This man really got Luka Doncic while giving up just ONE first-round pick. Any Rob slander will never be tolerated ever again…
When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Luka Dončić in 2018, the NBA world was stunned by the deal that sent the young, generational talent to Dallas in exchange for a single first-round pick. In hindsight, it’s now clear that this move was nothing short of a heist—a masterstroke by Mavericks’ general manager Donnie Nelson and the front office that will go down in history as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. And let’s be honest: any future slander of Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ GM, or any doubts about his decision-making, should be put to bed.
In the 2018 NBA Draft, the Mavericks traded with the Atlanta Hawks to acquire the third overall pick, which they used on Luka Dončić, who was coming off a historic season with Real Madrid. The deal also sent the Mavericks’ 2019 first-round pick (which was protected) to the Hawks in exchange for Dončić. What seemed like a gamble at the time has now blossomed into one of the best moves in franchise history.
Dončić, who was widely regarded as a once-in-a-generation talent, quickly proved he was everything scouts and analysts had hyped him up to be—and more. Since arriving in Dallas, Luka has transformed the Mavericks into a legitimate contender, consistently putting up MVP-worthy numbers and elevating his game year after year. His on-court vision, scoring ability, leadership, and basketball IQ have made him one of the brightest young stars in the NBA. He’s already taken the Mavs to multiple deep playoff runs, including a stunning first-round victory over the top-seeded Phoenix Suns in 2022, a series in which he dominated and sealed his place as one of the league’s elite players.
Now, looking back, the fact that Luka Dončić was acquired with a single first-round pick—and a pick that would later turn into Cam Reddish—makes the deal all the more ridiculous. The Hawks were supposed to be getting the better deal, but instead, they let a generational talent slip through their fingers. Luka’s rise has been meteoric, while Atlanta has struggled to find the same level of success.
For the Lakers, Rob Pelinka has faced heavy scrutiny over the years, especially regarding his decisions in recent seasons. But if we’re going to dissect trades and decisions, let’s focus on how the Mavs managed to essentially “steal” Luka and how Pelinka’s team built a championship contender more organically with a well-rounded approach to roster construction. It’s easy to look at Luka and wish the Lakers had him instead, but the move to acquire him in Dallas was the kind of calculated, forward-thinking play that every NBA team should strive for. Rob’s team didn’t get Luka, but that’s no reason to slander him for not pulling off a trade for a generational talent that slipped away under everyone’s nose.
In reality, any talk of “Rob slander” should end here. The trade for Luka was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of win for the Mavericks, and while there have been plenty of missteps in the NBA over the years, this one isn’t on Pelinka—nor should anyone hold it against him. There are just some trades in history that simply go in the “Wow, they got away with that” category—and Luka to Dallas is undeniably one of them.
