When the Dallas Mavericks traded away Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis and Max Christie, almost nobody could believe the trade. In fact, when NBA Insider Shams Charania initially announced the trade, many fans and players themselves believed that he was hacked. But when the world found out what had just taken place, everybody was left in shock. The Mavericks traded away their franchise player, who just helped them reach the NBA Finals last season. Mavericks’ GM, Nico Harrison, later stated in a press conference that he believed trading for Davis was a win-now move. Doncic was stunned when he first heard the news. Everybody believed that the Slovenian star was one of the few untouchable players in the NBA, until the trade happened.
Prior to the trade, Davis had stated that he wanted to play the 4 (Power Forward) rather than the 5 (Center) for the Lakers. When Lakers’ owner Jeanie Buss revealed the reason why she traded away Davis, she said, “Anthony Davis was complaining about where he was being played and he wasn’t happy. So I think this was a positive for both teams. They (Mavericks) got what they were looking for; we got what we were looking for.”
Yes, Davis was not particularly happy playing the 5, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be traded from the Lakers. The biggest reason why the trade went down, in our opinion, is because Davis is an aging star who is 32 years old, whereas Doncic is just 26 years old. So you can clearly see the age difference between the two stars, and the Lakers must have simply thought about the long-term benefits of having a 26-year-old superstar in his prime.
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Mavericks’ GM, Nico Harrison, faced a lot of criticism and even death threats because of the Luka Doncic trade. While Doncic was the heart and soul of the Mavericks, we need to look at who the Mavericks traded for. It’s Anthony Davis we’re talking about here. Davis is one of the best players in the NBA today, and he can most certainly help the Mavs win a championship.
The only problem with the Mavs’ aspirations for an NBA title this season is the injuries. Anthony Davis was previously hurt in the very first game he played for the Mavs; Dereck Lively II was hurt for a long stretch of games; Kyrie Irving tore his ACL keeping him out for the rest of the season; and even Daniel Gafford was hurt previously. These injuries have hindered the Mavs’ chance of making the playoffs. However, if the Mavs are fully healthy, we believe that they can beat anybody in the West as they have the talent to do so.
Davis was having a great debut game playing for the Mavs but he went down with an injury which kept him out for 6 weeks. While the Mavs didn’t have much to play for this season with all the injuries that they suffered, Davis still came back to play. Why, you may ask? It’s because, according to NBA analyst Brian Windhorst, Davis wants to prove to the Mavs’ fans, his teammates, and GM Nico Harrison who believed enough in Davis to trade for him, and he’s motivated to do so.
ESPN’s analyst Brian Windhorst said “He’s motivated by four different things… He’s motivated to send a message to the fans, he’s motivated to send a message to his new teammates that this is going to be something to be invested in.” Windhorst said on NBA Today, “He’s motivated to do something for Nico Harrison; the guy who he’s known for decades, the guy who believed in him to make the trade. He wants to have his back as much as he can. And he wants to do it for himself. He wants to show everybody and show himself that he can still be the centerpiece of a franchise.”
Even though Davis missed six weeks, the Mavs are 5-1 with Anthony Davis in the lineup. He also made a game-winner against the Hawks in his last game and finished the game with 34 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists, and a steal on 60 percent shooting. He initially struggled to find his rhythm after coming back from the injury, but there is no doubt that the Mavs are way better when Davis is on the floor.
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The Mavericks are the 9th seed in the West and they have a puncher’s chance of making it to the playoffs this season. However, we don’t think Davis cares about what they can or cannot achieve, as he is trying to prove to the world that he is still one of the best players in the NBA.
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