Nikola Jokić Reveals Texts with Luka Dončić After Lakers Trade: 'He Didn't Expect It'

Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić are close friends off the court, so the Denver Nuggets superstar had to send his buddy a message after Sunday's stunning deal that saw him go from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Speaking to reporters after the Nuggets' victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, Jokić said the response from Dončić indicated "he didn't expect it" when the deal went down.

It's safe to say no one in the world outside of the people who negotiated the trade between the Mavs and Lakers expected the trade. The deal sent Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick.

The three-team deal also involved the Utah Jazz, who received Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-round draft picks.

One Western Conference executive told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon the deal was "unfathomable."

Shelburne and MacMahon also noted Jazz CEO Danny Ainge had no idea about the full details of the trade "until about an hour" before it was agreed upon.

It had to be a bittersweet moment for Jokić since he and Dončić were having what appeared to be the time of their lives together at All-Star weekend last year.

Jokić even said after the 2024 All-Star Game that he wasn't looking to leave the Denver Nuggets, but he would welcome Dončić joining him if he "got pissed" with the Mavericks.

There was no indication Dončić was angry with the Mavs prior to the trade. They made the decision to move on from the five-time All-Star due to concerns about his conditioning, per MacMahon (h/t ESPN's Dave McMenamin).

It's a bold move to make, one that will have ramifications on both the Mavs and Lakers for years to come. It also adds another layer to the rivalry between the Nuggets and Lakers that has developed in recent years, with Denver beating them twice in the playoffs in each of the previous two seasons.