Everyone is still reeling from the Luka Doncic trade. One of the most stunning, unbelievable deals not just in the history of the NBA, but modern sports. It was a move that not only ensured the Lakers’ viability in a post-LeBron James era, but set the Mavericks back a decade.
It’s one thing to be a spectator and be shocked by the trade, but Doncic himself said that when he heard he’d been dealt to Los Angeles he had to make sure it wasn’t April Fool’s.
“I had to check if it was April 1.” Doncic says of learning about the trade. “Hard moments for me. It was home.”
Luka’s reaction was the same as most of us. When news came through late on Friday night the assumption was that Shams had been hacked. Here was the cornerstone of the Mavericks, a player the franchise could be built around, being dealt in his mid-20s with the return being so low the Lakers couldn’t have made it happen on NBA 2K.
Could it all be a joke? Is this part of a grand plan we don’t know about yet? Perhaps only one man has the answer.