Headlined by the blockbuster trade of superstar Luka Doncic, the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline has taken the sports world by storm. Today, I will cover the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good:

Weeks of tension and suspensions have culminated in Jimmy Butler being traded to the Golden State Warriors. 

Miami Heat Receive:

• Andrew Wiggins
• Kyle Anderson
• Davion Mitchell
• 2025 first-round pick (protected, GSW)

Golden State Warriors Receive:

– Jimmy Butler

Utah Jazz receive:

• KJ Martin 
• Josh Richardson 
• 2028 second-round pick (PHI)
• 2031 second-round pick (MIA)
• Cash considerations (via Heat)

Detroit Pistons receive:

• Dennis Schröder 
• Lindy Waters III 
• 2031 second-round pick (GSW)

Toronto Raptors receive:

• P.J. Tucker
• 2026 second-round pick (MIA)
• Cash considerations (via Heat)

Unlike its five-team structure, this trade is fairly simple at its crux: the Warriors needed a secondary scorer and Jimmy wants to win. Since the departure of Klay Thompson this past summer, the Warriors have faced severe struggles offensively, falling from 8th in offensive rating (as of last year) to their current place of 17th. Curry has similarly slowed down, posting his lowest ppg (23.4) in nearly a decade. A move was clearly necessary, and pairing aging superstar Jimmy Butler (who has grown frustrated with Miami’s inability to compete) with Curry and Draymond will likely prove highly effective. Unfortunately, this comes with a 121 million dollar cost—the Warriors felt compelled to offer Butler’s demanded two-year maximum contract to keep him happy. 

The Bad:

With a franchise cornerstone that can’t stay on the court in Zion, a 12-39 record that renders their season over, and a looming 208-million dollar contract for Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans have been forced to make a move. I’m just not sure why the Raptors played along.

Toronto Raptors Receive:

– Brandon Ingram

New Orleans Pelicans Receive:

– Bruce Brown

– Kelly Olynk

– 2026 first-round pick (IND)

– 2031 second-round pick (TOR)

A one-time all-star and the Pelicans’ clear second-best player, Ingram has pushed for a max contract offer (valued at $208 million) since this past offseason. Recognizing that his production simply doesn’t warrant a $200+ million cost, the Pelicans have instead opted to ship him to Canada (and receive assets in the process), a great move on their part. However, I find the Raptors’ interest in Ingram, an overpriced 27-year old whose position overlaps with RJ Barrett, quite surprising. To be frank, the addition of a fringe all-star like Ingram for $40 million per year appears to be a win-now move; with a record of 16-35, the Raptors have no business making win-now moves. 

The Ugly:

I will end with, by essentially every metric, the ugliest sports trade of this century: Luka Doncic to the Lakers.

Dallas Mavericks Receive:

– Anthony Davis

– Max Christie

– 2029 first-round pick (LAL)

Los Angeles Lakers Receive:

– Luka Doncic

– Maxi Kleber

– Markieff Morris

Utah Jazz Receive:

– Jalen Hood-Schifino

– 2025 Second Round Pick (DAL)

– 2029 Second Round Pick (LAC)

For context, Luka Doncic was the 2019 rookie-of-the-year, has been named to the All-NBA First Team for five straight years (2020-2024), and has been selected to play in the All-Star Game for five straight years (2020-2024). Last year, he (along with notable help from Kyrie Irving and support pieces like PJ Washington and Derrick Lively) led the Mavericks to 50 wins and their second appearance in the NBA finals since his being drafted. He is a top-three player in the world at twenty-five years old. 

Anthony Davis, by comparison, is still great: a ten-time All-Star, one of the best defenders in the league, and an instrumental piece to the Lakers’ 2020 championship. But he is not Luka Doncic.

This trade has been subject to unparalleled scrutiny for three major reasons, the first being age. Anthony Davis is 31 years old, six years older than Luka. In making this trade, the Mavericks have reduced their window of contention to 3-4 years at most, a stark contrast to the 10+ years that Luka would ensure. Similarly, Luka has shown pure loyalty to the Mavericks over the course of his career: if not for this trade, Luka would have had the time to cement himself as one of the team’s greatest all-time stars. 

Perhaps more glaring than the age disparity is the justification for the trade itself. Nico Harrison, the General Manager of the Dallas Mavericks, has adamantly defended his decision, citing that “defense wins championships” and “the future to me is [three, four] years from now”. Both claims are made especially bizarre by the fact that Luka brought the Mavericks to the finals just last year. Other issues raised internally by the Mavericks centered around Luka’s conditioning and mindset, but as Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards aptly notes, “Man, he averages 30 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds. I don’t give a d*mn if you’re 300 lbs. You’re fine with me”.

Finally, even if Luka was unfit for the team’s goals, the return they managed to yield is laughably meager. Mikal Bridges (a great and highly durable starter that is nonetheless leagues below Luka) garnered five first-round picks from the Knicks less than a year ago. The only teams that could provide commensurate value for Luka (Bucks with Giannis, Nuggets with Jokic, Spurs/OKC with picks) were not even approached. In fact, Harrison only floated the idea of a Luka trade to one team—the Lakers.

Adding insult to injury, in his debut game with the Mavericks, Davis injured himself indefinitely. In every respect, this is one of the worst sports trades in history.