The NBA trade deadline doesn't come until Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, but Saturday's swap between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles and Anthony Davis to Dallas will be hard to top.
The odds for the 2025 NBA championship have changed dramatically, with Dallas and Los Angeles essentially swapping places in the odds table at our top NBA betting sites.
On social media and group chats, the Lakers were quickly recognized as the winners of this deal, and their NBA championship odds have gone from +4000 to +1700 as of Sunday morning.
NBA championship odds move for the Lakers and Mavericks
NBA championship odds movement at BetMGM, as reported by John Ewing:
NBA Championship Odds Movement for the Lakers: +4000 ➡️ +1800
Mavericks NBA Championship Odds Movement: +2000 ➡️ +3000
Odds on the Lakers winning the NBA championship after acquiring Luka Doncic
Best odds: +1700 on DraftKings | Estimated probability: 5.56%
The Lakers are 28-19, in fifth place in the Western Conference and seemingly have no chance of making the Play-In tournament. Los Angeles beat the New York Knicks 128-112 on Saturday, with Davis inactive for the second straight game.
It may have helped that Davis was deemed unnecessary. The trade should quickly improve the Lakers' offense, which ranks 16th in the league at 112.2 points per game. But it will undoubtedly hurt a defense that is already allowing 112.3 points per game.
Before the NBA All-Star break, Los Angeles will play the Clippers on Tuesday, the Indiana Pacers on Saturday and the Utah Jazz, after which Doncic is expected to make his team debut.
Odds on the Mavericks winning the NBA championship after acquiring Anthony Davis
Best odds: +3500 on DraftKings | Estimated probability: 2.78%
According to the full deal details, Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick in 2029 will return to Dallas in exchange for the cornerstone of the Mavs franchise.
Prior to the trade, Dallas ranked seventh in the Western Conference with a 27-22 record. The Mavericks had Saturday night off before traveling to visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.
The trade will keep Kyrie Irving as the Mavericks' top star, while Davis will bolster a defense that ranks 16th in scoring defense at 112.7 points per game.
When will the Lakers and Mavericks play next?
Doncic and Davis will get their first opportunities for revenge against their former teams on Tuesday, February 25 in Los Angeles. Our top sports betting sites are already offering betting lines for this highly anticipated matchup.
Early odds have the Lakers against the Mavericks going in as 4.5-point favorites.
