It was a trade so shocking that the sports world was convinced the NBA’s top insider had been hacked late Saturday night.
Luka Dončić had been traded for Anthony Davis.
In the wake of backlash from fans angry at Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison for dealing away a generational talent for what many believe to be a historically meager haul, collectors saw an opportunity in Dončić relocating to Los Angeles to play with LeBron James.
On Feb. 2, the day after the trade was announced, global searches on eBay for “Luka Dončić” skyrocketed 1,150% compared to the average day during the previous week. The same day, his name was searched more than 80 times every minute on eBay.
Card Ladder’s player index shows Dončić cards have grown more than 5% from Jan. 21 to Feb. 4, with sales volume peaking at nearly $130,000 on Feb. 1. The top Dončić sale since Feb. 1 came Sunday night when a 2018 Panini Flawless Gold RPA /10 sold for $29,400 at Fanatics Collect — around $5,000 more than the only other public sale for the card from February 2022.
While the headlines remain largely focused on Dončić, Davis’ name picked up plenty of traffic as well, with eBay searches surging more than 300% compared to the average day during the previous week.
A trade that would have been the major blockbuster during any normal trade deadline saw De’Aaron Fox join Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio. Searches for Fox’s name on eBay increased more than 450% compared to the average day during the week prior to the trade.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.