There have been many monumental trades in recent NBA history. The Los Angeles Lakers sent out a trio of promising young players and first-round draft picks for Anthony Davis in June 2019 and won the following NBA championship with him. 

Less than a month later, the crosstown LA Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard and acquired Paul George by trading away future MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and significant draft capital. James Harden became a Brooklyn Net in January 2021 — teaming up with All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. 

None were as unpredictable as Feb. 1’s blockbuster deal. 

That night, Luka Doncic, the 25-year-old face of the Dallas Mavericks, headed to the Lakers with forwards Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in exchange for Davis, third-year guard Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania, who first broke the news on X, also disclosed that the Utah Jazz received Los Angeles guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and a second-round pick from both teams.

DePaul sports fans, like many others, could not believe it. 

“My first reaction was that it was fake,” Ron Eltanal, a DePaul film professor, said. Eltanal verified the news by going to Charania’s X account. 

“I would hate to be a Mavs fan right now,” he added. 

Doncic’s production and achievements at his age speak for themselves. He holds career averages of 28.6 points on 47.0% shooting and 34.8% on 3-pointers, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.2 steals. The Slovenian guard-forward secured the 2018 EuroLeague MVP and championship, the 2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year award, five consecutive All-NBA First Team berths and his first NBA scoring title last season. 

Doncic has suffered recent injuries — sitting out since Christmas with a left calf strain. But he was eligible to sign a long-term extension with the Mavericks as soon as this summer. Before last weekend, Dallas moving him in any situation seemed extraordinarily unlikely. Now, Doncic has joined forces with longtime superstar LeBron James. 

DePaul sophomore Zakai Bishop came across the trade details on Instagram and had to check whether Charania had been hacked. He said he was “definitely shocked.” 

Senior Omar Hammoudeh had a similar experience after receiving the news from his cousins via text. 

“(The trade) looks good, maybe, for just this season, but it makes no sense overall,” Hammoudeh said. “They should build around (Doncic), not trade him.” 

The trade has transcended the sports world. Graduate student Natasha Tseng, whose basketball fandom has dwindled since high school, saw the deal on a friend’s Instagram story. One TikTok video compared the swap to a prime One Direction trading Harry Styles for Kevin Jonas, while another suggested Sephora trading their makeup products for clip-on nails. 

“It just seems like a bad decision,” Tseng said. 

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison cited defense and his team’s culture as reasons for making the switch in a Feb. 2 press conference. Doncic led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. 

To his credit, Davis is also an accomplished player — but, as many see it, not on the same timeline as Doncic. The 31-year-old has averaged 24.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals over his 13-season career, picking up nine All-Star selections and earning a spot on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He secured two gold medals on the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team and won the 2014 FIBA World Cup with new Dallas teammate Kyrie Irving. 

“He probably could help (the Mavericks) with a deep playoff run, but I don’t see them winning a championship,” Bishop, the DePaul sophomore, said. 

Both teams made further moves before Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline. Dallas exchanged guard Quentin Grimes for Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin on Tuesday. The following night, Los Angeles agreed to add center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets to replace Davis — but the deal was rescinded Saturday because he failed their required physical exam.

Doncic watched James record 42 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists Thursday night as the No. 5 Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 120-112. Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves then registered a career-high 45 points on 14-for-26 shooting in a 124-117 Saturday victory over the Indiana Pacers, the team’s fifth straight win.

Meanwhile, No. 8 Dallas fell by 43 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 2, lost 118-116 to the 76ers two days later and took down the defending champion Boston Celtics by seven points Thursday night.

In his Mavericks debut Sunday afternoon, Davis racked up 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. He left late in the third quarter with a non-contact lower-body injury and did not return to an eventual 116-105 win.

NBA correspondent Marc Stein reported that Doncic will suit up for the Lakers against the Utah Jazz tonight at 9:30 p.m. CST.

“(Doncic) should have been with the Mavericks his entire career,” Bishop said.

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