Milwaukee Bucks fans and the rest of the NBA world was shocked to its very core on Saturday night when news broke that the Dallas Mavericks were trading five-time All-Star and 2023-24 scoring champion Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for nine-time All-Star Anthony Davis.
BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
As seen in the post from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Dallas also sent Markieff Morris and Max Kleber to Los Angeles for Max Christie and a 2029 first round pick.
In the hours that have followed the news of the trade, many fans have expressed their confusion and disappointment regarding it. Indeed, it does seem like a lopsided deal that heavily favors the Lakers, but one former Bucks coach has a different opinion.
Former Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach George Karl Raves About the Luka Doncic Trade
Former Bucks head coach George Karl, who led Milwaukee’s most successful teams since the late-80’s after a period of awful performances in the early and mid-90’s, has a different opinion on the trade. He posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he thinks the deal has made both the Mavericks and Lakers better:
The Luka – AD trade is amazing!!
It took a lot of courage to do this, especially for Dallas! They want to win now. Plus LA got a marquee player for the next decade.
I believe both teams get better from this! That’s rare and it’s also rare to shake the NBA world! pic.twitter.com/n2RbVxnpCv
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) February 2, 2025
For Bucks fans, it is interesting to see Coach Karl talk so highly of a trade that popular opinion has deemed as among the worst in NBA history.
Of course, Karl was the head coach in Milwaukee when a young Ray Allen was traded to the Seattle Supersonics for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason, a deal that is widely considered to be one of the worst in team history.
That being said, the former Bucks coach recently shared an intriguing explanation for why the then-popular Bucks guard was traded:
Wow you’re still angry 20 years later
That must be hard. I’m sorry.
I’ve said it before – Ray Allen was a traitor and bad teammate and it wasn’t a good fit for the organization anymore.
Let me know if u need a therapist for the rest of your work here https://t.co/0IKfqZyi2Z
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) November 11, 2024
Why Karl felt/feels that way is unclear, but it sure seems like there was a lot more going on behind the scenes that fans were not aware of.
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- Giannis Antetokounmpo Reacts to Stunning Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis Trade
- 2021 Bucks Champ Traded by Los Angeles Clippers to Utah Jazz
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