It was the night the NBA world stood still. On February 1, 2025, ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped a tweet that no one could have imagined: the Los Angeles Lakers were trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić.

Inside the team’s group chat, rookie guard Bronny James was the first to share the news, thinking the post might be a hack. The message sent shockwaves through the roster, as players struggled to verify what they could barely believe. Within seconds, confirmations started flooding in, and disbelief turned into raw emotion.​

Davis’s Emotional Exit and LeBron’s Shocked Reaction

Anthony Davis’s first response was pure shock. “Did these n--- just trade me?” he reportedly typed before wishing his teammates luck and leaving the chat.

Davis, who had spent five seasons beside LeBron and helped capture the 2020 NBA title, later admitted to close sources that his frustration was mixed with confusion and sadness.​

LeBron James’s reply came moments later — a simple, three-letter message that instantly went viral: “W--”. It was brief, but summed up the sentiment of a locker room blindsided by management’s secrecy.

According to Yaron Weitzman’s new book A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers, even veteran staffers were left out of the loop until the deal was finalized, preserving total confidentiality between Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and Mavericks GM Nico Harrison.​

From Shock to Transition

The aftermath of the trade was equally dramatic. While Dallas fans were furious over losing their All-NBA cornerstone, Los Angeles hailed the move as the beginning of a new dynasty pairing Dončić and James.

Davis, now in Mavericks blue, embraced the challenge of leading a franchise eager to rebound from a turbulent season. LeBron and Dončić, meanwhile, quickly formed one of the league’s most dynamic duos, symbolizing both the ruthless business of the NBA and the resilience of its stars.