Report: Mavericks Tried to Trade Luka Doncic to 2 Other Teams Before Lakers

Another intriguing twist has emerged to the whole Luka Doncic Trade Heard 'Round the World. According to a report, the Dallas Mavericks first tried to swing a Doncic trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, before settling on taking Anthony Davis from the LA Lakers.

REPORT: The Mavericks attempted to trade Luka Doncic to the Bucks and Timberwolves, per @GeryWoelfel

“The Mavs reached out to the Bucks. But the Bucks made it clear to Mavs they wouldn’t trade Antetokounmpo even though his future with the team is murky.
As for the Timberwolves,… pic.twitter.com/Tzmfxxa4Y8
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 11, 2025

Was it true, as Mavs GM Nico Harrison has told us, that they didn't canvas any other teams to see if there was a better offer than the chronically injured Davis?

Per Gery Woelfel, it appears Harrison is bending the truth more than a little, and that he did, in fact, try to land himself a younger, healthier superstar in return for Luka.

According two NBA officials, the Mavs had interactions with at least two other teams besides the Lakers. They claimed the Mavs also had conversations with the Bucks and Timberwolves.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which players from those teams would have piqued the Mavs’ interest.
With the Bucks, it was Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP who led the Bucks to the NBA title in 2021.
As for the Timberwolves, it’s only logical that any potential deal between the Mavs and Timberwolves would have included Anthony Edwards, their ascending 23-year-old superstar.

Mavericks Tried To Trade Luka for Giannis

As for Giannis, his future with the Bucks is a bit cloudy, as there were even rumors earlier this season that if the team wasn't in contention for the title, he could ask out. And the Greek Freak "happens to have a strong rapport with Mavs coach Jason Kidd," per Woelfel. But the Bucks "made it clear" they would not trade Antetokounmpo.

With the other half of this rumor, there clearly wouldn't be anyone else on the T-Wolves who Harrison would have asked about other than Ant.

Woelf insists that his sources are "adamant" that those discussions with the Bucks & T-Wolves took place.

All of this, of course, also puts into question Harrison's other public statements that "defense wins championships" and that's why they wanted to move on from Luka in favor of AD, who, when healthy, is one of the top defensive big men in the game.

Ah, but there's that "when healthy" qualification. Davis, in his very first game for the Mavs this past weekend, already went down to an injury that will keep him out for about a month.