Luka To LA, AD to the Mavericks in Blockbuster Trade

On an early Sunday morning, just days before the NBA trade deadline, a business decision shocked the NBA world. The Dallas Mavericks decided to send Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team trade. The trade sent Anthony Davis to Dallas, pairing him up with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson.

Along with Dončić, the Lakers also acquired Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. In return, along with Davis, the Mavericks received Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round draft pick.

Jalen Hood-Schifino now heads to the Utah Jazz along with two 2025 second-round picks. 

Two of the league’s best stars are now in Los Angeles under first year head coach JJ Redick. I strongly believe that if the Lakers keep LeBron past the NBA trade deadline and can develop good chemistry within the next two months heading into the playoffs, the Lakers have a great shot at an NBA title.

Luka, only 25 years old, is very well a superstar. I think he understands he’s paired up with one the greatest players of all-time in LeBron James. Yes, they can both score, but they are unselfish and very great playmakers as well.

My mind goes back to the 2016 NBA finals, when the Cavaliers had both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. LeBron was averaging 29.7 points per game with Kyrie right behind him at 27.1 points per game during that series. They were able to win the finals in seven games versus the Golden State Warriors, who held a 73-9 record that season.  

I believe that Luka Dončić and LeBron James will work well together, despite people labeling them as ‘ball dominant’. Luka has a different play style than Kyrie, but one thing he does very well is share the ball. With two basketball geniuses in JJ Redick and LeBron James, the Lakers can make some strides within a relatively short time span.

On the other hand, the Mavericks made a great move, bringing in 10x All-Star Anthony Davis. Dallas greatly improves defensively and looks like they can really amp it up moving forward. They keep Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford, who are solid down low. Not only can they defend and rebound but they can also produce effectively on offense. They still keep Klay Thompson, who is still a great two-way player. The Mavs General Manager Nico Harrison may be getting some backlash right now for letting go of Luka, but it cannot be denied that Dallas is now a more defensive-minded team with multiple offensive threats.  

Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving join forces once again, as they were previously teammates on the 2014 FIBA USA Basketball World Cup team. Given that there is a little chemistry between the two, the Mavericks become even more of a threat in the Western conference. 

But after all this chaos, the Lakers won this trade by a small margin. Both teams got a good deal but the Lakers bringing in Luka Dončić to play alongside LeBron James enhances the Lakers. When you examine both of their career stats, it is evident that they are valuable assets beyond just scoring at a high level. They may not have the same surrounding pieces that the Mavericks do, but they can be dangerous come April if they quickly develop a sound game plan with the players that they have.  

Photo Credits: https://fansided.com/when-is-the-first-matchup-between-luka-doncic-s-lakers-and-anthony-davis-mavericks (Jerome Miran-Imagn Images)

https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-mavericks-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade

Sources:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43659380/sources-mavericks-trading-doncic-lakers-anthony-davis

https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2016-nba-finals-cavaliers-vs-warriors.html

https://www.nba.com/news/report-lakers-to-acquire-luka-doncic-from-mavericks-for-anthony-davis-others

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/doncilu01.html

By: Lemuel Mbuinga