The most shocking NBA trade in recent memory had some Mavericks fans protesting and holding a mock funeral outside American Airlines Center this weekend.
One Dallas area brewery even teased the release of a “Sell the Team” adult beverage line in the wake of the departure of Luka Doncic.
But the loss of Doncic isn’t all that bad, according to Shaquille O’Neal.
In fact, the NBA icon believes Dallas will actually be on the winning side of the swap for the next couple of years.
On the NBA on TNT pregame show before the Celtics’ 112-105 win over the Cavaliers on Tuesday night, the talk of the blockbuster trade between the Mavericks, Lakers and Jazz came up, and while O’Neal said Dallas dealt one of the “greatest” young players in the game, the team might actually be better off in the short term.
In the mega-deal, the Mavericks landed Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick.
“There’s a lot of speculation of can [Doncic] and [LeBron James] play with each other. The answer is yes, of course they can play with each other,” O’Neal said. “However, I think Dallas got better of the trade — for the next two years, anyway.”
Davis, the nine-time All-Star and five-time NBA All-Defensive Team member, is the signature part of the package coming to Texas.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said this week that while there are skeptics about the move that saw the franchise trade a 25-year-old Doncic for a 31-year-old Davis, he believes the team is better in its framework for future seasons.
‘“I understand why [everyone] would be shocked, initially, but I do believe that we positioned ourselves to win now and also win in the future,” Harrison said. “And that’s ultimately the goal and why we’re here. It’s one of those things where it’s my job to make the tough decisions that put our goals first and foremost.
“So I understand the magnitude of it, but the easiest thing for me to do is do nothing and everyone would praise me for doing nothing. But we really believe in it and time will tell if I’m right.”
Davis, in his 13th NBA season, is averaging 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds in what was a strong season for the Lakers.
He’s under contract for the next two seasons and has a player option for 2027-28.
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