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Kendrick Perkins changes his stance on Luka Doncic trade

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated Feb 6, 2025 8:12 PM ET

Kendrick Perkins was in the minority when it came to the Luka Doncic trade, but he he has since changed his stance.

Doncic was shockingly traded by the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. The trade was so stunning that most people wondered if the person who reported the news had been hacked.

Though the trade seemed so lopsided in the Lakers’ favor, there were a few rare media members who thought the trade was fine for the Mavericks. Perkins, who is a former player and current analyst for ESPN, said he thought it was a good deal for Dallas.

“Dalllas (sic) won in this trade. AD and Kyrie are going to be Special!!!! Plus they didn’t have to give up Lively, Gafford or PJ Washington. God Bless America,” Perkins wrote in a post shared on X on Sunday.

Dalllas won in this trade. AD and Kyrie are going to be Special!!!! Plus they didn’t have to give up Lively, Gafford or PJ Washington. God Bless America

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 2, 2025

Charles Barkley took a similar approach.

But when talking on ESPN Thursday during the network’s NBA trade deadline show, Perkins revealed that he had reconsidered his initial stance.

“Now that I’ve had a moment to let this whole trade digest, this might be one of the dumbest trades in the NBA history if you look down the line … trading Luka Doncic,” Perkins said.

Barkley says that the Mavericks must know something the rest of us don’t know.

"They must know something we don't know."

Charles Barkley on the Mavericks trading away Luka Dončić pic.twitter.com/IQG150H7gR

— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 2, 2025