Saturday night’s blockbuster NBA trade that saw Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis swap teams has led to just about every big-name personality in sports media sharing their opinions on what happened. Naturally, NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley had plenty to say on the matter as well.
In one of the more unique moves in NBA history, both the Mavericks and the Lakers will be bringing in perennial All-NBA level talent at the expense of cornerstones of their own franchises. Still, many are questioning why the Mavericks would move on from Dončić considering he is just 25 and in the prime of his career.
Charles Barkley questioned this during an appearance on NBA TV on Sunday, saying that he was shocked that the Mavs didn’t reach out to other potential suitors if they had an interest in trading Dončić.
“Those are the two aspects of this trade that are shocking,” said Barkley. “A star for star. And they didn’t go for the highest bidder. They went for a quick deal and it was over. In fairness, they got a hell of a player. Anthony Davis is an All-NBA player.”
Charles Barkley: “[The Dallas Mavericks] didn’t go for the highest bidder. They went for a quick deal and it was over.”pic.twitter.com/nnqtsogoDH https://t.co/hnYTf98zW5
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 2, 2025
Barkley also speculated that he thinks the Mavericks made the move because they “know something” that he and other media members don’t know about Dončić.
“Let me tell you something. The only people that know Luka Dončić is the Dallas Mavericks,” Barkley added. “Guys who have been with him for years, who have been with him every day. He’s a great player, But all of us talking heads… They must know something we don’t know. Listen, he’s been hurt. Everybody complains about his conditioning. But once you give a guy 5 years, $350 million, y’all are stuck together for life.”
Dončić has been sidelined since Christmas with a lingering calf injury. Barkley may be alluding to the notion that the Mavericks believe this issue could extend his career.
Still, all players who are traded have to take a physical before joining their new team, so if there was any unknown factor to Dončić’s injury, it would be discovered and nullify the trade.
Meanwhile, Davis has frequently been sidelined with injuries throughout his career. So the argument that injury history was the Mavericks’ determining factor goes both ways with who they are getting back.
Regardless of why the Mavericks traded their young star a year after making the NBA Finals, it is a move that might go down as the most shocking trade in league history. All eyes will be on both Davis and Dončić for years to come to see who won the deal.
