Blockbuster Mavs-Lakers trade upends NBA title odds

Over the weekend, the Dallas Mavericks traded 25-year-old superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for 31-year-old big Anthony Davis and a 2029 first-round pick, in a multi-team trade that has NBA fans and players more surprised than at the end of a Knives Out movie.

• Dončić, who spearheaded the Mavs 2024 Finals run, is coming off five straight first-team All-NBA seasons, and led the league in scoring last year. He’s widely considered one of the best players in the NBA.

Why make the trade? The Mavs GM, Nico Harrison, told ESPN that "defense wins championships,” and that the move will make the team stronger overall (Dončić has been criticized for his defense, and also reportedly his conditioning).

The Mavs only spoke with the Lakers about a potential trade, according to Harrison – though analysts say the deal may have been better for them had it been shopped around.

• The New York Knicks in July gave up five first-round draft picks as part of a deal for Mikal Bridges – a talented player, but not considered to be on the same level as Dončić.

🎰 The move shook betting markets. Before the trade, the Lakers were +4000 to win the 2025 NBA Finals and +2500 to win the Western Conference, according to ESPN BET. As of this writing, those odds have shortened to +1600 and +850, respectively. Betting volume on the Lakers has also increased.