It has been around two months now since the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks swapped star players in what could go down as one of the most monumental trades in NBA history.
Big man Anthony Davis was traded from the Lakers to the Mavericks, while guard Luka Doncic changed teams and landed with L.A. Other pieces and a third team were also involved.
Now that some time has passed for folks to reflect on the trade, the question of whether Davis should feel betrayed by the Lakers was posed to a group that included former Lakers guard Nick Young, and he said the answer is no.
“Hell naw,” Young said. “Come on, man. It’s Luka we talking about here, right? You can’t be mad at that.”
Davis was dealt to the Mavericks after he spent five-plus seasons playing alongside fellow star LeBron James with the Lakers, and the two served as linchpins of a successful era in Los Angeles.
The Lakers won a title with James and Davis as teammates back in the year 2020. It came in Davis’ first season with the team. In his maiden season with Los Angeles, Davis also finished sixth in MVP voting and second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Los Angeles made more than just one deep playoff run during the James and Davis era. In the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers made a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals despite being the No. 7 seed in the West.
It wasn’t always perfect during Davis’ stint with the Lakers, as the team fell short of expectations at times, but there were some fantastic moments. Now, he’s with a Mavericks team that owns a record below the .500 mark.
While Davis might not be in an ideal situation in Dallas, the Mavericks still have a real puncher’s chance at qualifying for the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Dallas owns the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference and is on track to land in the play-in.
The Mavericks can pick up their 38th win of the season when they take on the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. Atlanta owns the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 36-39 this season.