Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, has weighed in on what he described as one of the worst trades in NBA history, specifically targeting the deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Trump made these remarks during a Republican midterm convention held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
During his speech, which spanned nearly two hours and covered topics such as upcoming elections, oil prices, and immigration, Trump diverted to discuss the controversial NBA trade. "I must tell you, I don't understand the trade. That trade is not good," Trump stated. "It's not going to go down as the greatest trade in the history of sports. It might go down as the worst trade in the history of sports."
Trump suggested that the Mavericks should have an opportunity to "redo that trade," drawing a parallel to his own experience in making and redoing deals. He humorously noted, "I redo deals all the time. … I understand deals. But that one, I didn't quite get. Somebody from Dallas, I'm sure, can explain it to me."
The trade in question, which occurred over a year prior to Trump's comments, involved the Dallas Mavericks sending their star guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package that included Anthony Davis. This deal has been widely criticized and has led to significant fallout for the Mavericks franchise. Trump later qualified his statement, referencing the infamous trade of Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees as a potentially worse move.
The Mavericks' decision to trade Doncic, who had led them to an NBA Finals appearance, for Davis, Max Christie, and a future first-round pick, has been a subject of intense debate. While the Mavericks later won the draft lottery and selected Cooper Flagg, Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards in February. Meanwhile, the Lakers have become firmly Doncic's team following LeBron James's departure to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
