In what can be described as one of the biggest NBA trades in league history, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks agreed to a Luka Doncic trade, sending Anthony Davis to Dallas as well. On top of Luka Doncic, the Mavericks were also tradedMax Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. In turn, along with Doncic, the Lakers were also given Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris.
Also included in the Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic trade was the Utah Jazz, who received Jalen Hood-Schifino and two 2025 second-round picks. With two future Hall-of-Famers on the move, this trade should have major implications on the future of both the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, as well as the entire NBA.
Winners and Losers of the Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic Trade
Winner – Los Angeles Lakers’ Future
For a franchise that has made every wrong choice since it won a ring with an asterisk in 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers went from horrible contracts on aging stars, with no future picks, to having one of the best young pieces in the entire NBA. At just 25 years old, Luka Doncic has already put together a Hall-of-Fame career, with five First-Team All-NBA selections. Anytime you are approached with a team willing to trade someone of the caliber as Doncic, you have to listen. But in the Lakers’ case, they now have a plan when LeBron James inevitably retires after this season, or next.
With no future in sight as of two days ago, the Lakers now have the ability to build around Doncic for the coming years.
Loser – Los Angeles Lakers Defense
Say what you want about Anthony Davis and his inability to play a full season, or refusing to play the five position, but one thing is certain, he is one of the best interior defenders in not only today’s NBA, but league history. With James continuing to age, it has become glaringly obvious that defense is no longer in his arsenal and he would rather let opposing players try their luck in the paint against Davis. Bringing in Doncic is not going to help the Lakers’ defensive capabilities either. As has been the case for his entire career, Doncic’s one Achilles hill is his lack of defense on the perimeter.
With two revolving doors on the outside, the Lakers now have to rely on Jaxson Hayes and Trey Jemison for their interior defense. I would imagine that the Lakers stay in pursuit of a defensive big, but either way, they are not going to get anything like they had with Davis.
Winner – Spencer Dinwiddie
With Luka Doncic dealing with an injury for the past month and a half, Spencer Dinwiddie has seen an increase in production and usage since December. Bumping up to 23 minutes in Doncic’s absence, Dinwiddie has put together a 13/3/5 season. With Doncic now out of town, I would imagine that Dinwiddie continues to see more consistent starter minutes in the guard spot next to Kyrie Irving.
Dinwiddie’s ability to play well in pick-and-roll situations, now with Anthony Davis, should award him an opportunity to showcase the skills that we saw years ago when he was in Brooklyn. Currently on a one-year deal, Dinwiddie has a major opportunity to finish the season strong to make some money this offseason.
Loser – Luka Doncic’s Finances
If Doncic were able to finish the season with the Dallas Mavericks, he would be eligible for a five-year, $345 million supermax contract. That eligibility came after Doncic’s All-NBA Team finish last season. In a hypothetical universe where Doncic stays with the Mavericks and signs the supermax extension – it would have been the largest contract in NBA history. That contract would have awarded Doncic $74 million in 2029-30 and $78 million in 2030-31. Now with the Lakers, Doncic is ruled ineligible for the contract.
Even though it is not $78 million, Doncic does have the ability to make a lot of money in Los Angeles with a four-year, $228 million contract on the table as of August 2 or a $165.3 million contract through two years with a player option.
Winner – Rob Pelinka’s Reputation
As I stated before, the Los Angeles Lakers were kind of in limbo when it came to building an actual NBA team that could compete for championships. While it is great to have LeBron James and Anthony Davis together, in today’s NBA, you need more than just a twosome to win the championship. While bringing in Austin Reeves turned out to be a great addition, Rob Pelinka attempted to surround the two superstars with players like Jaxson Hayes, Dennis Schroder and Talen Horton-Tucker. While, yes, there is a lot of money tied up in James and Davis, you have to put actual good valued players around James in order to win championships. Look at what Pat Riley did with James in Miami.
It seemed like over the past five years the Lakers made every bad move possible and that Pelinka has been on the hit seat for the better part of a decade. That has all changed now that Doncic is a Laker. Anyone would have done this Luka Doncic trade, but since it was Pelinka, he seemed to have saved his job for the foreseeable future.
Loser – Klay Thompson
It wasn’t too long ago that the Lakers had Klay Thompson at the top of their coveted free agents. Thompson eventually chose to sign with the Dallas Mavericks over the Lakers with the thought surrounding Doncic’s playmaking ability allowing him many open shots in a longer time than he would have had with LeBron James. At this point in his career, it is obvious that Thompson is looking to help a franchise win a championship rather than boost his own stats for more money.
That looked like the right move before Saturday as the Mavericks were gearing up for another march to the championship. That all changed though as, all of a sudden, it looks like Los Angeles is in a better spot to compete for an immediate championship, based on star power. Do either win the championship before or after the trade? Probably not, but one thing is certain…Thompson’s plan has taken a complete 180.
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok for more great FlurrySports content.
