Just what do some players around the NBA think of the Luka Doncic trade? Exactly what we do as fans and critics.
Josh Hart spoke with the media on Monday night after his New York Knicks beat the Houston Rockets 124-118. He was asked for his reaction.
“I think everyody was in awe, shocked. You gotta give credit to Rob Pelinka. Highway robbery,” Hart said. “Good for them.”

Josh Hart on the Luka Doncic trade: "Gotta give credit to Rob Pelinka, man. Highway robbery." pic.twitter.com/9NHhZN0aEX
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) February 4, 2025
The trade report was so stunning and made so little sense that the immediate reaction to the news was that Shams Charania had to have been hacked. Nobody could believe the trade was real. Why would the Dallas Mavericks willingly trade a true superstar in the middle of his prime for an aging and oft-injured big man? It doesn’t make sense, and it was highway robbery by the Lakers. It seems weirder that the Mavericks operated in secrecy when making the deal.
We may not find out for a while what possessed Dallas to make the trade. It’s hard to believe that it was done for basketball reasons.