President Trump’s Remarks on Luka Dončić Trade and Other Sports Debates
President Trump recently delivered a rally-style speech at the Republican National Committee midterm convention. During his address, he discussed various topics including oil, Iran, immigration, and the economy. However, a significant portion of his speech was dedicated to the controversial NBA trade that occurred last year. In this trade, superstar guard Luka Dončić was moved from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Speaking at the American Airlines Center, the home venue for the Dallas Mavericks, Trump expressed his confusion about the trade. “I must tell you, I don’t understand the trade. That trade is not good,” he stated. He further commented, “It’s not going to go down as the greatest trade in the history of sports. It might go down as the worst trade in the history of sports.” Despite this strong opinion, he acknowledged that the infamous trade of Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees still held the title for the most regrettable trade in sports history.
The former president joked about redoing the trade, saying, “Maybe we could redo that trade. I redo deals all the time. … I understand deals. But that one, I didn’t quite get.” He then shifted back to discussing topics related to U.S. oil production and Iran.
The controversial trade took place early last year, with the Mavericks sending Dončić and two other players to the Lakers. In return, they received Anthony Davis and a 2029 first-round draft pick. Many Dallas fans criticized the decision to trade away the 27-year-old face of their franchise. Dončić, now playing for the Lakers, continues to attract attention, seen in action against the Chicago Bulls in January 2026.
The Mavericks are largely owned by Miriam Adelson’s family, a major GOP donor who also controls the Las Vegas Sands casino company. Adelson is known for her close ties to Trump.
This isn’t the first instance of Trump expressing strong opinions on sports matters while in office. He has criticized the NFL’s new kickoff rules multiple times. A Truth Social post last year saw him questioning the omission of Shedeur Sanders in the early rounds of the NFL draft, asking, “What is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID?” Sanders, son of former NFL player Deion Sanders, eventually joined the Cleveland Browns.
During the summer, Trump also requested FIFA to review a one-match suspension for U.S. forward Folarin Balogun during the World Cup. Although the suspension was reversed, Trump stated he did not direct FIFA’s decision.