B/R
Stars across the entire sports world were left stunned by Sunday morning’s NBA blockbuster.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a trade centered around Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis.
Even if this deal had been in the works for some time, it would’ve been an earth-shaking transaction once completed. But nobody had a Dončić/Davis swap on their radar ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
Look no further than the reaction on social media.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wasn’t happy with Dončić’s exit:
A number of NBA stars, including the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker and New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, couldn’t believe what they were seeing:
Here’s how others, Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki chief among them, took the news:
This year’s trade deadline was shaping up to be a somewhat anticlimactic affair.
Maybe the Miami Heat will find a suitor for Jimmy Butler or the Suns get Bradley Beal to a destination he approves of. But fans have had weeks to brace themselves for either possibility, and neither Butler nor Beal is a true franchise-altering talent anymore.
A De’Aaron Fox trade also wouldn’t be a total shock since the Kings’ willingness to consider moving the 2022-23 All-Star is out in the open.
Then the Lakers and Mavericks pulled off a trade of historic proportions and ensured this year’s deadline will be remembered for a long time to come.
