The Oklahoma City Thunder are enjoying an outstanding season, leading the NBA’s Western Conference with one of the league’s top players, 26-year-old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. While the trade market has been relatively quiet for OKC due to their strong performance, Shai did not hesitate to react to the shocking Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade.
“Shocked probably like the rest of the world…Didn’t hear it coming, didn’t see it coming. I try not to put too much into it in trying to wrap my head around it. I‘m glad my job is to play basketball, and not worry about those types of things. But, yeah. That was pretty much it. It just shocked me,” stated Shai as reported by Joel Lorenzi.
This trade also caught Shai Gilgeous-Alexander off guard, as he admitted he never saw it coming, with no prior reports hinting at the move. Considering Luka Doncic’s pivotal role over the past two seasons on Mavericks and Anthony Davis’ status as the Los Angeles Lakers‘ offensive leader this season, this trade was not expected by anyone.
However, Gilgeous-Alexander emphasized that his focus remains on playing basketball, not front-office decisions, stating that such a trade must have been extremely difficult to make. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is being the most important player on the Oklahoma City Thunder and one of the top favorites to win the NBA MVP this season as he has 32.4 points and is being the most differential player in the league at only 26 years old.
Despite the noise on possible trades, Shai’s measured response reflects a broader sentiment among players: stay locked in on the game. His candid admission of shock highlights both the unpredictability of the trade market.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander weighs in on how this trade impacts the Western Conference
For many, this trade will revolutionize the Western Conference as the Dallas Mavericks changed their sports strategy to focus on the defensive aspect with Anthony Davis leaving aside the offensive power and youth of Luka Doncic to try to win in the short term.
However, for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this is not the case as he believes this trade will not affect either team: “Not at all…Both teams were good teams. They swapped two good players. So, I assume both will still be good, but I haven’t thought about it at all.”
Perhaps Shai Gilgeous-Alexander prefers to stay out of the discussion or simply is not too concerned with the trade, as his focus remains on leading the Thunder. The goal of this blockbuster deal is to create an impact, whether positive or negative. Both teams made a strategic shift.
Lakers decided to prioritize their offensive future and preparing for the eventual retirement of LeBron James. Meanwhile, the Mavericks set aside long-term planning to strengthen their defense, acquiring a versatile player who can contribute on both ends and make an immediate impact.