The Luka Doncic trade finally felt real on Tuesday night, as he faced off against the Dallas Mavericks for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Doncic entered this matchup with plenty of motivation, as the comments leaked from the Mavericks over the past few weeks regarding his conditioning and weight have lit a fire under him. Nico Harrison didn't believe that Doncic's conditioning, complaining to referees, and leadership would improve, and this caused him to trade him at the age of 25 years old.
This is a move that no one expected, but from everything that has been reported, it seems like Harrison was set on trading Doncic one way or another.
Harrison's decision to trade Doncic has been heavily criticized by Dallas sports fans, and he was in the house to see this massive game between the Mavericks and Lakers. Mavericks fans held up a sign that said "loyalty never fades away" with "never" crossed out. This was the message that is written at the base of Dirk Nowitzki's statue at the American Airlines Center, the same place where a protest was held before the first home game after the trade, but Lakers fans felt a bit different from Mavericks fans about this move.
In the second quarter during one of Doncic's trips to the free throw line, Lakers fans started a "thank you Nico" chant at the Crypto.com Arena. Lakers fans feel that they fleeced Dallas with this move, and they are thankful that Harrison gave them their new superstar.
This trade could go down as the worst trade in sports history for the Mavericks if Doncic reaches his full potential, and Harrison moving him this early in his career was a bet against his body and development. Harrison didn't believe that Doncic could remain healthy moving forward, and so far in this game, Doncic looks great.
He is moving well and picking apart the Mavericks with his passing, and Dallas may end up regretting this decision forever. Mavericks fans will always be furious at Harrison for this move if they can't secure a championship with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis at the core, and it seems like Lakers fans have much different thoughts about Dallas' President of of Basketball Operations.
This is something that Mavericks fans expected from Lakers fans, as fans from both sides believe that this trade was lopsided, and as things look after the first few weeks following the trade, the Lakerss have won for now.
Davis hasn't played since his Mavs debut, as he suffered an adductor strain, and fans barely got to see what this team would look like at full strength. Injuries have considerably altered the reality of this trade, and only time will tell if Harrison's chance to move Doncic was correct or not.
He will be fighting an uphill battle in this one, especially with how things look now, but anything is possible. Harrison has made some iconic trades that have shaped the Mavericks for the better over the last few years, but this trade may take some time to fully judge.
Dallas' window to win with Davis and Irving is the next few years while the Lakers' window to win a title is the next 10+ years (if Doncic re-signs), and Harrison's bet on the short term is one of the biggest gambles in NBA history.
