Luka Dončić–Anthony Davis trade

The Luka Dončić–Anthony Davis trade was a National Basketball Association (NBA) trade made on the night of February 1–2, 2025, which saw Luka Dončić traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis in a three-team deal facilitated by the Utah Jazz. It was the first time in NBA history that two reigning All-NBA Team players were traded for each other midseason. It is considered one of the most unexpected and lopsided trades in NBA history, even though the Mavericks still received an All-NBA player, as Dončić is perceived as a generational player and is almost six years younger than Davis. Additionally, the Lakers' future, previously considered murky, was changed to allow the establishment of a long-term contender built around Dončić, whilst the Mavericks' title window was effectively ended due to the trade and injury to Kyrie Irving as well as recurring injury problems with Davis, resulting in a transition into a rebuild around Cooper Flagg.

At the time of the trade, Dončić, who led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals and had made five consecutive All-NBA First Teams and All-Star appearances (every year other than his rookie season), had established himself as the cornerstone of the franchise. The popular perception was that the Mavericks would never trade him, with Dončić himself stating that he wanted to spend his entire career in Dallas. The Mavericks stated that they traded Dončić to improve the team's defense, and the Mavericks also had concerns about his behavior, work ethic and conditioning, as he reportedly weighed as much as 270 pounds (120 kg). Their belief that Dončić would not be able to improve his fitness was disproven when Dončić underwent a physical transformation after the Lakers' playoff exit, appearing in a Men's Health Magazine article. However, Davis had equal, if not worse, health concerns throughout his career and was significantly injured whilst in Dallas, calling into question the Mavericks' motivations and drawing further criticism of the trade.

Journalists have called the transaction one of the most unexpected trades in NBA and American sports history, with many media members, fans and NBA players criticizing it and expressing shock as Dončić had not even requested a trade and was an All-NBA player in his prime. The overwhelming consensus was that the Lakers won the trade. Mavericks fans reacted negatively to the trade and protested it after the announcement, with many calling for the firing of general manager Nico Harrison. The trade received revived scrutiny when the Mavericks obtained the first overall pick from the NBA draft lottery (used to select Flagg) in the 2025 NBA draft, despite having just a 1.8% chance of obtaining the #1 pick, resulting in accusations that the lottery result was rigged and meant as compensation for a lopsided trade that ensured one of the league's most popular teams (the Lakers) maintained enduring relevance.

Harrison was fired by the Mavericks on November 11, 2025, which many commentators attributed to the negative backlash to the trade and the team's sluggish start to the 2025–26 season. The Mavericks traded Davis to the Washington Wizards during the same season in exchange for 4 role players and minimal draft capital. Davis played in 29 regular-season games, in which Dallas had a record of 16–13. He missed 54 of a possible 83 regular-season games, also missing the playoffs. Irving and Davis played 25 minutes together for the Mavericks.