Some were stunned into silence by the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to swap Luka Doncic for the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis in a three-team trade late Saturday night.
Others criticized the NBA for allowing LA to add a 25-year-old offensive prodigy for an oft-injured center, a rising guard in Max Christie and a future first-round pick.
The opinions may have varied, but nearly every basketball-loving Earthling felt the need to voice an one after Saturday’s blockbuster deal.
‘The NBA isn’t a serious league,’ Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy wrote after the agreement was reported on Saturday night.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith simply posted the meme of his own stunned face when he heard the news.
California’s famed fast food chain In-N-Out Burger capitalized on the situation by poking fun of their Texas rival: ‘Welcome to California Luka Doncic. In-N-Out is better than Whataburger.’
Luka Doncic has been battling injuries since Christmas amid questions about his conditioning
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith posted the meme of his own stunned face when he heard the news
Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy blamed the league for allowing the trade to proceed
Of course, given the reported concerns about his conditioning, Lakers staff would probably prefer he avoids In-N-Out burger.
Meanwhile Mavericks fans were seen decrying the trade as the worst in Dallas’ history on Saturday, while a bevy of Doncic critics poked fun at his conditioning – the reported impetus for the deal.
Doncic was reportedly pushing 270 pounds when Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison ended talks on a $345 million extension with the franchise cornerstone to pursue Saturday night’s historic trade with the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz.
Officially it was concerns over Doncic’s defense – and not his conditioning – that prompted Harrison to swap the 25-year-old offensive wizard for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, rising guard Max Christie, and a future first-round draft pick.
‘I believe that defense wins championships,’ Mavs general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon , who was first to report Doncic’s 270-pound heft. ‘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.’
Nearly everyone was blindsided by the news, including Doncic, Davis and LeBron James , according to ESPN’s Shams Charania .
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that James was out to eat in New York with family after beating the Knicks on Saturday when he first learned he was losing the 31-year-old Davis, who missed the game with an abdominal strain.
There has been reporting that James had grown tired of playing alongside Davis, with whom he won a title in 2020.
LeBron James has slammed claims that he wanted Anthony Davis to leave the Lakers
James angrily hit out at a reporter who said he had grown frustrated with teammate Davis
NBA players were among the most surprised at Saturday’s blockbuster Mavs-Lakers deal
Bill Reiter, the NBA Insider for CBS, told his channel he heard talk last year within the Lakers organization that James was growing frustrated with Davis, who has battled a series of injuries in Los Angeles.
‘It wasn’t that AD was going to be traded, it was just something to keep an eye on – that LeBron is frustrated with AD and doesn’t think that it is working,’ Reiter said of what he heard in 2024.
James, 40, hit back abruptly on X, replying to the video clip with a Pinocchio emoji and a clown emoji plus the comment: ‘You a fkn lie!!!’
Davis is signed to Klutch Sports, the agency owned and run by James’ agent and close friend, Rich Paul.
NBA players were surprised more than anyone, including the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, who lost to James and the Lakers on Saturday.
‘April fools right?’ Brunson wrote on X before adding: ‘Holy s***.’
‘wtf?????’ asked Miami’s Tyler Herro while Oklahoma City’s Alex Caruso suggested ESPN reporter Shams Charania ‘gotta be hacked.’
Reigning NBA MVP and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid responded: ‘WOWWWWW NO F WAY.’
