On Feb. 1 11:15 pm, Dallas sports changed drastically. The European phenom Luka Doncic was traded in a blockbuster deal which sent Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markief Morris for 32 year-old Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first round pick. 

“I was so shocked,” sophomore Kyle Jarvis said. “It still doesn’t feel real sometimes.”

Currently, It seems that both teams have lost the trade so far. For the Lakers, Doncic came back from his calf injury only averaging 14 points per game and shooting a very bad 35.6% from the field.

On the Dallas side of things Davis shined in his debut. He had 26 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists in 31 minutes played. However, late in the third quarter Davis went down with a lower abdomen injury and has been out since. 

“I was so excited watching him play at first but then he got hurt and any sliver of happiness left my body,” sophomore Aaron Willeford said.

Although the main stars in the trade haven’t panned out quite yet, Dallas may have found a diamond in the rough in guard Max Christie. The 21 year-old out of Michigan State is currently in his third year in the NBA. 

The consistency displayed by Christie throughout his first few games as a Mavericks has not gone unnoticed.

“Christie excites me a lot in this trade,” sophomore Logan Haas said. “It seems like he is the only reason to be happy about this circumstance at all.”

Christie averaged only eight points on the Lakers leading up to the trade. Now he is one of Dallas’ most consistent players averaging 15 points per game in his six games.

As of right now, the Mavericks may hold the edge over the Lakers with the success of this trade. However, over time the Lakers will surpass the Mavericks due to the age of Doncic and the success he has had in the past and will turn the Lakers into a dynasty for years to come.

“The Mavs will most definitely end on the losing side of this trade,” Jarvis said. “It is just a matter of when the scale tips to the Lakers side.”