NBA superstar Luka Doncic is being traded by the reigning Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris are headed to the Lakers, while Davis and Max Christie are going to Dallas, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.
The blockbuster deal has shocked the league, with Doncic set to join LeBron James in Los Angeles, and Davis now headed to Dallas to partner with Kyrie Irving.
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton summed up the mood of many when he asked on social media whether Shams Charania, the reporter who broke the story, had been hacked.
Neither team can announce the bombshell deal while it awaits league approval.
The Utah Jazz are also involved in the deal.
ESPN, which first reported the trade, said Jalen Hood-Schifino and two draft picks will be headed to the Jazz. The Dallas Morning News also reported those details on the trade.
“I believe that defence wins championships,” Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN.
“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, a fan favourite at Dallas since starting his NBA career at the club in 2018, won Rookie of the Year in his first season in the league.
The 25-year-old has since finished top eight in MVP voting in every season, while he boasts career averages of 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists.
News of the trade broke after Lakers legend James had 33 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in his 10th triple-double of the season.
James enjoyed another memorable night at Madison Square Garden, leading the Lakers to a 128-112 victory over the New York Knicks.
James improved to 23-8 at his favourite arena to visit, easily surpassing the 28 points per game he had been averaging in the building.
James also became the seventh NBA player to register 2,500 3-pointers.
Meanwhile, Boomers captain Patty Mills has added yet another chapter to his storied NBA career, joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers, who bolstered their depth while hunting a playoffs spot, and Utah Jazz, last in the western conference, signed off on the deal ahead of the trade deadline on Thursday (local time).
Mills and Drew Eubanks have been traded to the Clippers in exchange for P.J. Tucker, Mo Bamba, a future second-round draft pick and cash considerations.
The swap will bring the Clippers under the luxury tax threshold, while pitching Mills into a fresh scrap for back-up minutes at the team he made his NBA debut against in 2010.
The longevity of Mills, aged 36 and in his 16th NBA season, is nothing short of remarkable in the star-studded league.
The veteran guard was memorably traded three times in the space of 10 days during the 2023 off-season, eventually landing at the Atlanta Hawks.
Mills has since suited up for Miami Heat and the Jazz, who he averaged 4.4 points for in a 17-game stint while providing much-needed leadership in a young squad.
The Indigenous icon ticked off a major milestone this season, becoming the first Australian to play 1000 NBA games.
Mills’ shooting has long been a strong suit, but the Canberra product has garnered plenty of praise from teammates and pundits in the US for his leadership and fervent support from the bench.
Mills, whose 2024-25 deal is worth $US3.3 million ($A5.3 million), is uncontracted beyond the end of this season.
Widely considered Australia’s most successful basketballer, Mills’ NBA journey started when drafted with pick No.55 in 2009.
It hit an almighty high in 2014, when he made it on to the floor in all five games to help San Antonio defeat Lebron James’ Miami Heat in the championship-deciding series.
Mills became the first Indigenous Australian to carry the flag into an Olympics opening ceremony in 2021, when he also led the Boomers to a breakthrough bronze medal.
Fellow Australian guard Dyson Daniels scored 23 points on Sunday (AEDT) but his Atlanta Hawks suffered an eighth straight defeat.
Pascal Siakam made a key three-pointer late in the fourth quarter and finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists to lift Indiana to a 132-127 win over Atlanta in Indianapolis.
Daniels also had four rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block.
Nicola Jokic produced his 22nd triple-double of the season to help Denver (30-19) beat Charlotte 107-104, helping himself to 28 points, 17 assists and 13 rebounds.
Australian starter Josh Green had six points and five assists for the Hornets (12-34).
And another Aussie, Ben Simmons, played 24 minutes for five rebounds, four assists and two points as his Brooklyn Nets (16-33) upset the high-flying Houston Rockets 110-98.
In Minneapolis, Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 31 points as the Washington Wizards beat the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves 105-103 to end a 16-game losing streak.
And in Oklahoma City, Aaron Wiggins had a career-high 41 points and 14 rebounds and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 29 points and nine assists as the Thunder (38-9) rolled past the Sacramento Kings 144-110.
© AAP