Dallas Basketball

NBA star Trae Young trolls Mavericks over Luka Doncic-Lakers trade

Young is still letting the Mavericks know about trading him for Doncic during the 2018 NBA Draft.

Dustin Lewis

Feb 10, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) talks with Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) after the game at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Feb 10, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) talks with Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) after the game at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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The Dallas Mavericks blew the collective minds of NBA fans around the world when they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday just after midnight. The announcement is one that instantly shakes up the league in the middle of the regular season as Doncic teams up with Lebron James while Anthony Davis slides in alongside Kyrie Irving.

It's an absolutely stunning piece of news to wrap your head around, especially considering the Mavericks were just in the finals less than a year ago. Plus, Doncis was supposed to be the face of the franchise for the next decade, at least that's what Dallas thought when it acquired him during the 2018 NBA Draft.

READ MORE: BREAKING: Luka Doncic shockingly traded to the Lakers for Anthony Davis

Trae Young and Luka Doncic
Jan 26, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) talks to Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) after a game at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Countless players have revealed their shock over the trade but Atlanta Hawks' star Trae Young took a different stance. Shortly after social media began turning into a frenzy, Young had a simple but telling post on Twitter, letting his followers know that this is chess, not checkers.

There's nothing complicated about what Young is doing here. This is obviously a dig at the Mavericks for trading him in exchange for Doncic nearly seven years ago during the NBA Draft.

Back in 2018, Dallas selected Young with the No. 5 overall pick but traded his rights along with a future first-round pick to Atlanta to land Doncic, who had been by the Hawks drafted two picks prior. The decision was a blow to Young, who was born in the state of Texas, at the time.

Trae Young
Jun 21, 2018; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Trae Young (Oklahoma) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number five overall pick to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Despite how it ended, the draft day trade undoubtedly worked out for all parties involved. Doncic guided the Mavericks to the cusp of a championship last season while earning five consecutive All-NBA first-team and all-star selections. Dallas also went to the Western Conference Finals in 2022.

On the flip side, Young has been named to three all-star games and helped the Hawks to three postseason appearances, including an Eastern Conference Finals run in 2021.

In the end, Young got the last laugh in the trade and he'll surely have some of his usual antics up his sleeve when the Hawks return to Dallas for a road matchup on April 2.

Trae Young
Nov 25, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) drives to the basket against the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Looking Into Trae Young's History Against Dallas

Since beginning his professional career, Young has faced off against the Mavericks 12 times, including once this season, holding a 5-7 record.

In those previous contests, he's averaged 20.8 points, 10.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 35.0 minutes per game. The most points Young has ever scored against Dallas came on January 26, 2024, when he put up 30 points and 11 assists on 9/18 shooting in a 148-143 defeat.

The Moving Parts Of The Luka Doncic Trade

Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 Lakers first-round pick

Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris

Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers second-round pick, 2025 Mavericks second-round pick

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READ MORE: Here's how LeBron James learned Luka Doncic was being traded to LA Lakers

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Dustin Lewis
DUSTIN LEWIS

Lewis joined BucsGameday when it was founded in 2022. He's also the Editor-In-Chief of NoleGameday. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis has worked for NG since 2016.

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