Report: Mavs Engaged Timberwolves in Luka Doncic Trade Talks

Last week, the Minnesota Timberwolves remained quiet at the NBA trade deadline. The same cannot be said for two West rivals, though. Earlier in the week, the Dallas Mavericks sent superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for lower-tiered superstar, Anthony Davis (and more), in what is widely considered one of the biggest blockbuster trades in NBA history.

It was a move that sent shockwaves through the basketball world. A lot of people were even convinced Shams Charania (ESPN) was hacked when he dropped the news on X (formerly Twitter). It was that astonishing.

There wasn’t a single rumor about Luka being traded. Everyone just assumed Doncic was one of those rare “untouchable” players. But if he’s not, then absolutely no one is. But on Tuesday, reports are surfacing that the Mavericks had been quietly testing the waters on a possible Luka Doncic trade, and that other teams didn’t take them seriously or weren’t willing to swap superstars.

Dallas Mavericks reached out to the Minnesota Timberwolves about Luka Doncic

According to longtime basketball writer Gery Woelfel, the Mavericks reached out to multiple teams before Luka Doncic ended up with the Lakers. One of those teams was the Minnesota Timberwolves — talks that likely included Anthony Edwards. The other, per Woelfel, was the Milwaukee Bucks, who weren’t willing to deal Giannis Antetokounmpo.

According to one source, the Mavs reached out to the Bucks. But the Bucks made it clear to Mavs they wouldn’t trade Antetokounmpo even though his future with the team is murky.

As for the Timberwolves, it’s only logical that any potential deal between the Mavs and Timberwolves would have included Anthony Edwards, their ascending 23-year-old superstar.

The NBA officials I contacted regarding the Doncic-Davis declined to divulge specifics of the Mavs talks with the Bucks and Timberwolves, but they were adamant those talks took place.

Gery Woelfel

A trade involving 23-year-old Anthony Edwards and 25-year-old Luka Doncic would’ve sent this blockbuster into another stratosphere, especially considering it wouldn’t have even been a year since their showdown in the Western Conference Finals.

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I can’t even imagine what Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly was thinking when Dallas called them wanting to talk about trading Luka Doncic. Was it Edwards that he Mavs were demanding? As Woelfel theorizes, I can’t see why else they would call.

All of this really puts things into perspective. Maybe it’s a reminder not to take watching Anthony Edwards in a Minnesota Timberwolves jersey for granted. You never know when a phone call could hit the line that changes the course of franchise history forever.