Lakers News: Photo Captured of Rob Pelinka & Mavericks' Nico Harrison Discussing Luka Doncic Trade
Yesterday at 03:36 PM
The Los Angeles Lakers have been the talk of the league the past week after they somehow pulled off the most shocking trade in NBA history, acquiring Luka Doncic out of nowhere.
Los Angeles has been mulling smaller margins around the edges to give the team their shot to compete for a title, but by trading for Doncic they’ve given themselves a chance to contend this year and for years to come. While the Lakers had to give up Anthony Davis, Max Christie and an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, Doncic is more than worth it given what he can do on the basketball court.
At Doncic’s introductory press conference in Los Angeles, vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka revealed that talks with Dallas executive Nico Harrison regarding trading Doncic happened at a coffee shop.
Recently, a photo surfaced of Pelinka and Harrison discussing the deal, via WFAA:
CAUGHT ON CAMERA | Here's the coffee shop meetup moment when Mavs GM Nico Harrison and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka started Luka Doncic trade talks, shifting the landscape of the NBA.
STORY: https://t.co/Hp3urdZrDFpic.twitter.com/mXivcq8Nsr
— WFAA (@wfaa) February 7, 2025
Asad Munir, the photographer, acknowledged he had no idea the photo he took would end up being the first peak of the Doncic negotiations:
“It was just a picture. There was no hoorah about it, but then the sequence of everything that happened and how it correlates–I was just like, ‘wow,’ ” Munir said. “I had no idea that was Nico in the first place!”
It’s incredibly rare to see two executives chatting about such a blockbuster trade in public, so the photo is surreal to say the least. Conversations reportedly took place over weeks, though Pelinka also revealed he looped in Lakers governor Jeanie Buss early on.
The move is a seismic shift for both franchises as Pelinka has a superstar to build around after LeBron James retires while Harrison is all-in on winning a title this season and in the foreseeable future.
Doncic has yet to suit up for the purple and gold, but his arrival reinvigorated the storied franchise and it’ll be exciting to see him make his debut soon.
Austin Reaves addresses fit concern with LeBron James & Luka Doncic
With Luka Doncic on the roster, one of the immediate questions is how he’ll fit with fellow ballhandlers in Austin Reaves and LeBron James. However, Reaves downplayed any concerns and is focused on complementing the two stars as much as he can.
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