When the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, NBA fans were left in disbelief. The move wasn’t just shocking, it was incomprehensible. Doncic, a perennial MVP candidate, was the heart of the Mavericks and had just led them to an NBA Finals appearance. In return, the team received Davis, a talented but injury-prone center whose best years might be behind him. The trade led to outrage, with Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison even receiving death threats. Fans struggled to understand why the team would willingly part with one of the league’s top players.
With no clear basketball explanation for the trade, conspiracy theories quickly emerged. The most popular theory revolves around Miriam Adelson, the billionaire casino magnate who purchased a majority stake in the Mavericks in 2023. Her family owns the Las Vegas Sands empire and has been aggressively lobbying to legalize gambling in Texas. Some believe Adelson is pressuring Texas to legalize gambling to boost Mavericks’ profits or justify a move to Vegas, despite denials from Governor Patrick Dumont.
Have you seen the theory of the Mavs trading Luka to get gambling legalized in Texas?
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 13, 2025
See for yourself:
The Mavs are owned by the Adelsons, who have a gambling empire. They've said that the long-term goal is to build a casino resort with a new Mavs stadium.
But it seems… pic.twitter.com/vKtCXvs4xZ
The trade’s timing spurred speculation. Days after sending Doncic to Los Angeles, Texas Governor Greg Abbott switched his stance and backed legalizing online sports betting. Many wondered if the Mavericks prioritized a broader political and financial strategy over basketball. If Adelson wants to legalize casinos in Texas, she might use a weakened Mavericks as leverage. But if Texas lawmakers refuse to compromise, she may argue that the team no longer fits Dallas and push to relocate it to Las Vegas, where she has strong financial ties.
The Basketball Disaster: A Trade That Makes No Sense
From a purely basketball perspective, the trade appears to be a massive step backward for the Mavericks. While Davis is a strong defender, he comes with a long injury history. In his Dallas debut, he put up an impressive stat line of 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks, but his impact was short-lived, as he exited the game with an injury that could sideline him for a month. This raises serious concerns about his reliability, especially considering that Dallas is already struggling in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, the Lakers emerged as clear winners. Pairing Doncic with LeBron James immediately boosted their championship odds, while the Mavericks’ odds plummeted. Even former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban seemed to question the trade. In a public conversation, he compared it to Microsoft trading its latest operating system for an outdated version, highlighting how baffling the move was. Cuban also revealed that he wasn’t informed about the trade until it was nearly finalized.
Dallas-based attorney Christopher Kratovil, a lifelong Mavericks fan, took the theory a step further. He argued that Adelson is using the trade as a high-stakes gamble to force Texas lawmakers’ hands. If the Mavericks struggle, ticket sales drop, and fan frustration grows, she could present casino legalization as a solution to keep the team competitive. The alternative? The franchise relocates to Las Vegas, a city long rumored to be a target for NBA expansion. Given Adelson’s history of influencing politics through financial contributions, the idea isn’t far-fetched.
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