The move was so controversial that it led to protests and calls for the firing of the team's general manager, Nico Harrison. Doncic, drafted third overall in 2018 and acquired by the Mavericks in a draft-day trade, had been the face of the franchise since taking over from Dirk Nowitzki.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks are looking at staging a preseason game in Las Vegas, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. Assuming they both played, this would pit the Lakers' Luka Dončić and Mavericks' Anthony Davis against their old teams.

Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison met in secret to continue the ongoing negotiations on a trade involving Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis. When the deal was finalized, everybody was in for a shock as the entire NBA hierarchy changed overnight.