According to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, the Lakers are considering Nic Claxton alongside Daniel Gafford, a former teammate of Doncic, as realistic center options. ESPN's Tim MacMahon also floated Gafford as a hypothetical Lakers target on The Hoop Collective podcast.

The move was so controversial that it led to protests and calls for the firing of the team's general manager, Nico Harrison. Doncic, drafted third overall in 2018 and acquired by the Mavericks in a draft-day trade, had been the face of the franchise since taking over from Dirk Nowitzki.

The Dallas Mavericks have been almost universally panned for deciding to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a future first-round pick. Even if some people could understand the thought of wanting to trade Doncic, very few people agreed that the package the Mavs got in return was anywhere near enough.