I prophetically woke up at 3am on February 3 and checked my phone. Immediately blinded by ESPN app notifications, I learned the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the LA Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first round draft pick. It was 3am and I had no one to talk to about potentially the most monumental trade in NBA history. So there I sat in the dark, wrapping my head around a seismic basketball event. 

The superstar 25-year-old coming off five all-star appearances, five NBA first team appearances and just falling short of an NBA championship, was unceremoniously shipped off to LA for sawdust. It’s almost anti-basketball. 

 In exchange for Dončić, the Dallas Mavericks received future hall of famer Anthony Davis. Davis is fantastic and amidst a great season. However, he’s 32 (64 in NBA years) with knees made of rodents running on wheels mimicking knees. In his debut, Davis sadly had a game that summed up his career – he started the game so well, scoring over 20 in the first half, but then suffered a knee injury and is out indefinitely. Max Christie is an intriguing young player, but his potential is unknown. The pick could be nice, but Dončić made the Lakers relevant for the next decade, so it will likely be worthless as it will not be a high pick. 

The first strange aspect of this trade was how little the Lakers gave up for Dončić. Relative to other NBA trades, the LA Lakers exchanged practically nothing for everything. Various players much older and less impactful than Dončić have been traded for much more. Rudy Gobert, a French traffic cone, was traded to Minnesota for five picks and five younger players. Kevin Durant, who is 36 (90 in NBA years), commanded four younger players and first round picks in a trade to Pheonix. The NBA trade market is usually set through precedents, and the Gobert and Durant trades set high bars. If you wanted an all-star player in the NBA, you’d have to devest your long-term future for short term success. Dončić’s trade is strange because the Lakers devested their short-term future for long term success. 

Another strange aspect was the Mavericks justification for trading Doncic. “Defense wins championships” said Mavs GM Nico Harrison, who was sorry for fans who felt “frustrated.” In Harrison’s eyes, the Mavericks championship window was “3-4” years from now rather than “8-10.” Ruthlessly pursuing a “win now” mentality after an NBA finals appearance is nonsensical. There was no need to sacrifice long term stability when the short-term stability WAS the long-term stability. Additionally, reports came out about Luka’s dedication to the game. Luka was allegedly not properly conditioned enough for the NBA. According to a report from The Atlantic, Luka’s November wrist injury was a cover-up for time off given to slim down. Concerns grew within the Mavericks organization that Luka’s physical fitness, combined with injury history, would make Luka’s future an ultimately negative investment. I completely understand this rationale for any player other than Luka Doncic. Maybe Dallas knows something we do not but seeming sports psychology problems aren’t justifiable to get rid of a generational talent. Keep in mind, a generational talent traded for a much older, more injury prone generation talent in Anthony Davis. 

Instantaneously and unexplainably closing your championship window because of conditioning problems feels petty and unreasonable. After reading the trade, I was up all-night trying to find justification. To the chagrin of my editors, it resulted in twitter conspiracy theories (sorry). The one thing I couldn’t shake was the pain of Dallas Mavericks fans. A franchise formerly lauded for its loyalty to NBA champion and Maverick’s lifer Dirk Nowitzki, ships off Luka Doncic for nothing in terms of motivation and return. Mavs fans crowded American Airlines center in protest with chants, signs, and a Luka Doncic sized coffin. “Fire Nico” rings through the court during every game as multiple angry fans were ejected from games in the aftermath of the trade. This move feels uniquely anti-basketball, setting the Mavericks back for more than just “3-4” years.