The NBA world is still processing the biggest trade in league history – the February 2025 blockbuster that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Mavericks.
But nine months later, the real secret behind the deal has emerged: the swap wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment pivot, but the result of months of hidden tension in Los Angeles and a quiet, calculated push from Dallas that began long before anyone realized Davis could be moved.
Behind closed doors, Davis had been pressing the Lakers for more frontcourt help as far back as early 2024. His camp met with the front office to stress the need for another center – not as a demand to leave, but as a strategy to preserve his long-term health after years of wear and tear.
Davis believed the Lakers needed to return to the formula that won them the 2020 championship, with him at the four next to a true five. The Lakers, however, didn’t see adding a center as a core priority. Their focus was on Austin Reaves’ development, roster flexibility, and planning for a post-LeBron James future.
As the 2024-25 season began, quiet friction grew. Davis played well, stayed healthy, and meshed with new head coach JJ Redick – but the front office continued to worry: Was Davis still the long-term star to build around?
Enter Dallas.
Davis dug his own grave
When Mavs general manager Nico Harrison learned the Lakers were quietly gauging Davis’ trade value for the 2025 offseason, he moved instantly. Harrison and Pelinka had a long-standing relationship from their Nike and agent days, giving them a rare level of trust.
Their early December talks were kept so secret that even Rich Paul – Davis’ agent – wasn’t aware the Lakers were simultaneously assessing Doncic’s future in Dallas.
By mid-January, the Lakers’ internal concerns reached a breaking point. Davis’ public interview with ESPN’s Shams Charania – in which he openly pushed for another big and referenced the 2020 title blueprint – was interpreted by some in the front office as a direct critique of their team-building. It became the “last straw,” according to Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel.
With both organizations aligned and needing a third team for salary mechanics, the Lakers, Mavericks, and Jazz quietly finalized the most stunning star-for-star trade of the century. The reaction across the league was immediate disbelief – many assumed Shams’ report was fake until confirmations followed.
Nearly a year later, the fallout is dramatic.
AD and Luka are like light and shadow
Doncic immediately signed a three-year, $165 million extension and has the Lakers near the top of the West at 8-4 – all without LeBron on the floor. His chemistry with Reaves has fast-tracked the post-LeBron era Los Angeles hoped for.
In Dallas, the story is the opposite. Davis has again battled injuries, the Mavs have stumbled to 3-9, and Harrison was fired amid organizational turmoil. Davis’ future, once the centerpiece of a calculated gamble, is suddenly the biggest question mark in the NBA.
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