When the Lakers traded for Luka Dončić in the wee hours of Feb. 2, the immediate thought was that it was a fake report. After a few minutes and confirmation, reality set in, and the next immediate question that swirled in the wake of perhaps the most shocking trade in NBA history was why would the Dallas Mavericks trade Dončić?

The former Dallas Mavericks star was in New York to start the week, notably making a stop at an MLB matchup between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays. Doncic gained social media traction when he met up with Yankees standout Aaron Judge, securing a pair of Judge’s cleats and a game-used bat.