Trump Calls Mavericks' 2025 Doncic Trade Worst in Sports as Dallas Crowd Laughs
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 10
Trump Calls Mavericks' 2025 Doncic Trade Worst in Sports as Dallas Crowd Laughs
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 10
Summary
Dallas remarks at a Republican midterm convention saw President Donald Trump label the Mavericks' swap of Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis as possibly "the worst trade in the history of sports."
The criticism centered on Dallas moving Doncic less than eight months after he led the franchise to the 2024 NBA Finals, despite his rapid rise since arriving as a 19-year-old rookie in 2018.
Mavericks executives had defended the deal by favoring Davis' defense over Doncic's scoring, but Dallas later sent the injury-prone Davis to the Washington Wizards after a brief stint.
Trump joked that he would "redo" the deal, while adding the Boston Red Sox's 1919 sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees may still rank as the worst sports move.
The episode fits Trump's broader effort to lean into sports in his second term; aides say the topic helps him connect with voters, and he attended the NBA Finals this year.