It’s been a couple of months since the Los Angeles’ Lakers‘ traded with the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic since shockwaves through the NBA. The two teams have played since the deal went through but star big man Anthony Davis was out due to injury.
The Lakers are set to play in Dallas for the first time on Wednesday and Davis is healthy and should be ready to play. He was one of the faces of Los Angeles sports for six years but the team was quick to send him away once Doncic was put on the table.
However, not even Davis has questioned the move. While there should be some extra drama surrounding the Wednesday game, Davis believes that it’s all just media hype and that he’s not thinking about the game too much.
“It’s just another game,” Davis told reporters on Tuesday. “Y’all make it bigger than it needs to be. Another game for me. It will be Luka’s first time back, so might be a lot of emotions for him.”
Had Davis been able to play in his return to Los Angeles, that may have been more emotional for him. The focus is likely to be more on Doncic, who is coming to Dallas as an opponent for the first time in his career.
Mavericks Called Out for Not Landing Austin Reaves
The Mavericks have been widely maligned for the trade package they received for Doncic. While Davis is one of the best players in the NBA, he’s six years older than Doncic.
Dallas was also only able to get one of the Lakers’ first-round picks and Max Christie in return. It was surprising that emerging guard Austin Reaves wasn’t included in the deal. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst took the Mavericks to task for not landing Reaves.
“The Mavericks not getting Austin Reaves in that trade is malpractice,” Windhorst said on the April 7 episode of “First Take.” “Austin Reaves has been awesome in this last month, especially in these last couple of weeks when LeBron [James] hasn’t been great. The fact that the Mavericks didn’t get Reaves in that trade remains insane, and Reaves is just proving it night in and night out.”
Reaves Has Only Gotten Better Since Trade
What makes the Mavericks trade look even worse in hindsight is how Reaves has been playing this season, especially since the trade. He’s averaging a career-high 20.2 points per game and has cemented himself as the Lakers’ third-best player.
If Reaves was putting up the same numbers in Dallas, fans would likely be a lot less angry about losing Doncic. Even Doncic has been very impressed with the guard.
“Basketballwise, I already knew he was that good. But just being around it and seeing him do that, it was [a] higher [realization],” Doncic told ESPN. “I mean, the expectation is that high. I think he has the potential to be an amazing player. He already is.”
If the Lakers can lockdown Reaves long-term, they could have a promising duo between him and Doncic for years to come.
