NBA All-Star 2025: Two weeks later, the league and its stars still can’t comprehend Luka Dončić trade

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SAN FRANCISCO — As NBA commissioner Adam Silver hosted his annual press availability Saturday from the All-Star Game, addressing the league’s most pressing topics, the first query he faced was about The Trade.

“Is that what we’re calling it?” Silver asked of the deal that sent Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round draft pick in 2029.

“I was surprised when I heard about The Trade,” added Silver. “I did not know that Luka was a player who was potentially about to be traded. That was news to me. I followed it like a fan from that standpoint.”

Two weeks later, the NBA still cannot get over The Trade. Nothing piqued the interest of All-Stars more.

“Two weeks later, it’s still the craziest trade I’ve ever seen,” said San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama.

“Obviously, everyone thought The Trade was fake,” added Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. “Everyone did. I just was double-checking to make sure it was real, checking the accounts, stuff like that.”

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić tried to defend The Trade, only to join the chorus.

The NBA still can’t grasp the Luka Dončić trade. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

“I kind of think both teams win,” said Jokić. “In my opinion, of course, maybe I think Luka is a generational player and talent. I’m not saying that AD is not. I’m just saying that Luka is somebody that — did we see someone like this before, who is affecting the game on so many levels? He was building something there.”

He sure was. Dončić led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, averaging 33.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds per game last season, only to be traded at the age of 25 — an unprecedented swap of a young superstar. There remains no rational explanation for the deal, other than Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison honestly believed it was a good idea, though Stephen Curry took a higher road.

“Well, we’ve all learned recently how quickly things can change in this league, some of the unexpected happening,” said the Golden State Warriors superstar. “For us as players, you just do your…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-02-16 01:13:00

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