No player can truly escape the fate of NBA trades! Not even if you are someone who led the team to the NBA Finals, and yes, we are talking about Luka Doncic. The Mavericks decided that it was time to let Doncic go. And, In exchange? ‘A fit player’ for the team. Guess who? Anthony Davis. Though a legend, he is prone to injuries too! Of course, it didn’t make sense to the fan base. The experts. And the players. The world was divided, and amid all of this, Udonis Haslem sent a message. Guess what?

Luka himself was shocked. The team he moved to was shocked. Everyone except the front offices. An upset Doncic stated, “I had to check if it was April 1. I didn’t really believe it.” Wouldn’t anyone be? Despite everything, Dallas was his home. Fans question the price of loyalty. The Mavericks defended their move. But what justifies releasing a 25-year-old? Absolute bonkers! But again, for how long will the Dallas-based fans fight over it? Udonis Haslem has a message for them.

Amid the chaos, Haslem thought he should throw some think-pieces to the fans. While sitting down for an interview at ESPN, he chided, “I got a message for the Dallas Mavericks fans. Get over it. Get over it!.. Well, I had an opportunity to play against this franchise twice in the finals. One time they beat us and the second time they didn’t. You got a good franchise over here. Be happy because some franchises ain’t been to the Finals in 20 years.” While he understands the pain, the Miami Heat legend felt it was a bit too much to react. Opinions differ, understandable.

But not everyone seems to have digested the fact like Udonis Haslem. Remember, Mark Cuban? The former Mavericks owner, who still has stakes in the team, shared his frustration while talking to Bill Gates. Drawing a parallel example, he explained to the Microsoft co-founder “If after you left Microsoft, you found out that Steve Ballmer traded Windows 11—like, the new hot operating system—for Windows 10, the Hall of Fame but older operating system, what would you do?” Funny? That might not be the case for the furious businessman.

Fans divided as Doncic debut: Lakers celebrate, Mavs cry

It’s just a trade, right? Happens all the time. But once in a blue moon ‘generational talent’? Unfathomable. Well, it’s been sunshine and rainbows for the Lakers fans. The ‘unfit’ Luka is adapting quite well with the Lakers. Phew! After the heartbreak. It’s evident from his first game with the celebrated team. As a starter and scoring 14 points in limited playing time, he proves that the Lakers have put their bet right. But what about Davis? The Dallas fans need to wait a bit.

Misfortune has been chasing after Anthony Davis. Right after the transfer, AD fell victim to injury. He couldn’t finish playing his debut game as a Maverick due to groin and abdomen issues. As a result, we won’t be seeing him on the court for at least a couple of weeks. The 31-year-old has a history of his adductor strains holding him back. It is his Achilles heel. What a bummer! Now you have to feel for the Mavericks fans.

All in all, fans and experts alike are looking forward to how these two superstars will contribute to their new teams. Maybe everybody will go past this ‘betrayal’ and see a new era of Lakers and Mavericks. Only time will tell whether Doncic can grow alongside LeBron, or it will be Davis bringing the Championship to Dallas, or both.