The Luka Deal: Four Inquiries on the One-Year Mark
There has never been a trade quite like this in NBA history.
A consistent MVP contender being unexpectedly traded midseason? In the year following his pivotal role in leading his team to the NBA Finals? As he nears his prime?
One year later, the transaction that transferred Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers remains astonishing. League insiders continue to be puzzled by the Dallas Mavericks receiving what is widely viewed as a minimal return, despite the presence of 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis.
“I’ve never encountered a deal that generated such widespread shock and confusion throughout the league,” a notable agent, who was not involved in the transaction, recently remarked to ESPN.
Our NBA analysts address four of the most pressing questions concerning the Lakers, Mavericks, and the broader league on the one-year anniversary of one of the NBA’s most surprising trades.
play2:15Adam Silver is ’empathetic’ to Mavs fans after Luka Doncic trade
NBA commissioner Adam Silver shares his thoughts on the significant trade that moved Luka Doncic from the Mavericks to the Lakers.
Are the Lakers any closer to a title one year after the trade?
Just hours before the trade occurred last season, a Lakers victory over the New York Knicks on Feb. 1 improved their record to 28-19. This season, they entered New York on Feb. 1 with a nearly identical 29-18 record.
Does this imply that the trade was inconsequential? Certainly not.
The comparable records are more reflective of Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves participating in only eight games together this season due to injuries.
If the trade had not taken place, and Davis had experienced the same series of injuries over the past year — he has played 29 games as a Maverick, while Doncic has appeared in 67 for the Lakers over two seasons — Los Angeles’ difficulties this season could have been significantly more pronounced.
It is challenging to view the Lakers as contenders — even with Doncic leading the league in scoring at 33.7 points per game — unless they can substantially enhance their 25th-ranked defensive rating.
This does not suggest that the Lakers cannot improve their position in the West — they currently sit in fifth as Doncic, James, and Reaves have returned to action. It also does not imply that they will not be a formidable opponent in the playoffs, with those three at the helm.
However, the only way this team can get considerably closer to a title this season is if it executes another trade before Thursday’s deadline to address its 3-and-D shortcomings. — Dave McMenamin
How do the Mavericks move on from the short-lived AD era?
The “AD era” never truly commenced in Dallas.
The latter half of last season was an extended period of mourning for Mavs supporters. It required an extraordinary stroke of lottery fortune to revive any hope for enthusiastic backing from the disheartened fanbase.
Once the Mavs capitalized on their 1.8% odds to secure the No. 1 pick, it became evident that Cooper Flagg — not Davis — would be the franchise’s focus for the foreseeable future. The early-season dismissal of general manager Nico Harrison further clarified the franchise’s direction.
In this regard, the Mavericks have moved forward. Every personnel decision from this point will be assessed through the lens of maximizing the Mavericks’ potential to build around their teenage talent and his future.
This is why the Mavs have spent recent months investigating the trade market for the 32-year-old Davis, who evidently does not align with the franchise’s long-term vision.
Dallas — particularly governor Patrick Dumont, who makes the final decisions for the franchise — must determine the criteria for executing a trade involving Davis.
The ideal outcome in a Davis trade would include first-round draft assets, young talent, and financial relief through expiring contracts. However, do not expect that to materialize before the deadline as Davis recovers from yet another injury — ligament damage in his left hand is anticipated to keep him sidelined until at least late this month.
Some within the organization would support trading Davis even if the return consists solely of expiring contracts, as they value the flexibility it would provide the franchise in building around Flagg.
This notion may be difficult to persuade Dumont, who reportedly feels no urgency to trade Davis at this time, sources informed ESPN. — Tim MacMahon
play0:43Windhorst: Mavs fired Nico Harrison to ‘save their brand’
Brian Windhorst discusses the reactions and rationale behind the decision to dismiss GM Nico Harrison.
How has the trade affected this year’s deadline?
To begin with, the architect of the trade, Mavericks GM Harrison, was let go in November.
Under Harrison’s leadership, the Mavericks acquired Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington, and Davis over three consecutive deadlines.
With Harrison no longer at the helm, the “win now” mentality — focused on Irving and Davis — has shifted to a strategy of retooling the roster around Flagg and a potential lottery selection in June’s draft.
A decision regarding Davis’ future will likely be postponed until the offseason, but that does not preclude the Mavericks from exploring options to reduce payroll in the future and creating a roster spot to convert two-way player Ryan Nembhard.
As for the Lakers, the Doncic trade has them navigating two timelines at the deadline.
The current timeline involves enhancing a roster featuring Doncic, James, and Reaves while also prioritizing financial flexibility for future years. The Lakers possess over $40 million in expiring contracts, including Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and Maxi Kleber. They also have a 2031 or 2032 first-round pick available for trade if necessary. The future timeline focuses on constructing a roster around Doncic and Reaves.
With Doncic under contract for the next three seasons, the Lakers could potentially have up to $50 million in cap space this offseason and nearly double that amount by 2027.
They will also have three first-round picks (2026, 2031, and 2033) available for trade starting the night of the draft. — Bobby Marks
What are league insiders saying one year later?
The recurring sentiment I receive from individuals around the NBA whenever the trade is mentioned is the ongoing astonishment that it occurred — as well as how Dallas might recover from the aftermath.
Harrison was dismissed as a consequence of the deal and its repercussions, but Davis’ future remains a topic of discussion — his value is far from what it was believed to be when Harrison made him the focal point of the trade.
Fortunately for the Mavericks, they were fortunate to secure Flagg in last year’s draft. Without Flagg, the franchise would be in a dire situation in a consistently competitive Western Conference.
At various points over the past few months, sources have reiterated to ESPN some variation of, “Can you imagine where Dallas would be if it hadn’t won the lottery?”
On the other side of the trade, the Lakers continue to be a work in progress. The irony of the Doncic trade is that in the years leading up to it, Dallas had effectively surrounded him with the exact type of talent needed to optimize his abilities: a pair of rim-running, shot-blocking centers; 3-and-D guards and forwards to provide defense and hit three-pointers around him; and another high-level shot creator to alleviate pressure when he is on the court while managing the team when he is not.
Los Angeles has the last component in Reaves (if he is retained as a free agent this summer), but they are essentially starting from scratch with the rest of the roster.
And while they are the Lakers, and they will have cap space to construct this team around Doncic, assembling a championship-caliber team in the West is considerably more challenging than it may seem. — Tim Bontemps
