Overview
- Buss said on the Pretty Tough podcast that talks to swap Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić began in January 2025 and were kept to a tiny circle to avoid leaks she believed would draw Mark Cuban in to stop the deal.
- Cuban said he was shut out, learned of the trade only after it was finalized, and told then–general manager Nico Harrison he would not have approved it.
- The Feb. 1, 2025 transaction sent Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.
- Dončić led the NBA in scoring at 33.5 points per game this season but has been sidelined since an April 2 Grade 2 hamstring strain; the Lakers beat the Rockets in six games without him and, per reports, he may miss the start of the Thunder series.
- Dallas unraveled after the swap with a 26-56 finish, Harrison’s firing, and a short Davis stint of 29 games before a season-ending wrist injury and a later trade to the Wizards.