Anthony Davis has opened up on one of the most shocking moments of his career, when he learned he had been traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
In February 2025, the Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a blockbuster deal that saw Davis and Luka Doncic swap teams. The unexpected nature of the trade made it one of the most surprising in league history.
Given Doncic’s status as a franchise cornerstone in Dallas, few anticipated such a move, which left players and fans scrambling to process the news as it broke.
Anthony Davis thought Luka Doncic trade news was a prank
Speaking on The Draymond Green Show, Davis revealed he initially believed the trade was not real when his agent Rich Paul told him.
He explained that he had previously joked about playing alongside the Slovenian star someday.
“We used to talk about Luka all the time. And I’m like, ‘Man, imagine me with Luka like.’ Because at the time, I wasn’t sure what Bron was going to do, if he was still going to play the retiree. But I wasn’t even thinking about being traded or asking to leave. I was just saying in general,” he began by saying.
“So when he said I was traded to Dallas, I was like, ‘Let’s f— out of here.’ I said: ‘Who the f—- they’re gonna trade me for? Luka’s?’ I was just saying like, who else can you trade me for on that team? And he was like, ‘They traded you for Luka.’ I’m like, ‘Rich, shut the hell up. What do you want?’ I’m really thinking he’s just playing and he was like, ‘Man, I swear.’”
According to AD, even after speaking with team executives, Nico Harrison and Rob Pelinka, he remained unsure and turned to social media for confirmation.
“So I’m like, ‘You know what? I’ll know if it’s true.’ I go X and go straight to Shams’ page. Nothing. I get it, they’re playing. So I’m walking out the kitchen, turn the corner to go up the stairs and Joel Embiid calls me going upstairs.
“Then somebody else called me, another player, and I’m like, ‘Wait, hold on.’ So I went back to Shams’ page, and then there it is: ‘Breaking news, Dallas Mavericks trade Luka Doncic.’
Davis described the moment the shock hit. “I’m like, ‘What?’ Run upstairs: ‘Baby, I just got traded to Dallas.’ I’m not shaking, but it’s like my heart is in my stomach. I’m like, ‘Yo, what the f— just happened?’”
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