By Vincent Wang, Staff Writer
The NBA trade deadline on February 6, 2025, has had some surprising notable moves.
In a huge trade, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Luka Doncic, in return the Dallas Mavericks got in exchange Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round draft pick. This huge move was met by shock across the league as Doncic is a 25-year-old superstar just hitting his prime and Anthony Davis’s best days are behind him as he battles through injuries. Junior Ram Chillakuru, states, “This is a win now move by Dallas as they add more defense to the front court” Ram adds that “they could have got more value for Luka,” as most of the league thought he was untouchable.
Next, we look at the other blockbuster trades starting with De’Aaron Fox being traded to the San Antonio Spurs. The San Antonio Spurs acquired another superstar in his prime to pair up with the face of the franchise Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs gave up four first-round picks (three of which are headed to Sacramento), a second-round pick and three players (Zach Collins, Tre Jones and Sidy Cissoko). Junior David Carr explains that he “hopes it works out because four first-round picks are very valuable.”
In a separate deal, the Miami Heat traded a defensive menace Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Kyle Anderson and Andrew Wiggins, strengthening the Warriors’ already powerful lineup. “This trade is great as the Warriors need to win now” as they have limited time with the aging star Stephen Curry, David explained.
Overall, this has been a crazy trade deadline and will go down in the history books as one of the most shocking trades of all time. The Lakers’ move was to secure a long-term superstar, while the Mavericks’ decision to trade him has been criticized by the media and public as they thought Luka was their future. The impacts of these trades will show as the season progresses through the All-Star break. Ram mentions that “the trade deadline is always a rollercoaster of emotions” since one fanbase could be happy and the other is “stuck scratching their head.”
This “deadline would definitely change the league” stated David. At River Hill, it was one of the most talked about topics at lunch. The true impact of these blockbuster trades remains to be seen. One thing is certain, this year’s trade deadline will go down in history as some of the most surprising, head-scratching trades of all time.