Trump Calls Luka Doncic Trade Potentially ‘Worst in Sports History’ at Dallas GOP Convention
Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the blockbuster NBA trade sending Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers during a Republican Party convention in Dallas, Texas. The President expressed confusion over the deal and suggested the franchise should reverse it.
Trump Questions Logic Behind Doncic Deal
Speaking to attendees, Trump did not hold back his opinion on the February 2, 2025, three-team transaction that reshaped the Western Conference landscape.
“This is a great team, the Dallas Mavericks, which we hope will be good… I have to tell you that I don’t understand the Doncic trade. What do I know about basketball? I’d say that won’t go down in history as the best trade in sports. It could go down in history as the worst trade in sports,” said Donald Trump.
He went further, explicitly recommending the Mavericks organization void the agreement.
“it has to be undone (Doncic’s trade to the Lakers).”
Historical Comparison: The Curse of the Bambino
Trump drew a parallel to one of the most infamous transactions in American sports history: the sale of Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees.
“the worst trade in the history of sports” was the one that sent Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees.
On December 26, 1919, the Red Sox sent Ruth to the Yankees in a direct cash sale of $100,000—a record figure at the time—accompanied by a $300,000 loan. The move sparked the “Curse of the Bambino,” a championship drought for Boston that lasted 86 years while the Yankees won four World Series titles with Ruth.
‘Maybe We Could Redo That Trade’
Trump continued his analysis, directly comparing the two deals and reiterating his stance that Dallas should attempt to reverse the transaction.
“The Babe one will always be the worst trade. But… is Doncic’s? That’s not good. Was it good? Maybe we could redo that trade. I redo deals all the time. It has to be redone. That has to be redone. I don’t understand that deal. You know, there are deals one understands. I understand deals, but that one I didn’t quite understand,” said Donald Trump, once again suggesting to the Mavericks that they undo the Doncic trade.
Details of the Three-Team Blockbuster
The trade, finalized on February 2, 2025, sent shockwaves through the league. Notably, neither the players involved nor the superstars at the center of the deal—Doncic and Anthony Davis—were informed until the deal was completed.
- Los Angeles Lakers received: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
- Dallas Mavericks received: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 first-round Draft pick
- Utah Jazz received: Hood-Schifino, 2025 second-round Draft pick, another 2025 second-round pick
The Mavericks roster for the upcoming season is set to feature Spanish players Santi Aldama and Sergio de Larrea.
