In perhaps the most bizarre and shocking trade in NBA history, Luka Doncic is headed to the Los Angeles Lakers.
News of the blockbuster move broke after midnight, with ESPN insider Shams Charania reporting that the Mavericks were dealing the 25-year-old star to L.A. in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.
This is certainly something no one saw coming. There wasn’t a single rumor, and it appeared to be off the cuff as far as the teams were concerned.
That the Mavericks didn’t even shop Doncic raised suspicion among fans, who feel the Texas-based outfit could have certainly gotten more first-round picks for such a talent.
Since then, an interesting theory has popped up online, with many suggesting that the league manufactured the trade to help stem its declining ratings.
“The NBA forced the Luka Doncic trade because their ratings are declining fast and they are desperate. The Mavs organization was given no choice,” Matt Wallace shared, adding that the NBA has dirt on every GM.
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“I hate to put my tinfoil hat on but isn’t it a coincidence that the year the NBA had declining ratings a 25 year old superstar gets traded to the biggest market in the NBA?” another user wrote.
“This was the most obvious forced nba trade to save dwindling ratings I’ve ever seen. Actually disgusting,” someone else added.
“The Luka doncic trade is just a scam to improve nba ratings, when the lakers are good the nba ratings are better,probably pushing for a lakers Celtics finals,” another fan suggested.
The Mavericks Had Their Reasons For Moving On From Luka Doncic
While NBA ratings have declined significantly this season, it’s going to be hard to prove that Adam Silver influenced Luka’s move.
The Mavs apparently grew disenchanted with the guard and, according to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, had concerns over his upcoming supermax eligibility given his conditioning issues. Doncic would have been eligible for a five-year extension worth a whopping $345 million this summer.
“We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the supermax and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract,” Mavs GM Nico Harrison told the Dallas Morning News. “And so we really felt like we got out in front of that. We know teams, they’ve had it out there, teams have been loading up to try to sign him once that comes available.”
It’s also reported that the Mavericks weren’t thrilled with Doncic’s play on the other side of the ball, with his lack of defensive effort against the Boston Celtics in last year’s NBA final costing the team.
