Spencer Dinwiddie Calls Out Luka Doncic Trade Critics for 'Acting Like AD Is a Bum'

Spencer Dinwiddie thinks Anthony Davis is being unfairly criticized because he was the key player acquired by the Dallas Mavericks in the Luka Dončić trade with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Appearing on the Club 520 Podcast (starts at 35:26 mark), Dinwiddie said critics of the trade who are "acting like AD is a bum" is unfair to Davis' talent.

"You could feel how you feel about the trade," Dinwiddie added. "Win, lose, better for now, better for the future, whatever it may be. We’ve got to stop acting like AD isn’t AD bro. We got to stop."

There was almost no criticism of the trade that disregarded Davis' talent as a player. ESPN's Kevin Pelton graded the Mavericks' side of the trade as an F, but he acknowledged it wasn't a "dismissal" of Davis.

The two primary issues raised had to do with the difference in age between Dončić (26) and Davis (31), as well as the rationale from Mavericks officials for making the move.

General manager Nico Harrison told ESPN's Tim MacMahon that he was motivated to make the trade because it's his belief that "defense wins championships" and "getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance" to win now and in the future.

This explanation might have held water if the Mavs weren't in the NBA Finals with Dončić as their best player last season. There was also the strange covert nature of the trade discussions that raised eyebrows.

Once the Mavs decided they wanted to move on from Dončić, it wouldn't have been hard to convince the other 29 teams to put together their best trade package for him in order to maximize a return.

Instead, per NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavericks only offered him to the Lakers because Harrison wanted Davis. There were also reports that Dallas was concerned about Dončić's long-term durability, even though Davis has a history of injuries that has made him unavailable for long stretches throughout his career.

Davis showed he's still a great player in his first game for the Mavs. He had 26 points and 16 rebounds in 31 minutes against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 8, but he injured his adductor muscle in the third quarter and missed the next 18 games.

During Davis' absence, the Mavericks lost Kyrie Irving for the season due to a torn ACL. Their team-wide injury issues got so bad there was recently concern they might have to forfeit games because they wouldn't have enough players available.

Since the Dončić-Davis trade on Feb. 2, the Mavs have gone 10-13 and are clinging to the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference with a one-game lead in the win column over the Phoenix Suns.

None of this is Davis' fault, who didn't ask to be involved in a deal for one of the most beloved players in Mavs history, but he's always going to be remembered by fans in Dallas as the guy who was traded for Dončić.