The Trade
Talking about the Mavericks' stunning decision to ship out Luka Dončić was the one All-Star Weekend activity that many participants in San Francisco were eager to embrace
San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama, with two full weeks now to let the details sink in, called it "still the craziest trade I've ever seen."
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, at his annual All-Star press conference, found himself fielding an opening question from The Associated Press' Tim Reynolds ... not about anything happening in the Bay Area but seeking the league's position on what to say to "a fan base that feels very, very jilted right now."
All-Star debutant Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder, facing this sort of media circus for the first time, simply offered that he "probably had the same reaction as all of you — it's one of those trades that never happens."
Luka Dončić wasn't tangibly present at All-Star Weekend in San Francisco after a lengthy injury spell robbed him of his usual place among Western Conference starters, but let's be real: He was everywhere in San Francisco.
For all of the dim reviews of Sunday's new All-Star Game format and disappointed reactions to the annoyingly constant interruptions/Kevin Hart overload that got in the way of the actual basketball, Dončić continues to be the foremost topic in today's NBA.
Silver himself had a question for the media after fielding Reynolds' query, since the reporter simply referred to it as "the trade" without mentioning the names of Dončić or Anthony Davis.
"Is that what we're calling it?" Silver asked.
Yes it is. That certainly works at the minute without much need for elaboration.
The Trade.
Back in Dallas, mind you, Mavericks fandom is still painfully processing what, for their community, is rarely referred to so politely. Dončić fans in North Texas are working through what, without too much hyperbole, must legitimately feel like The 77 Stages of Grief. Shock and sadness remain prevalent and acute in the wake of a trade that pretty much no one in league envisioned happening ... let alone happening in the middle of the season ... much less barely eight months removed from Dallas' trip to the NBA Finals.
On top of it all? Luka's worldwide legions of Mavericks-loving fans already have to gird for the sight of Dončić in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform — playing against the Mavericks — in just eight days' time on Feb. 25.
Here are my latest news items and notes on this trade stunner — once again delivered FAQ-style — that dominates leaguewide discussion and shook the entire league with a never-seen-before force: