By: Victor Olorunfemi

In the most shocking move in American sports history, the Dallas Mavericks, fresh off an NBA finals appearance, are trading superstar talent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a deal highlighted by Anthony Davis in return. With no clear answers on what happened, here are five reasons why the Mavericks may have made the deal.

Luka Approaching Last Year of Deal

The first possibility that comes to mind is that Doncic let the Mavericks know he will not be signing an extension. While he does have two years remaining on his contract after this season, the 2026/27 season is under a player-option, meaning next season could theoretically be his last. So maybe the 25-year-old superstar let the franchise know he would not be picking up the player option, so they felt forced to make a move before losing leverage to a last-minute trade.

Defensive Pivot

Anthony Davis is one of the premier defenders in basketball, a rim protector, and a perennial contender for the Defensive Player of the Year trophy. With Kyrie Irving, another elite offensive talent still on the team, maybe the Mavericks felt they could hit another level with a superstar more committed to the defensive side of the ball. This explanation feels like a reach, considering Doncic is universally considered a generational offensive force. But it is all the Dallas GM has said so far, so we must take his word that it had something to do with the deal.

Mark Cuban Generosity

This explanation revolves around owner and billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban. Cuban is still a minority owner and influential member despite selling his majority stake last year. And as a notoriously player-friendly figure, maybe he acquiesced to a personal request from Doncic to be traded to Los Angeles. This seems plausible because trading a superstar player to a conference rival in what many consider a lop-sided deal only makes sense if you are going out of your way to do a favor.

Behind the Scenes Scandal

This trade would not be the first time in recent NBA history that we've seen a team reach the finals and then make a shocking decision that makes no sense on paper. I am referring to the Boston Celtics firing Ime Udoka in 2023 after his cheating scandal with an unnamed employee. Not saying Doncic did the same, but there may be a particular incident or series of scandals that will be revealed in the coming days.

Blackmail

This last one is in jest, but maybe this is just good old-fashioned blackmail at work. Someone from the Lakers knows something catastrophic concerning someone from the Mavericks, leading to the most shocking trade in American sports history.