Luka Doncic to the Lakers
At a little after midnight on Sunday, February 2nd, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweeted that the Dallas Mavericks traded superstar Luka Doncic, along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. The Utah Jazz got involved as a third team, acquiring Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2025 Los Angeles Clippers second-round pick and a 2025 Dallas second-round pick.
When the tweet first hit X, everybody on the planet thought Charania was hacked. However, Charania doubled down on his report. Then, other top newsbreakers, like Marc Stein and Chris Haynes, confirmed it.
This deal is absolutely shocking for all fans, media members and even players or employees of actual NBA franchises. There wasn’t the slightest hint that Doncic wanted out of Dallas, and Davis won a title alongside LeBron James in 2019-20. It never seemed possible that the Mavericks would look to move a 25-year-old megastar, fresh off leading Dallas to an appearance in the NBA Finals and coming off back-to-back seasons of averaging at least 32.4 points and 8.0 assists per game. And even if the team did want to move him, it didn’t exactly seem like Los Angeles would have the assets to acquire a five-time All-NBA First Teamer, in the prime of his career. But several reports have since come out saying that the Mavericks simply called the Lakers up and asked if they wanted him. From there, the two teams were able to hammer out a deal.
Before this trade, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Lakers at 50-1 to win the NBA title. Now, Los Angeles is sitting there at 20-1. Meanwhile, Dallas is now 40-1 to win it all, despite being 20-1 before the move.
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison weighed in on the trade, telling ESPN that “defense wins championships.” He also noted that getting an “All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset” gives them a “better chance.” Whether you believe that is another issue. It’s certainly not insignificant that Doncic is eligible for a $345 million extension in July.
If Dereck Lively II comes back before the end of the year, Dallas will have an elite defensive frontcourt in Davis and and the second-year center. The Mavericks will also have Kyrie Irving to handle the bulk of the offensive production, and PJ Washington and Klay Thompson round out what could be a nice, balanced starting five. Also, Christie’s inclusion in the deal shouldn’t be overlooked. The 21-year-old is averaging 8.3 points per game and shooting 37.1% from 3 this season, and he has emerged as one of the better young 3-and-D wings in the league. He’s also on a very team-friendly contract.
However, there is no guarantee that Lively will come back healthy from a stress fracture in his ankle. And it’s hard to argue that any team can get better when trading a player like Doncic. But does that mean Los Angeles is suddenly a title contender? Probably not.
The Lakers really couldn’t turn down the opportunity to acquire Doncic, especially considering they only gave up one first-round pick to get him. Doncic appears all set to return from his most recent injury, and that means Los Angeles has a top-five player in the league stepping on the court very soon. But this fit isn’t going to be perfect. For starters, Davis was the only playable big man on the Lakers roster, and they were actively looking for frontcourt help before making this trade. Also, while Davis has his issues staying healthy, he is one of the best defensive players in the league. Davis is as good of a rim protector as there is in the NBA, and he’s also rather comfortable guarding on the perimeter. He was the anchor of Los Angeles’ defense, and there aren’t many other players in the Lakers rotation that commit on the defensive end. Well, Doncic sure as heck isn’t bringing any defensive intensity. So, while he undoubtedly makes Los Angeles better offensively, it’s hard to understand how he’ll fit alongside LeBron and Austin Reaves. The Lakers are already just 19th in the NBA in adjusted defensive rating (113.9), and that was with a full season of Davis holding things down behind their miserable perimeter defenders.
Despite all of that, this is a good move for Los Angeles. With LeBron being 40 years old and constantly flirting with retirement, the Lakers saw an opportunity to keep the purple and gold relevant for another decade. Doncic is going to turn 26 at the end of February, and he can now be the long-term face of the Lakers. They also didn’t mortgage their future and make it impossible to build around him.
How will things look different on the floor for the Lakers? Jonathan Von Tobel joined Greg Peterson on Cashing Out to talk about the trade.
But, is it possible that the Doncic trade is just the tip of the iceberg?
Could the Lakers actually trade LeBron James now? Here’s what JVT had to say on that very subject.
It sure seems like we’ll be hearing a lot more about this trade and all of the dynamics over the next few days. Keep it locked in with us right here at VSiN and we’ll keep you up on the latest.
