Lakers' Jeanie Buss: 'Really Proud' That Luka-Anthony Davis Trade Talks Didn't Leak

The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks pulled off one of the biggest trades in NBA history ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline this year.

The Mavs dealt the face of their franchise, Luka Dončić, to the Lakers in return for a package headlined by Anthony Davis. News of the deal broke early on the morning of Feb. 2 without any previous reports or leaks.

Reflecting on the trade, Lakers governor Jeanie Buss took pride in the fact that the two sides executed the deal without word getting out.

"The trade deadline is part of the business. It increases the level of stress for everybody," Buss said, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "And I'm really proud that it didn't leak out and that we were able to execute the trade in a way that still was surprising to all the parties involved. But that goes with this business."

Had word gotten out that the Mavericks were open to trading Dončić, it's fair to assume most teams in the NBA would have put together a package for Dallas to consider. Instead, Los Angeles had little competition and managed to land Dončić for a reasonable haul.

The Lakers weren't the only team Dallas approached about a trade, though. The Athletic's Sam Amick reported Friday that the Mavs offered the Minnesota Timberwolves Dončić in return for Anthony Edwards before the deadline, but the Timberwolves said no.

That worked out in the Lakers' favor, as they now appear to be championship contenders with Dončić alongside LeBron James.