Lakers trade Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic: Social media reaction shows NBA stars were just as surprised as us​on February 2, 2025 at 7:43 am

The NBA world was shaken on Saturday night as the Dallas Mavericks shockingly traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. The reports were so unexpected that many questioned if the news were true. But the deal is happening, and we can all process it together alongside Dirk Nowitzki, Joel Embiid, Patrick Mahomes, and many others. 

Nowitzki, a Mavs legend, simply tweeted a shocked emoji.

Nowitzki and others were understandably left confused. Doncic is only 25 years old and has been a star in Dallas since joining the Mavs’ roster in 2018. Meanwhile, Davis helped the Lakers to the 2020 title.

“Wait, what?” said Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback who’s a week away from trying to win his fourth Super Bowl ring.

“April fools right?” said New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.

Most reactions were those of surprise, but Dwyane Wade, James’ friend and former teammate in Miami, loved the idea of LeBron teaming up with Luka.

It is easy to see why many assumed the reports were fake. Bam Adebayo, Alex Caruso and Tyrese Haliburton were amongst those who initially doubted the news.

Knicks’ Josh Hart has questions about how this happened, as does Clippers‘ Bones Hyland, Cavs’ Tristan Thompson and more.

“Luka getting traded from Dallas has to have a deeper story behind it,” Thompson said. “This just doesn’t happen on a random Saturday night.”

“I believe that defense wins championships,” Mavericks GM Nico Harrison said. “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”