Did Luka trade cancel out Lakers’ title run?

(News4usonline) – The Los Angeles Lakers completed a trade to acquire Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in what is without question one of the most shocking trades in the National Basketball Association history. Doncic is considered to be a bonafide superstar in the NBA and is only 25 years old.

Despite this monumental trade, it could cost the Lakers a championship run for this season. Being no strangers to making a move for superstar players, the Lakers did it again by landing Doncic.

However, the Lakers had to trade a future Hall of Famer and Laker great in Anthony Davis in the deal. Davis has been the Lakers best player this season averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Davis and his nightly efforts, especially on the defensive side, have been a major component in the Lakers’ success.

Don?i? Debut.

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 12, 2025

While the headlining players of the deal are Doncic and Davis, the Lakers also sent out Max Christie and a first round pick to the Mavericks. Christie is a young rising player in the league that dramatically helped the Lakers on the defensive end.

Since Christie was inserted in the starting lineup the Lakers had a 16-8 winning record. Two of the team’s best defensive players have not been traded away after the Lakers just started to get some consistent defensive effort.

Losing Davis and Christie is a huge loss, despite acquiring Doncic. Davis again has been the best player for the Lakers, but he was also the team’s only real reliable center/power forward on the team.

The rest of the Lakers depth chart for bigs are filled with young unproven players or players who cannot put together good consistent minutes on the court. Maxi Kleber is a center coming along in the deal with Doncic, but he as well is inconsistent and should not be relied on as a solution to the now gaping hole of the lack of playable bigs on the roster.

The Lakers did make a trade for New Orleans Hornets center Mark Williams, but the deal fell through. Williams was not able to pass a physical and the trade was rebuffed.

Christie who showed signs of exceptional perimeter defense and consistent three-point shooting is now gone. While Doncic more than certainly makes up for the scoring and star power the Lakers lose in Davis and Christie, he cannot make up for the loss of size and defense. Doncic is many things, but no one has called him a defensive player.

This Laker roster now has even more holes on it even before making this historic deal. The Lakers have very little time and assets to fill out this roster to pursue a real championship run this season.

Even if the Lakers make more trades before the NBA trade deadline to fill some needs, we are more than half way through the season. Luka Doncic is a superstar who has not even hit his prime yet will have to learn to play with his new teammate who is also a superstar in Lebron James.

Those two have very similar ball dominant play styles and they will have to learn to play with each other all under the system of Lakers head coach JJ Redick. Challenging would be an understatement for the Lakers to make a true run at a championship this season.

Currently the Lakers place in the top five of Western Conference standings, it is possible to see a little dip while the team tries to figure it out. However, while the team may lack the roster needed for a possible championship run, it most certainly has a puncher’s chance.

Davis is an all-time great player. He helped the Lakers end a 10-year championship drought in 2020. Losing Davis is a massive loss, though Doncic is special.

Doncic led his former team to the NBA Finals last season.

Doncic is in the upper echelon of the NBA’s best players and he has not even hit his prime. He is already a superstar and will carry the torch for the Lakers whenever James decides to retire.

Acquiring Doncic was done to lock in the next potential Laker great, but the price of the future may have cost the Lakers any present aspirations of another championship.

LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 8: Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) laughs during the NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers on February 08, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire)