In the fast-paced world of NBA trades, even seasoned insiders can find themselves caught off guard. For Shams Charania, the night before one of the league’s biggest moves in recent years was anything but ordinary.

The veteran NBA reporter admitted he barely slept, managing only about 30 minutes of rest before heading to Bristol the next morning for free agency coverage. At the time, his focus was set on other big names, potential moves involving De’Aaron Fox and Jimmy Butler, but something else was quietly unfolding in the background.

The unusual part? Calls and texts from coaches and executives in both Dallas and Los Angeles, each hinting that a trade was brewing. The chatter all pointed to one particular player, but none of it matched the usual patterns.

Charania recalled the happenings of the night on ESPN, saying, “When [I] checked with people that [I] trust, they’re like, ‘No, there’s nothing there.’ So when I got, you know, the heads up that, you know, Markieff Morris is being traded to the Lakers, Maxi Kleber is getting traded to the Lakers. Oh, uh, Jalen Hood-Schifino is going to Utah with a couple of second-round picks, I’m like, what the he– is this?”

Hours later, that changed. What first looked like a modest multi-player swap involving role players turned out to be the framework for the stunning Luka Dončić–Anthony Davis deal. Charania pulled the full picture together in seven minutes before tweeting one of the NBA’s most shocking scoops.

How Teams Keep Blockbuster Trades Under Wraps

When a franchise is working on a high-stakes move, secrecy becomes part of the strategy. Front offices will often float misleading or incomplete information to agents, rival teams, or even their own coaching staff to prevent details from leaking too soon. Instead of naming the real headliner, decision-makers may focus on secondary players or unrelated draft considerations in early conversations. This way, even if word gets out, the public narrative remains far from the true scope of the deal.

This cloak-and-dagger approach isn’t unique to the Luka-Davis trade. When the Los Angeles Clippers landed Kawhi Leonard in 2019, few realized that Paul George was the silent partner in the deal until the final announcement, a twist that stunned even plugged-in league insiders.

In 2023, the Phoenix Suns pulled off a similarly tight-lipped coup by acquiring Kevin Durant at the trade deadline, with early reports downplaying the Nets’ willingness to part ways with him. Both moves demonstrated how withholding the true centerpiece until the eleventh hour can preserve leverage, misdirect competitors, and deliver maximum shock value once the full package is revealed.