The entire NBA world is still recovering from the shocking trade that sent Luka Doncic to L.A. in exchange for Anthony Davis. This deal was unprecedented not only for the quality of players involved but for how, even in today’s landscape where every trade is leaked ahead of time, this one was shrouded in absolute secrecy until it actually went through. Carmelo Anthony talked about the trade on his 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast on Wednesday.
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Carmelo marveled at the trust shared by Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and Mavs GM Nico Harrison. That trust made it possible to negotiate this deal over the course of three weeks, with virtually nobody else knowing about it: not the players themselves, not the agents, and not even the coaches.
“This is a spicy trade right here … I think the way that it transpired was super dope, in context of the secrecy, the ‘nobody knew, keeping this mano e mano, if this gets out it’s over with,’ that’s real trust that you had to have.”
It has been reported that the Mavs felt the need to move on from Luka because he wasn’t serious about his conditioning. The concern over this issue made them uneasy about giving him a supermax contract next summer worth over $350 million dollars.
Carmelo believes that being traded to the Lakers will spark something new in Luka, who, regardless of whether he’s in peak shape or not, is already one of the best players in the NBA.
“I think we going to see a different Luka. He understand the bright lights. Him going to LA, putting that Lakers jersey on, can like ignite a whole different fuse that people haven’t even seen yet. Bron can actually get to Luka and show him the work ethic, how to get in shape.”
The Mavericks may have created a monster by trading Luka Doncic away
LeBron James is one of the most famously fanatical fitness freaks in sports history. This is a guy who spends $1 million a year on his body and is still going strong at the age of 40, which makes him the perfect horse for Luka to hitch his wagon to.
LeBron has four rings and can instill in his new Slovenian partner what it takes to be a champion. Combined with the chip on Luka’s shoulder that he undoubtedly has from being traded and made to feel like he wasn’t good enough, that could be very bad news for the rest of the NBA.
The Lakers didn’t stop there, as they replaced Davis late last night by trading for Hornets center Mark Williams. This gives Luka the kind of low-post lob threat that he has traditionally worked well with. It also signals that the Lakers aren’t just building for the future, they’re making a title push right now.
It will be interesting to see how quickly Luka is able to adjust to his new surroundings. For what it’s worth, LeBron believes that it will be a smooth transition, saying, “It won’t take long. I can play with anybody, and I think he can, as well. So, we’ll work well together.”
The Lakers are 29-19 and in fifth place in the West, which gives them 34 games to get up to speed with each other before the playoffs begin. Luka Doncic has been out with a calf strain since Christmas but is expected back as soon as Saturday against the Pacers.
