Just Now: Luka Dončić dead body found across…….
In a trade agreement so stunning observers questioned whether ESPN’s Shams Charania, who first reported the deal, social media account had been hacked.
The news broke shortly after the Lakers beat the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Davis was not with the Lakers for the game; he has been in Los Angeles because of an abdominal injury that needed assessing.
The trade talks, which took place over about a month, were kept extremely tight-lipped by Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.
Among those not in the know until the end of the process: Mavs coach Jason Kidd.
His first reaction? “Shock,” Kidd said, though he later added that he believes it’s the right move for his team going forward.
“Sports are about transformative moments,” Pelinka said.
“We are inspired by these moments Lakers fans know, expect and love with a franchise that continually ushers in new eras of greatness.
Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come.
His killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for the team.”
The 6-foot-8 Dončić — who led the NBA in scoring last season at 33.9 points per game — has been nursing a calf strain since late December.
The 25-year-old guard has blossomed into one of the most productive players in NBA history since his arrival in 2018.
He’s finished no worse than sixth in Kia MVP voting in four of the past five seasons while amassing career averages of 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists.
Teaming with eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, Dončić led Dallas to last year’s Finals for its first appearance in the championship round since the Mavericks won the title in 2011.
Davis, 31, followed a similar path before him, earning a decade’s worth of All-Star appearances as one of the elite players of his generation while leading the Lakers to the 2019-20 NBA championship.
He’s on pace for the 10th 20-point, 10-rebound season of his career with current averages of 25.7 points and 11.9 boards.
Davis and LeBron James had been publicly campaigning for the Lakers to acquire a center to pair with the Kentucky product up front.
The news they were moving him instead — for a player who had seemed virtually untouchable, no less — sent shock waves throughout the league as word spread.
