When Anthony Davis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, the entire NBA world was in a state of shock, but for a moment, he thought he would have one of his dreams come true.
When the news first broke last season that the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers swapped Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic, fans initially thought that ESPN insider Shams Charania had his account hacked.
There was no way a trade of that magnitude would be pulled off, no reason for either team to make the initial offer, and no rumors led up to the trade being finalized. It was one of the most shocking moves in NBA history.
Since the deal, both Doncic and Davis have mostly kept their thoughts to themselves, likely at the behest of their agents and handlers. However, with over a year to reflect on the move, Davis finally broke his silence.
Anthony Davis Reveals Dream Mavericks Scenario
According to Davis, Doncic was his ideal teammate. He won a ring in Los Angeles alongside LeBron James, although James is now 41 years old, so it was clear that Davis' prime would last longer than LeBron's career.
If Davis could have suited up with anyone after "The King," Doncic took the cake.
"I've spoken to [agent Rich Paul] before, I'm like, 'Man, Luka's so cold bro,'" he revealed on Draymond Green's podcast. "We used to talk about Luka all the time, and I'm like, 'Man, imagine me with Luka.'"
When the news first broke that Davis was traded to Dallas, he was initially thrilled. After all, the Mavericks were coming off a Finals appearance, and it would allow him to team up with Doncic on a contender.
Little did he know who would be heading west to take his place on the Lakers.
"When he said I was traded to Dallas, I was like, 'Get the [redacted] out of here!' And I said, 'Who the [redacted] they're gonna trade me for? Luka?" he reflected. "Who else can you trade me for on that team?"
For a brief moment, Davis thought he would be teaming up with Doncic and Kyrie Irving in Dallas. Instead, he was the pillar of the Mavericks' fall from grace, and has since been shipped to the Washington Wizards in a second trade for pennies on the dollar, allowing the Mavericks to rebuild.
Davis never seemed upset that he was traded, although fans resented him for what he represented. No one wanted Doncic out of Dallas, least of all Luka himself, who was visibly emotional upon his arrival in Hollywood and during his first game back at the American Airlines Center.