Luka Doncic touched down in the City of Angels late Sunday night after his shock trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. In one of the most astonishing trades in NBA history, the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks agreed a three-team deal that sees Doncic head to Los Angeles, while Anthony Davis heads in the other direction. And as the basketball continues to reel from the blockbuster news almost 24 hours on, Doncic, considered to be one of the league's biggest stars, landed in Los Angeles to join his new team.

The Slovenian was filmed stepping off a private jet before flashing an LA hand gesture to the camera in a nod to his new hometown, which will surely endear him to the fanbase. The Lakers are sending Davis, a 2029 first-round pick and Max Christie to the Mavericks, in exchange for Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. The Jazz are also receiving Jalen Hood-Schifino from the Lakers, a Mavericks 2025 second-round pick and a 2025 Clippers second-rounder via the Lakers.

Luka Doncic touched down in the City of Angels late Sunday night after his shock Lakers trade. The Slovenian flashing an LA hand gesture to the camera in a nod to his new hometown. First moments in the City of Angels. Welcome to LA, @luka7doncic! pic.twitter.com/gTRZHUBQAR. The Slovenian is considered one of the league's leading talents and finished third in MVP voting last year. Davis is also having a highly productive season for the Lakers, averaging 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, though he is significantly older than Doncic at 31 years old.

Davis missed his team's win against the Knicks on Saturday night with an abdominal injury, while Christie played and scored 15 points. Doncic, meanwhile, hasn't played since Christmas Day after exiting his team's game against the Timberwolves with a calf strain. The trade may come at a serious price for Doncic, who now can't sign a five-year supermax contract extension this summer that could have been worth around $345 million.

It was never clear if the Mavs would have offered such a massive deal. Doncic also would have had an option to leave as a free agent after the 2025-26 season, and it's certain that other teams with hopes of landing the Slovenian star would have planned for such scenarios. Doncic is still eligible for an extension this summer, with the max that the Lakers could offer him being five years at about $230 million — a $115 million difference than what the supermax could have been.

It was reported that Doncic would beheading to Los Angeles shortly after midnight Saturday. Anthony Davis is heading the other way to the Mavericks, along with Max Christie. Officially it was concerns over Doncic's defense - and not his conditioning - that prompted Harrison to swap the 25-year-old offensive wizard for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, rising guard Max Christie, and a future first-round draft pick.

'I believe that defense wins championships,' Mavs general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN's Tim MacMahon , who was first to report Doncic's 270-pound heft. 'I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We're built to win now and in the future.'. The deal pairs Doncic with LeBron James as the new 1-2 punch in Los Angeles, while Davis would be forming a new star duo with Kyrie Irving in Dallas. And it reunites Doncic with his former teammate, Lakers coach JJ Redick.