Trump calls Mavericks trade of Dončić among worst in sports

President Donald Trump criticized the Dallas Mavericks' trade of Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers during a Republican National Committee midterm convention speech at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday night, telling the crowd the deal might rank among the worst transactions in sports history. Speaking at the Mavericks' home arena, Trump said he did not understand the February 2025 trade, which sent Dončić to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick. "I must tell you, I don't understand the trade," he said. "What do I know about basketball? I would say it's not going to go down as the greatest trade in the history of sports. It might go down as the worst trade in the history of sports." Trump conceded that the Boston Red Sox's sale of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees more than a century ago still deserved the distinction of the worst trade in sports history, but he joked that the Mavericks' deal could be reversed. "Maybe we could redo that trade. I redo deals all the time," he said, adding that he did not quite get the deal and that somebody from Dallas could explain it to him.