Why Mavericks made stunning Luka Doncic trade: They were terrified

As the NBA world processes the shocking late-night trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Mavericks, the big question everyone is asking is, why on Earth would Dallas do this?According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Mavericks had “major concerns” about the 25-year-old’s ability to fulfill his potential due to issues they saw with his conditioning and lifestyle.Dallas was worried enough that “they were terrified” about giving him a five-year, $345 million super-max contract, MacMahon said on ESPN Sunday morning, as he’s set to enter the final year of his current deal next season (with the expectation he’d decline a 2026-27 player option).If there was a desire for a breakup, it appears it wasn’t one-sided, as Doncic did not want to re-sign with the team after the conclusion of his contract, according to CBS Sports.The Mavericks publicly are conveying that the trade improves the team’s chances of winning now.“I believe that defense wins championships,” general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN shortly after news of the trade broke early Sunday morning.“I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance.

We’re built to win now and in the future.”Doncic, who has been out since Christmas with a calf injury, is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 22 games this season.He led the NBA with 33.9 points per game last season, along with 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds in a career-high 70 regular-season games before leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Celtics in five games.Davis, who turns 32 next month, has had his share of injury issues and has two years left on his contract but is one of the league’s premier defensive players when healthy.He’s averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 42 games this season.The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m....