Legendary Shaquille O’Neal, widely known as Shaq, has weighed in on the Luka Dončić -Anthony Davis trade, stating that the Dallas Mavericks could benefit more from the deal than the Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA insider Shams Charania revealed in the final hours of Saturday the news that shook the world of sports in the Dallas Mavericks trading their marksman Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis, Max Christie and also a 2029 first-round pick.
The trade was one many did not see coming.
READ ALSO: New Lakers star Luka Dončić says playing with LeBron James is ‘a dream come true’
Even Dončić revealed in a press conference he initially thought it was a prank, but it all happened, and Shaq has shared his thoughts on who could benefit from the trade the most.
"For the next 2 years, I think Dallas won that trade." ????
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 5, 2025
Shaq on the Luka & AD trade. pic.twitter.com/wkCrTxtcSI
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison stated that preparations for the trade had been in place for weeks and that only he and Lakers counterpart Rob Pelinka knew perfectly well what was going to happen.
Shaq was a Laker for eight years and played a key role in the team’s three-peat during his NBA days.
Shaq said on the NBA Insider show that the deal left him stunned as he did not expect Dončić to be traded to the Purple and Gold, nor Davis involved in the transfer.
‘I think Dallas got the better of the trade for the next two years anyway,’ the NBA legend said.
‘Obviously Dallas didn’t want to move forward with one of the greatest young players that we have seen today.
‘I wish the business of basketball could have been handled a little better.
‘You would think a guy that five years in the league, five first team All-NBA’s would at least get a conversation,’ he added.
Dallas now has one of the best players in the league in Davis, along with a handy two-way player in Max Christie.
However, transfer experts say the trade would have got a bigger haul if they had informed other teams of potentially moving Dončić.
Luka Doncic has made five All-Star teams Since his rookie season in 2018 and five All-NBA first-teams.
He also led the Dallas Mavericks to only their third-ever NBA Finals appearance.
Anthony Davis on the other hand is an NBA champion and has got all it takes to lead the Mavs to a successful season.
Nonetheless, he’s got a recurring injury record and that could be the downside of the transfer.
During a press conference after the trade, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison confirmed that the move was made to position the team for an immediate title run.
“Anthony Davis fits our time frame,” Harrison said. “If you pair him with Kyrie and the rest of the guys, he fits right along with our time frame to win now and win in the future. And the future, to me, is three to four years from now.”
The Mavericks entered the season as preseason favorites, yet have struggled through the first half and currently lie in 11th in the Western Conference with a 26-25 record.
Many Lakers fans are looking forward to seeing Dončić feature alongside LeBron James, believing it will be crucial for the team’s season and absolutely thrilling to watch.