Dončić has been out since Christmas as he recovers from a calf injury. Since then, he unassumingly became the nexus of a media cycle that bordered on surreal. Monday was set up as a (relatively) quiet way to debut on the Lakers’ regional broadcast, but ESPN inevitably slid in to grab this one. In-market fans can still watch on Spectrum SportsNet.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Dallas Mavericks have agreed to trade Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick, while the Jazz factor in as a third-team to facilitate the deal.

The part that really matters here, the part that is indefensibly baffling, is that the Mavericks traded away Luka Doncic. Doncic is a top-5, and arguably top-3, NBA player, just entering his prime, coming off five straight All-NBA First Team selections. He took the Mavericks to the NBA Finals less than a year ago.