After an incredible start to the year with Anthony Davis leading the way, the Los Angeles Lakers climbed to the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Given the team’s strong performance, few expected Davis to be traded, let alone for Luka Doncic, a franchise cornerstone for the Dallas Mavericks. The move shocked many, and an NBA insider has now revealed Rob Pelinka’s incredible reaction when the Mavericks made their offer.
According to The News, Nico Harrison claimed that in a conversation he had with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka more than a month ago, the topic of a possible Luka Doncic trade came up and he confessed to Pelinka’s unexpected reaction: “Then all of a sudden we’re like, ‘Would you ever do this?’… ‘Nah, you’re joking, right?’ Hmm. Interesting. Maybe I would. And then it just built over time over the last three weeks.”
Nico Harrison’s comments in The News confirm that even Rob Pelinka was caught off guard by the Dallas Mavericks’ offer. Luka Doncic was averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game this season and was a strong contender for the 2024-25 NBA MVP until an injury sidelined him, preventing him from meeting the required games to remain eligible for the award.
However, Luka Doncic is still recovering from a calf injury suffered on December 25 and, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, could return before the NBA All-Star break. His long-term physical condition remains uncertain, as he was already facing criticism for his durability before the injury, with recurring issues causing him to miss several games each season.
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks walks off the court after the loss to the Houston Rockets at American Airlines Center on October 31, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.
Luka’s injury issues make Rob Pelinka’s gamble a long shot, while Doncic’s talent is undeniable, his ability to stay healthy remains a question mark. However, if the Lakers can get Doncic to stay healthy they will have an offensive leader for several years to come.
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NBA Rumors: Lakers reportedly make key decision on trade market strategy
Mavs’ GM Nico Harrison confesses the reason why they decided to trade Luka Doncic
Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison says the fact that Luka Doncic was eligible for a supermax contract and was only a year away from finishing his contract was one of the reasons: “We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the supermax and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract…and so we really felt like we got out in front of that,” as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
Besides, Harrison stated that some NBA teams were already interested on signing Doncic once he finished his contract with Mavericks and they decided to act: “We know teams, they’ve had it out there, teams have been loading up to try to sign him once that comes available.”
Nico Harrison took a bold gamble, as Anthony Davis brings significant value to the Mavericks, but in the process, they parted ways with a special player who has been an NBA MVP nominee multiple times and consistently performed at an elite level. Moreover, they traded him to a direct Western Conference rival in the Lakers. Only time will tell if Harrison’s bet pays off.
