President Donald Trump used his appearance in Dallas to dunk all over the Mavericks’ infamous trade of Luka Don?i?.
Speaking at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention on Wednesday night, Trump stood in American Airlines Center, the old home of Don?i? before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he added a major jab to the Mavericks midway through his remarks.
“I must tell you, I don’t understand the trade,” he said. “That trade is not good.”
President Donald Trump speaks during the Republican convention at American Airlines Center on Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas, Texas.
Don?i?, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris were traded to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick in February 2025.
It was a deal that sent a shockwave through the entire NBA. In fact, sports fans in general were baffled that Don?i? would be teaming up with LeBron James out west, while the Mavericks traded away their franchise cornerstone.
After all, Don?i? carried the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals just the season prior.
So, Trump didn’t mince words about how he felt this trade would go down in history.
“It’s not going to go down as the greatest trade in the history of sports,” he said. “It might go down as the worst trade in the history of sports.”
Trump did say, though, that Babe Ruth being traded from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees remains the worst trade in sports history. But he thinks the Mavericks will get to the point where they regret dealing Don?i? away.
He even joked to “redo” it.
President Donald Trump arrives to speak during the first day of the Republican Midterm Convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.
“Maybe we can redo that trade?” Trump said. “I redo deals all the time.”
The Dallas crowd gave Trump a loud cheer when he mentioned it, which is hardly surprising considering how unhappy Mavs fans were when GM Nico Harrison dealt Don?i?. Some fans even held a “funeral” for Don?i? outside American Airlines Center, mourning the loss of their franchise star.
Don?i? never requested a trade from the Mavericks, which made it even more surprising. Also, the Mavericks exclusively spoke with the Lakers about the trade instead of getting the best offer from across the league.
Harrison strongly defended the decision at the time, arguing that “defense wins championships” when justifying the move to trade Don?i? for a rim protector in Davis. However, Harrison’s mindset didn’t show up on the court, and he was eventually ousted from his post in the front office.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 8, 2025.