NEW YORK — In 2022, JJ Redick had Luka Doncic over to his Brooklyn home for his podcast, teasing him about an unpaid bet from when the two were briefly teammates with the Dallas Mavericks.
During their conversation, Doncic admitted that he didn’t watch a lot of NBA basketball growing up, the six-plus-hour time change prohibitive for a lot of consumption.
There was, though, one NBA player who Doncic loved watching, an oversized, do-everything player with unique skills worth emulating.
And now, officially, Doncic and that player, LeBron James, are teammates. But this deal to trade Anthony Davis for Doncic, it was made with an eye for what’s next.
The Lakers officially announced the trade Sunday, confirming that everyone in fact didn’t get their social media accounts hacked. Davis and Max Christie are gone, headed to the Mavericks to help their team win now because, as Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said, “defense wins championships.”
“We are overwhelmingly thankful for AD’s six seasons with the Lakers, where he led our franchise to a championship and cemented himself as a perennial NBA All-Star,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “We are proud of Max Christie’s development as a Laker as he has grown into an impact 3-and-D player and we are appreciative of the work Jalen Hood-Schifino has put in to show professionalism at every level.
“Sports are about transformative moments. We are inspired by these moments Lakers fans know, expect and love with a franchise that continually ushers in new eras of greatness.”
Enter Doncic, a 25-year-old perennial MVP candidate who last season led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals.
“Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come,” Pelinka said in the statement. “His killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for the team. We will be relentless in building a roster around the oncourt vision Coach Redick has for this basketball team and there is an unwavering commitment to that work to serve our loyal and dedicated fans. We are grateful for today and look forward to what’s next.”
Doncic will wear No. 77 for the Lakers.
Meeting with reporters in Cleveland before the Mavericks play the Cavaliers, Dallas general manager Nico Harrison said the team wanted to get “out ahead” of what could’ve been a rough summer of negotiations with Doncic about a supermax extension that would’ve been worth nearly $350 million over five seasons. Harrison praised Pelinka’s secrecy in negotiations and said that he would take ultimate responsibility for the decision.
“It’s (on) me,” Harrison told reporters. “I don’t do anything that’s scary. Everything that we do, we put a lot of work in.”
This story originally appeared on LA Times
