Joe Paige | Sports Editor
On a week where the sports news headlines typically would’ve been dominated by Super Bowl expectations, the NBA had other plans in mind. This seasons NBA trade deadline featured some monumental moves that have no doubt shaken the whole of the league, for both the present, and future.
With what may be one of the most shocking trades in recent sports history, the Los Angeles Lakers have traded Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks for Markieff Morris, Maxi Kleber, and Luka Dončić. This announcement was so unbelievable that Shams Charania, the ESPN senior insider responsible for breaking the news, had to clarify immediately that the news was not fake as many fans thought he may have gotten hacked.
For Dallas, they’ve decided to officially move on from their franchise player in Dončić who, only at the very young age of 25, has already cemented himself as one of the franchise’s greatest players to ever wear a Mavericks jersey. Holding many franchise records like single-game scoring and most triple-doubles, this is a player who many anticipated would eventually have a statue built of him outside of American Airlines Arena next to another Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki. They now shift their focus to their new franchise player in Anthony Davis, as they hope their championship aspirations will elevate after acquiring the 9X all-star champion from Los Angeles.
As for Los Angeles, they have finally decided to plan for a future without LeBron James, who has served as the face of the Lakers since the 2018-2019 season. With the looming inevitability of LeBron James’ retirement, the timeline for getting him another ring is quickly shortening. While this move certainly helps the Lakers’ future, it also can help them get back into playoff contention right now to maximize what LeBron has left in the tank.
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