If the Los Angeles Lakers’ win against the New York Knicks and LeBron James’ fantastic triple-double performance weren’t enough excitement, there has been a significant shift in the force in the NBA’s Western Conference. The NBA trade deadline on February 4 at 1 p.m. is fast approaching. We have seen some teams begin to move to the rosters in the hopes of bettering them before making a run toward the NBA Playoffs after the All-Star break.
The Los Angeles Lakers are no different. Players have been stepping up and beginning to take their roles on the team. The Los Angeles Lakers are fifth in the Western Conference and first in the Pacific division. At 40, James continues to wow NBA fans and Anthony Davis is playing near the level the Lakers need. Do the Lakers need to make a trade or play with the hand they have and hope it gets them to an NBA championship? Or will they make a trade that could shake the Western Conference?
Los Angeles Lakers Trade For Luka Doncic
In a trade that has shaken the whole league, the Lakers will send Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and A 2029 first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks. The Dallas Mavericks will send Luka Doncic, Max Kleber, and Markieff Morris, and the Utah Jazz will receive Jalen Hood-Schifino, an L.A. Clippers 2025 second-round pick, and a Dallas Mavericks 2025 second-round pick. This trade has left everyone shocked, even James himself.
Lebron James found out about the trade while celebrating with his family after Saturday night’s win over the Knicks; according to ESPN reporter Shams Charania had this to say,
Even NBA insider Brian Windhorst had this to say about the trade; according to Sports Illustrated:
“The Mavericks didn’t even get the entire package from the Lakers, yes they got Anthony Davis. They didn’t get Austin Reaves. They only got one of the two first round picks. The Lakers are still holding a first round pick. I don’t think the Lakers were looking to do this.
“I think the phone rang from Dallas saying ‘Do you want Luka Dončić?’ And they said ‘A 25-year-old? Who is potentially a multi-time MVP? They traded out a 31-year-old for a 25-year-old. I think it’s a no-brainer for them. It’s a phenomenal situation. I’ve never really seen anything like this before.”
Major Move
If you’re an NBA fan, seeing James and Luka Doncic on the same team could be a dream. On the other hand, it could be a nightmare in the making. Doncic has been injured quite often this season, only playing 22 games. According to ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon, the Dallas Mavericks had two issues with Doncic: The shape he is currently in and the fact that they didn’t want to commit to a max extension during this offseason. Doncic could have gotten a $345 million five-year extension deal this summer if he had stayed with the Dallas Mavericks.
Doncic is averaging 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists per game. If he is out of shape, imagine what it would be like if he was in better shape. In shape or not, “King James” and Doncic are together on the same court. It might be the “Lake Show” all over again; who knows? We do know that Doncic is still scheduled to be out with a calf issue until just before the All-star break. So we may see a sample of what is to come with the two on the court together.
