Dončić ended up being part of a blockbuster deal with the Lakers that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas.
Luka Dončić as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards as a Dallas Maverick? It was a thought pursued by Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
Weeks before Harrison pulled off the blockbuster deal that sent Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, he reportedly called up the T’Wolves to gauge interest in a Luka-for-Ant Man swap.
That idea was shot down by Minnesota.
“The Timberwolves, league sources say, were stunned that Dallas was contemplating parting ways with Dončić.”
Harrison told reporters during a Feb. 2 post-trade news conference that he didn’t speak with any teams other than the Lakers about moving Dončić. That could be semantics on Harrison’s part and how you define trade discussions, whether they were fully engaged talks or simply informal discussions.
Days after the trade, Edwards remained stunned that such a deal was pulled off and jokingly sent a message to his fellow NBA players to “get informed” about their own statuses and had a message for Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.
“I’m scared. Tim, if you’re going to trade me, let me know, dawg,” Edwards said. “When Luka got traded, anybody is able to get traded.”
Dončić has played six games since joining the Lakers and averaged 19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The Lakers are 4-2 with Dončić in the lineup, including wins in their last three games when he played, as they sit fourth in the Western Conference with a 36-21 record.
Edwards and Dončić played against one another for the first time since the trade on Thursday night with the Lakers prevailing 111-102. Dončić put up 21 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists, while Edwards had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Edwards also hit 16 technical fouls on the season and is facing a one-game suspension. He’ll likely also receive a fine after throwing a basketball into the crowd following his ejection.
