Trump demands Dallas ‘undo’ Doncic trade to Lakers

Donald Trump took advantage of a Republican Party convention in Dallas to criticize Luka Doncic's transfer from the Mavericks to the Lakers.

"This is a great team, the Dallas Mavericks, and I hope they do well… I have to say, I don't understand the Doncic trade. What do I know about basketball? I would say this won't go down in history as the best trade in sports. It might even go down in history as the worst trade in sports," said Donald Trump.

The president of the United States recommended the Mavericks, the NBA franchise in which the Spanish Santi Aldama e Sergio de Larrea will play this season, that "Doncic's move to the Lakers needs to be redone."

Donald Trump recalled Babe Ruth's transfer from the Red Sox to the Yankees: the Curse of the Bambino.

Donald Trump, in the tone of a sports analyst, also stated that "the worst trade in the history of sports" was the one that sent Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees.

The Babe Ruth trade will always be the worst. But… could it be that Doncic's is too? "donald trump“

In December 26, 1919, o Red Sox sent Babe Ruth to the Yankees in a direct sale for US$100,000 in cash (a record amount at the time), accompanied by a loan of US$300,000.

That exchange was the origin of what became known as the Curse of the Bambino (The Yankees went from having no titles to winning four World Series with Ruth. The Red Sox suffered a title drought that lasted 86 years).

Trump: "Maybe we could redo the Doncic negotiation, or rather, I redo negotiations all the time. We need to redo this."

"The Babe Ruth trade will always be the worst. But… the Doncic trade is the worst? That's not good. Was it good? Maybe we could redo that trade. I redo trades all the time. We have to redo it. We have to redo this one. I didn't understand that trade. You know, there are trades that we understand. I understand trades, but I just don't understand this one," said Donald Trump, again suggesting that the Mavericks undo the Doncic trade.

On February 2, 2025, a trade involving three teams shook the NBA and ended with Luka Doncic going to the Lakers.

The Lakers received Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris; the Dallas Mavericks received Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick in the 2029 Draft; and the Utah Jazz received Hood-Schifino, a second-round pick in the 2025 Draft and another second-round pick in the 2025 Draft.

None of the players involved, including stars Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis, knew anything about the deal until it was finalized.