What Doncic, Davis trade might look like in other sports
If you’re not a basketball fan, you might be struggling to wrap your head around the magnitude of the Doncic-Davis trade. That’s where we come in.
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The old saying used to be “If Wayne Gretzky can be traded, anyone can be.” That needs to be updated to include Luka Doncic now.
The Dallas Mavericks made the stunning move to trade Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package that was headlined by Anthony Davis over the weekend. It was the first time in league history that two All-NBA players were traded for each other in-season, according to StatMamba. A blockbuster in every way.
But if you’re not a basketball fan, you might be struggling to wrap your head around the magnitude of this trade. That’s where we come in.
Below you’ll find some fantasy trades from hockey, baseball and football that show how massive this NBA mega deal really is.
For this exercise, we’ll ignore salary caps, no-trade clauses and the secondary pieces that always have to be included in complicated trades like these. Because as the Lakers and Mavericks showed, anything is possible when two sides want to make a deal.
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NHL
The Colorado Avalanche trade defenceman Cale Makar to the Tampa Bay Lightning for goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy
Makar, 26, is one of the most productive offensive defencemen in NHL history. His 1.09 points per game for his career trails only Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey at his position. Doncic, who turns 26 later this month, ranks third in NBA history with a career average of 28.6 points per game, behind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Makar’s trophy case is more filled than Doncic’s with a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Norris Trophy on his resume. But there’s no doubt both are among the very best scorers of their generation and on track to be Hall of Famers if they keep scoring at this pace.
Vasilevskiy, 30, became the fastest goalie ever to reach 300 wins earlier this season. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2018-19 and has been a finalist three other times. Like the 31-year-old Davis, Vasilevskiy has been the backbone of a championship team while playing in the shadow of other larger-than-life personalities. Both players are also still at the top of their games more than a decade into their careers, with Vasilevskiy posting a .918 save percentage and Davis averaging 25.7 points per game this season.
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MLB
The Braves trade outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. to the Yankees for pitcher Gerrit Cole
Acuna, 27, missed a majority of the 2024 season with an injury but in 2023 he put together one of the greatest all-round seasons by a hitter ever. That year, he hit 41 home runs and had 73 stolen bases, becoming the first player to do both in the same season. Acuna has been an elite offensive talent almost since the day he turned pro, just like Doncic. He is a three-time Silver Slugger and four-time All-Star while Doncic is a five-time first-team All-NBA player.
Cole, 34, captured his first Cy Young Award in 2023 after finishing in the top five in voting five other times in his career. He began last season on the IL and when he returned he was still an ace for the Yankees — helping them reach the World Series — even as his ERA dipped to 3.41, slightly higher than his 3.14 career average. Cole might be in decline now but even a declining Cole is better than most starters in the game. The Mavericks are making a similar bet with Davis as he enters his mid-30s.
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NFL
The Bengals trade wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to the Ravens for running back Derrick Henry
Chase is only four seasons into his career but he has already established himself as one of the best offensive playmakers in the NFL. He’s never had a season below 1,000 yards receiving and this year he led the league with 17 touchdown catches and 1,708 receiving yards. Like Doncic, Chase has helped his team reach one championship so far but he’s still looking for a ring. And like Doncic his career is missing some major personal awards, although Chase is a contender to be named offensive player of the year later this week.
Henry, now 30 and having just completed his ninth season at one of the most unforgiving positions, is still among the very best running backs in football. In his first year with the Ravens, Henry ran for 1,921 yards — second most in the NFL — and tied for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns. Davis is producing at a similar level this season, ranking second among centres in points per game (25.7) and third in rebounds per game (12.6), which are both above his career averages.
