Spectacular Trade Sends Dončić to Lakers: 10 Trades That Changed NBA History

The shocking trade of Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis, which was announced late Saturday, February 1, will certainly go down in history as one of the most fundamental trades in the NBA.

Photo: Doncic during his 73-point career-high performance, January 26, 2024 (screenshot youtube.com/@NBA)

The Dallas Mavericks shocked the basketball community on Saturday night by deciding to include Dončić in a transaction involving the Los Angeles Lakers and the Utah Jazz, just before the trade deadline in the world’s most popular and most followed men’s basketball league, the NBA. Now, with LeBron James and Dončić on the same team, the Lakers’ championship odds soared on any basketball betting website with NBA markets, even though Dallas is still the bigger favorite for the title.

The loud section of the fan base expressed confusion over the Mavs’ choice to cut ties with the 25-year-old Slovenian star guard. Dallas general manager Nico Harrison said in the hours after the deal that he and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka have been having long discussions for the past month. Harrison attested that Jason Kidd, the head coach of the Mavericks, wasn’t informed of the deal until it was completed. Reports claimed that James, Dončić, and Davis, among other important figures in both teams, weren’t aware of the discussions. According to information obtained by USA TODAY, Dončić didn’t seek to leave Dallas or request a trade.

Was Money Main Factor in Mavericks’ Trade of Dončić?

The league-related voices believe Dallas didn’t want to spend a US$345 million super-max deal extension with Dončić this summer, as that’s how much the All-Star NBA guard was eligible for a five-year deal. Dončić isn’t eligible for the Lakers’ super-max contract because he was traded and is no longer with the team that drafted him. A super-max deal pays a player up to 35% of the salary cap.

What are the contract options of the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league outright in triple-doubles with the Lakers? His most profitable financial option is to sign a three-year, $165.3 million extension this summer and then start a new five-year contract worth around $420 million in 2028–29, as he’ll be a free agent in the summer of 2026.

What Other Trades Changed NBA History’s Course?

The fact that the deal between the Mavericks and the Lakers was made in complete secrecy only adds to the impression. Many basketball fans have rushed to declare this blockbuster trade the greatest of all time, but perhaps we shouldn’t rush to make such an assessment, because there have been some in the past, and they changed the history of basketball.

We’ll list 10 trades by the year they got completed, after which the NBA was never the same:

1) Wilt Chamberlain (Warriors to Sixers, 1965)

2) Oscar Robertson (Royals to Bucks, 1970)

3) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Bucks to Lakers, 1975)

4) Julius Erving (Nets to Sixers, 1976)

5) Charles Barkley (Sixers to Suns, 1992)

6) Shaquille O’Neal (Lakers to Heat, 2004)

7) Pau Gasol (Grizzlies to Lakers, 2006)

8) Kevin Garnett (Wolves to Celtics, 2007)

9) Anthony Davis (Pelicans to Lakers, 2019)

10) Luka Dončič (Mavs to Lakers, 2025)