,”The Mavs won the trade for the next three or four years. But the Lakers got a bright future if they put the right pieces around Luka.”
On ESPN’s Get Up, Charles Barkley argued that the Dallas Mavericks won the Luka Dončić trade in the short term. In light of the shock trade that sent Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, many criticized Dallas for dealing their 25-year-old superstar without warning. However, Barkley defended the Mavericks’ decision, declaring them the winners of the deal—at least for the short term.
Barkley responded to a question about Dallas GM Nico Harrison’s press conference following the trade. Rather than criticizing Harrison’s defense of the deal, Barkley praised him for addressing the situation head-on. “A lot of general managers, when they make trades, they put out statements or they don’t go right to the press conference,” Barkley said. “I want to give Nico his flowers for standing up, saying what he had to say — he stood on business.”
Barkley continued by emphasizing that the trade would likely become “one of the best reality TV shows probably in the history of sports.” He highlighted how rare it is for an NBA trade to involve two established stars, with the Mavericks acquiring 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis. “Something that’s really intriguing — normally you trade a great player, you get a bunch of junk in return. The Mavs got the great Anthony Davis,” Barkley noted. “So Luka’s great. Anthony Davis is great. This is going to be one of the most fascinating things — and the thing is, it’s going to be fascinating probably for the next 10 years. The Mavs won the trade for the next three or four years. But the Lakers got a bright future if they put the right pieces around Luka.”
While some might debate who won the trade in the short-term, particularly considering Dončić is widely regarded as the better current player, Barkley’s main point was that the trade isn’t as lopsided as many believe. Although the trade was shocking, Barkley argued that the Mavericks didn’t come away empty-handed, as they acquired a top-75 all-time player in his prime.
As Barkley acknowledged, time will reveal how the trade will ultimately play out, but for now, the 1993 NBA MVP seems open-minded about its long-term implications.
