Jazz GM Justin Zanik Calls Luka Doncic Trade A 'Gift' For Lakers
Yesterday at 02:01 PM
The Los Angeles Lakers stunned the NBA world when they struck up a deal with the Dallas Mavericks to land 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic. It was easily one of the most shocking trades in league history, with Dallas effectively giving up on a five-time All-NBA player before his prime even begins. But perhaps the most incredible part of the deal was the secrecy behind it.
The Utah Jazz, led by general manager Justin Zanik, were the third team involved in the deal. They got Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-round picks effectively for free in the deal, but even they were not clued into the rest of the trade. Jazz president of basketball operations Danny Ainge found out with less than an hour to spare before the trade was reported.
So when the Lakers visited the Jazz on Wednesday night, Zanik had a chance to speak about the trade itself, Utah’s involvement and how he felt when he found out what pieces were going where in the blockbuster deal, via NBA reporter Grant Afseth:
"Look, I mean obviously, Rob Pelinka even said it in his press conference introducing Luka that it was a gift. And I think that's how a lot of my colleagues, I don't want to speak for them, but that's how we all kind of felt. But Nico and Dallas, they do a great job. They obviously have their reasons in wanting to improve the defense and obviously getting a top-15 player in their own right. And they decided that was in their best interest. As I said before with the new apron rules, apron one and apron two, a lot of these bigger deals that you saw, primary guys moving, they need a third or fourth team. Not every one of them, but the majority of them. And we were involved in two of them. So where we were with having some extra space and Ryan giving us great resources to use that stuff to pick up things that are a benefit to the Jazz, we were able to execute on it.
"Obviously it kind of reshaped the Western Conference. When we are up there with those guys here very soon, then maybe I'd care a little bit more being the third team. At this point where we are, if we were in the playoffs right now I'd be asking both of them what is going on here or I'm not doing it. But where we are, the ability to pick up stuff basically for free, to do something that another team would have done anyways, that was really sweet."
Zanik was then asked if this was perhaps the trade of the century — last 25 years — and the Jazz general manager said it may have been even more rare than that:
"Yeah, maybe even more. I've been racking my brain to figure out the last time somebody this big outside of free agency, being traded at that age. At 25 years old. And you're talking about a global superstar. This is not just one of the best players in the NBA, you're talking about a guy with global reach."
That sentiment from Zanik echoes what many people around the league — from fans to front office to players — felt when they heard the news as well. The Mavericks may have had their reasons for doing this deal, but to trade Doncic when they did is unprecedented in league history.
Luka Doncic looking forward to mental break
All-Star Weekend has officially begun, and for the first time in his career, Luka Doncic won’t be a part of it at all. An injury kept him out for enough time to not be selected as an All-Star, meaning he has six full days off before returning to action for the Lakers.
He’s excited mainly for the mental break after what has been an obviously tumultuous time for the 25-year-old.
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