Just about everyone in NBA media is laughing at the Dallas Mavericks in the aftermath of their shock trade to ship out franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Outside of a few gasbags zagging for attention, the analysis is straightforward. One side dealt one of the most talented players to ever touch a basketball. The other side is the Mavericks.
But rather than dancing on the Mavs’ grave on the ESPN call of Dončić’s (hilariously delayed) Lakers debut, color commentator Tim Legler took it pretty easy on Nico Harrison and Co.
In the intro of the broadcast, Legler focused on the Lakers and how Dončić would fit with the legendary LeBron James. Given that the Mavs were not playing, that made sense.
But it only took a few moments for Legler and play-by-play man Dave Pasch to address the trade. When they did, Legler simply called it “an enormous risk” for the Mavs.
“An enormous risk on the part of the Mavericks organization,” Legler said. “It’s going to come down to the fact that Dallas is betting against Luka Dončić’s ability to max out his potential as a player … they’re betting against that, the Lakers bet on it.”
Tim Legler took it relatively easy on the Dallas Mavericks last night discussing the Luka Doncic trade:
“An enormous risk on the part of the Mavericks organization.” pic.twitter.com/wHAgzMPlBH
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 11, 2025
As a former NBA player and longtime analyst, Legler knows what Dončić is thinking. While Legler was polite toward the Mavs, he didn’t hold back in forecasting that the 25-year-old Slovenian phenom would return with a vengeance now that he’s healed up from a calf injury and ready to perform for Laker Nation.
Legler drove home on the ESPN broadcast that unlike so many massive player moves in recent NBA history, Dončić did not ask for this. Instead, the franchise bet against a five-time First Team All-NBA talent who just led it to the NBA Finals. The Mavs chose to get rid of Dončić.
“Didn’t force his way out, didn’t leave as a free agent, wasn’t involved in some sort of scandal,” Legler said.
“This was a situation where over a period of time, by all accounts, the Dallas Mavericks seemed like they saw habits that they didn’t like, necessarily, in Luka. And they didn’t know if he was going to be able to fully maximize his potential as a franchise leader who leads you to titles. Luka Dončić, for my money, this is one of the most dominant offensive forces this league has seen. Certainly, currently in the league. And now, he is going to welcome this opportunity to prove to a lot of people, particularly in Dallas, what he’s capable of.”
A moment later, Legler Introduced the Luka Revenge Tour:
“Didn’t force his way out, didn’t leave as a free agent, wasn’t involved in some sort of scandal … he is now going to welcome this opportunity to prove to a lot of people, particularly in Dallas, what he’s capable of.” pic.twitter.com/W1RvJi5y7I
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 11, 2025
The Lakers predictably blew out a tanking Utah Jazz team on their home floor, with Dončić hardly breaking a sweat. Cruising toward the end of the broadcast, Legler broached the trade again.
Despite the Mavs’ insistence that the move was about trading offense for defense, Legler simply held up Dončić’s overall track record. While Anthony Davis, who was sent to Dallas for Dončić, helped the team’s defense, Legler believes the Mavs still brought their ceiling down considerably with the trade.
“That’s the argument they made, but I think one area they were shortsighted in, you look at what Luka Dončić has done in the postseason in his career and the way he shows up in those big moments … he shows up when the lights are bright,” Legler said.
“That’s innate. I don’t think you get that later in your career. You’re born with that. Luka has it. And that’s what you really wonder, how you give up on something like that at 25.”
tim legler with a very measured (and effective) evisceration of the mavs' stated justification for the luka doncic trade
— dan favale (@danfavale.bsky.social) 2025-02-11T05:57:23.506Z
There can be an instinct on the part of broadcasters to make the story about the game. Especially among former players, coaches and executives, transactions are secondary to what happens on the court. But Legler understood that the story of Dončić’s L.A. debut was just as much about the shock and awe around the trade as it was about his play.
Like all the best analysts (for instance, Troy Aikman discussing Patrick Mahomes bending the rules), Legler threaded both sides together at a high level. Considering the safety concerns around Harrison and Mavs brass, ESPN was professional in how it addressed the decision-making, but it could not be ignored.
