One of those rare blockbuster trades happened on Sunday.
Luka Doncic is heading to the Los Angeles Lakers and his new head coach and superstar teammate probably can’t believe their luck.
The Western Conference has been altered for years to come after three teams were involved in a series of moves that changed the balance of power in the division.
The Lakers, Mavericks and Utah Jazz agreed on a three-team trade that sends Doncic to Los Angeles and Anthony Davis to Dallas.
Alongside the Slovenian, the Lakers will also receive Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Mavericks.
Meanwhile, Dallas also acquired Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick.
The forgotten team in this trade, the Jazz, will receive the LA Clippers‘ 2025 second-round pick and the Mavericks’ 2025 second-round selection.
While the winners of the swap will be disputed for days to come, LeBron James and JJ Redick will undoubtedly welcome the arrival of Doncic.
The pair heaped praise on the 25-year-old superstar in a in-depth analysis on their former podcast, ‘Mind the Game’, just months before the trade.
“What’s interesting about Luka, I think he’s one of the handful of guys in this era that can make any pass against the double-team,” Redick said.
“Luka’s too big at his frame and his size, you drop his pick-and-roll, he gets the hostage, puts you in jail.”
James echoed Redick’s comments and claimed that sometimes you have to just admire Doncic as an opponent.
“It has to come to a point it’s like, ‘What are we willing to give up? Not, what are we willing to stop?’” the four-time NBA champion said.
“You can’t stop great players, just hope they miss. But what are we willing to give up? And then you have to just tip your hat.”
Thankfully, Redick and James no longer have to worry about how to guard the Slovenian and can now focus on how to build around the five-time NBA All-Star.
“Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come,” Rob Pelinka – the Lakers’ general manager – said in a statement on Sunday.
“He is a killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for the team. We will be relentless in building a roster around the on-court vision coach Redick has for this basketball team.”
Mavericks’ general manager Nico Harrison, who initiated the trade talks, suggested defense is the main reason they were motivated to get this deal done.
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Harrison told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon,
“I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”
Doncic’s will hope to feature when the Lakers host the Clippers on Tuesday night.
He will do so with a big chip on his shoulder after the trade ruled out his chances of landing a super max contract worth $345 million.
The huge deals can only be agreed with the team that drafted you, meaning Doncic is in line to lose $115 million on his next extension.
But a high-profile move to the Lakers could offset the damage – especially when LeBron hands over the baton as the leader of the storied franchise.
