel like it worked out for both parties. The Lakers got their future star because LeBron is probably gonna retire in the next year or two. Dallas wanted to win now. They needed another defensive stopper. They got Kyrie (Irving) over there. They got a lot of wings and role players, so I think it worked for both teams.”

“I don’t think it was bad. I think it was just two different outlooks on what gets the job done. If you look in the past, they’ve had success. So they know better than what we know, and I think if AD gets back to a healthy level, then everything would be good for both sides.”

“I see both sides. A lot of people want to say it was dumb. I see the vision. I could see both teams benefiting. I think the Lakers probably benefited a little bit more as far as longevity. But if Dallas wants to win now, it’s not a bad move.”

“I was shocked, but it made sense. Money-wise, they didn’t wanna pay him all that money. They’re all hurt right now, but I actually thought it was a good trade.”

“Thought it was a win-win, short term. I thought Dallas won it short term, even though, obviously in hindsight, Anthony got hurt. I think the Lakers won long term. In actuality, the Lakers won short term and long term, the way that it happened. (But) you’ve got to have some people that defend to win a championship. I think that’s what Dallas was looking at, and we know Luka’s not that.”

“I mean, would I have done it? No. But the business side, it is what it is. That’s the business side of it. I don’t have any opinions on it for real. You got back Anthony Davis. If your opinion, if you think defense is what matters the most, then that’s on you. That man just led y’all to the NBA Finals the year before. But to each his own. I think it’s good for the league he’s in L.A.”

“I guess [the Mavs] wanted somebody to play defense and offense.”

‘It backfired’

Other players saw the vision but still disagreed with the deal.

“I wouldn’t have done that. I see what they were trying to do though. In a perfect world, if everybody was healthy right now, maybe it’d be something else. But I’m not giving away a superstar that young, personally. I would have stuck with him. I definitely would have talked to him at least. I wouldn’t have just shipped him like that. Nah, he just took us to the finals. I’m not doing that to him.”

“Look, there are a lot of things behind the trade that we don’t know. I will never judge something until I hear the whole story, both sides. But you know, it’s pretty shocking for a franchise player, that young and promising as he is. I don’t think it’s a great idea.”

“I thought they should have kept him. I think the Lakers benefited from it. But it’s tough to say right now, because the Mavericks are depleted with injuries. I would love to see what they look like next year with everybody healthy. But right now, I think the Lakers won that trade for sure.”

“I think it backfired on them with guys getting hurt. But in the moment, I feel like if those guys were healthy, that was a win-now trade. And the Lakers were trading for the future. They got their young star. But it backfired [for Dallas], so it’s an ‘F’ now.”

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Give it time

Another group of players felt the need to continue to reserve judgment on the deal.

“I think time will tell, but I think Dallas made the trade expecting Anthony Davis to be healthy.”

“Hindsight is always 20/20, but if you look at [the Mavs] now, it looks like a bad thing right now. But we’ll see how it unfolds later on down the line.”

“I don’t have too many thoughts about it, whether it’s bad or good. Obviously with Kyrie getting hurt, it didn’t help. But they make those decisions, they make them.”

“Can’t say it’s good or bad yet.”

“It definitely had to be a business decision. A lot of (people) won’t understand. But they felt like it was necessary, so we’ve got to live with the result. It’s part of the game that we play in.”

“I think it was a crazy decision, but I’m sure whatever they got going on over there is in their best interest.”

“Crazy. But [Mavs GM Nico Harrison] believed in what he was doing, so we will see how that goes.”

Of questionable motivation?

Some players perhaps saw personal benefit in the swap.

“I think it’s phenomenal decision. So smart. Wise. I’m a Nico Harrison fan.”

“Thank you. I love it.”

“I wasn’t mad at it.”

(Photo illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Jerome Miron/Imagn Images, Luke Hales/Getty Images)

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