The sports world woke up to some shocking news on Sunday — Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic had been traded to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis (the full trade was more complex than that, but those were the two big pieces).
What does this trade have to do with the Red Sox? Well, former Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon took to Twitter to take a shot at both the Mavericks and the Red Sox, saying that the trade was the worst of the century, having surpassed the Mookie Betts trade of February 2020, when the Sox sent their young superstar to Los Angeles after failing to extend him.
Any and all reminders of the Betts trade still sting for Red Sox fans, but the worst part is that Papelbon is wrong, and the Red Sox are not off the hook. Nothing will ever make up for trading Betts, who was the team's best player then and has only continued his stellar career, helping the Dodgers win two World Series titles and having all but cemented his spot in Cooperstown at just 32 years old. The trade continues to haunt Red Sox fans and has cast a long shadow over the team ever since it occurred.
Wow the @dallasmavs just made the worst trade of the century topping the Mookie Betts trade. Red Sox are off the hook now!!
— Jonathan Papelbon (@TheRealJPap58) February 2, 2025
Jonathan Papelbon reopens old wounds for Red Sox fans after Luka Doncic trade
Not only are the Sox not off the hook for trading away Betts, but the Doncic trade isn't worse — at least, not yet. Because while Betts and Doncic are of a similar caliber, the return that the Mavericks received is far, far better than what the Sox got.
In exchange for Betts (and David Price), Boston got Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong and Jeter Downs. Verdugo, who had the most productive Red Sox stint of the three, was slightly above average in Boston. Wong, the only one still on the team, hasn't exactly panned out, and has only played in 285 career games at age 28. Downs, considered the crown jewel of the package, had a grand total of 41 plate appearances with the Sox before being DFA'd in 2022.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks' compensation for a generational talent is another superstar in Anthony Davis. Say what you will about Davis' injury concerns, but he is a nine-time All-Star who has averaged 24.2 points per game and 10.7 rebounds per game for his career. It's not like he's washed up, either — he's just 31 and he's bested his career average in points, rebounds and assists in each of the last two seasons. Obviously, this wasn't a good trade for Dallas and you'd much rather have Doncic, but Davis' value far exceeds that of Verdugo, Wong and Downs combined, at least on paper.
So before we claim that this is the worst trade of the century, as Papelbon has, maybe we should take a second to catch our breath and recognize our recency bias. There are few trades that will ever be as bad as the Betts trade, and the Doncic trade isn't one of them.