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Devin Booker Initially Assumed the Wrong Luka Was Being Traded

Can you blame him?

Brigid Kennedy

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker on Jan 31, 2025.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker on Jan 31, 2025. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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The Anthony Davis-Luka Dončić trade has, to put it mildly, shaken the NBA world to its core. And in a perfect example of how unexpected and truly shocking it was, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker actually assumed the wrong Luka was involved when he first heard the news.

"Somebody told us on the bench," Booker told reporters after the Suns lost 127–108 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night. "They said Luka. I said, 'Luka Garza?'"

Booker clarifies that he means no shade to Garza, a guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves. But that his mind did not immediately jump to Dončić exemplifies exactly what fans and league personalities are fired-up about—no one, not even the players, could have seen this coming.

"It's crazy, man. I really don't know what to say about it," Booker added. "Luka being a guy that everybody has claimed is untouchable and untradeable. The NBA shows you again. ... Can't predict it. It's a business. They're always having a conversation about you."

With the trade, Dončić heads to the Los Angeles Lakers while big man Anthony Davis leaves LeBron James for the Dallas Mavericks. The Utah Jazz were also involved in the dealing, walking away with the Lakers' Jalen Hood-Schifino, the LA Clippers' 2025 second-round pick, and the Mavs' 2025 second-round pick.

It's an arrangement that will be talked about for years to come, with potential ramifications equally as profound. As fellow Suns star Kevin Durant pointed out, it's possible this leads to other massive, previously-believed-impossible deals down the line. It could also impact player loyalty down the roster. If anything, eyes will be on both franchises in the coming months to watch for signs of despair or unexpected prowess. We'll see how it shakes out.

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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.

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