The Dallas Mavericks‘ stunning decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis has sent shockwaves around the NBA. In the time since the news broke, everyone has been asking the same question: “Why?”
Why would the Mavericks, less than a year removed from a trip to the Finals, trade their 25-year-old face of the franchise, who has earned All-NBA First Team honors in each of the last five seasons and is on course to be an all-time great? Here’s what Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison had to say in the immediate aftermath:
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Harrison told ESPN. “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”
Swapping Doncic for Davis will certainly improve the Mavericks’ defense. Davis is a five-time All-Defensive honoree, elite rim protector — currently fourth in the league at 2.1 blocks per game — and versatile athlete who can extend to the perimeter when necessary. Doncic, meanwhile, is widely regarded as a liability on that side of the ball.
The major question, of course, is whether or not improving on defense in the short term is worth losing one of the most talented players in the league. For all of Doncic’s faults, he led the team to the Finals last season and is an offense unto himself. Now he’s gone, and the Mavericks’ two best players are both in their 30s. As talented as Davis and Kyrie Irving are, neither is capable of shouldering the burden Doncic has throughout his career.
While Harrison focused on defense in his initial statement to the press, there are reports that suggest the team had other issues with Doncic — namely his poor health and conditioning. Via Dave McMenamin:
The Mavericks were motivated to move Doncic due to his constant conditioning concerns, sources told ESPN. There had been significant frustration within the organization about Doncic’s lack of discipline regarding his diet and conditioning, which team sources considered a major factor in his injury issues.
Doncic, who has been sidelined since Christmas Day with a calf injury, has routinely shown up out of shape and has never played more than 72 games in a season. Per McMenamin, Doncic has weighed as much as 260 pounds this season.
The deal is all the more surprising considering that Doncic had not requested a trade, according to Marc Stein. In fact, the Mavericks were planning to give Doncic a five-year, $345 million contract extension this summer until Harrison reportedly changed course.
Did Harrison make the right decision? The initial consensus is no, but only time will tell.
