Editor’s Notes: Grading Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade

On Sunday afternoon in the Philippines, the NBA world was shocked with the announcement that the Mavericks star Luka Doncic was traded to the LA Lakers in exchange with big man Anthony Davis.

Doncic will be with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris going to Los Angeles, while Davis will be going to Dallas with Max Christie and LAL’s 2029 first round pick.

What was more shocking with the trade was the fact that Luka didn’t demand it and he was also caught off guard. And that irked the Mavericks fans even more and put the blame on General Manager Nico Harrison, who also took full responsibility for the said swap.

The Slovenian even wrote an emotional letter after the trade was pulled-off.

“Seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream of playing basketball at the highest level. I thought I'd spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship,” Doncic wrote.

“The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of. For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home. In good times and bad, from injuries to the NBA Finals, your support never changed."

"As I start the next part of my basketball journey, I am leaving a city that will always feel like a home away from home. Dallas is a special place, and Mavs fans are special fans. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

“Grateful for this amazing opportunity. Basketball means everything to me, and no matter where I play the game, I’ll do so with the same joy, passion and goal — to win championships.,” Doncic ended.

If we’re talking about LOYALTY, then the Grade we will give to the Mavericks organization will be an F!

There were talks about that in the future, the man wearing #77 will ask for a trade, but the five-time All-Star showed otherwise. He even carried the team to win the Western Conference championship, and brought them to the NBA Finals last season.

Doncic was also known as the one whom Dirk Nowitzki passed the torch to carry the legacy he left with the Mavericks.

Nowitzki is considered as the greatest player who wore the Dallas Mavericks jersey, and Luka is the one being groomed as the only one who has the rights to take over that throne in the future. But it will not happen anymore as the trade ruined it.

Dirk himself posted a “shocked emoji” on his X (formerly Twitter) account after knowing the deal. It also summed up the reactions of the people who learned about it.

Now that the 25-year-old wonder is already shipped to LA, the Dallas community must do something hard in the next couple of days, months or even years — move on and accept Davis and Christie with open arms.

This time, let us grade the arrival of AD and Max to the Mavericks. As of now, I can give it a B+.

Anthony Davis will be a big boost in the Mavs frontcourt as he will be sliding to his comfortable position as a power forward. He will go alongside Daniel Gafford, who’s been protecting the rim with an average of 1.8 blocks per game, and Derrick Lively II who’s also swatting the ball at 1.7 per game.

Davis is already shooting 52 percent from the field but can further improve that with Gafford and Lively at the sides, as the two have put the ball inside the net with an amazing more than 70 percent.

Another factor for the B+ rating is that Christie is a 3-and-D player, and that is what the Mavericks really need. They already have Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson to do the scoring, and adding Max to the picture makes it better for the team.

If we will look deeper, Dallas actually made a good deal in terms of depth as they will have Davis dominating the post, together with Gafford or Lively. And if there will be clogging in the pain, they can kick it out to either Irving, Thompson, and Christie. Plus, they still have PJ Washington who’s playing tremendously as a Maverick.

If this line-up remains healthy and if there will be no chemistry issue, the Dallas Mavericks will be one of teams to beat and to watch out for. And if that happens, the trade could be upgraded to A or even A+.

On the other hand, the LA Lakers won in terms of getting another generational superstar, who can be the face of the franchise in the near future as LeBron James is about to call it a career anytime soon. So in terms of that, the grade will be A+ for the Lakers.

But as a whole, the trade will be C. Why?

First, Luka Doncic is not in perfect shape as of now. He even missed a lot of games that even disqualified him to win an MVP this season. Another factor is that Maxi Kleber was inconsistent with his plays. The only positive for him is that Luka knows his game so they can work together well in their new team.

Secondly, LBJ is a ball-dominant type of player and so is Doncic. So, who will adjust between the two? Can they gel well together with their teammates? Or they will just watch the two put on the show and forget that they are also aiming to win games and even championships.

Third, who will now man the paint as they traded their best center, who also helped them win a championship during the bubble.

But if Luka’s magic and LBJ’s longevity works and brings a trophy to Los Angeles, then the trade could also reach A to A+.

In the end, only time will tell who really got the better of this most controversial and shocking swap of the decade or maybe in NBA history.