When reflecting on the surprising NBA Trade Deadline trade to the Dallas Mavericks, Anthony Davis didn't hold back on his side of things.
Everyone in the basketball world, including Anthony Davis, was shocked when it was reported that the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks had agreed to a trade centered around an AD-for-Luka-Doncic swap. While everyone involved in this deal maintains that this trade came together quickly and out of the blue, AD is still not completely sold on that story. In fact, in his words, he doesn't believe those claims at all.
"Everybody’s saying nobody knew and all this other s---. I just don’t believe it...They wanted who they wanted. They did what they had to do"Anthony Davis on the Lakers trading him
The Lakers continue to say that the deal came together when Dallas approached them with the offer. It's hard to say what's true and what isn't at this point, and we may never know the completely authentic and accurate story. But, as all sides would probably agree, there's no point in arguing about something that has already taken place. Right now, there's no better path for all sides involved to go down than to move on.
Focusing on the Dallas Mavericks
All that said, what's done is done. And AD knows this. His focus is now squarely on the Mavs. Even though he's still currently sidelined with an injury, the hope is that he'll be able to return sooner rather than later. He's been making progress and is expected to be reevaluated at some point soon. The hope is that he can make it back in time for the final push for the postseason.
When healthy, there's reason to believe that the Mavs could make some noise in the Western Conference. Whether they'll truly be able to or not will likely require avoiding the Oklahoma City Thunder or even the Denver Nuggets in a first-round playoff matchup, but if they can, the Mavs have the talent and depth to match up with any team in the league.
Dallas' ceiling may not be as high as it was with Luka on the roster, but it would be foolish to count out this team if they do enter the postseason with a fully healthy roster. Whether that will be the case remains to be seen. But as much as the Mavs may have fumbled Luka, they still have a need-moving and dangerous roster on their hands heading into the postseason.