In a blockbuster move that has sent shockwaves through the NBA, Luka Doncic finds himself wearing the storied purple and gold of the Los Angeles Lakers following a trade he didn’t even see coming after spending six and a half seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.
“It was a big shock,” Doncic revealed during his introductory press conference in Los Angeles. “There were hard moments for me. I had to check if it was April 1… But now, I get to play for the greatest club in the world, and I’m excited for this new journey.”
The trade brought Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick (via LAL). Both teams sent a second-round pick to the Utah Jazz, while the Lakers also moved Jalen Hood-Schifino.
This move aligns Doncic, a five-time All-NBA First-Team selection and last season’s scoring champion, with another future Hall of Fame talent, LeBron James. It’s boosted the Lakers’ title odds on DraftKings Sportsbook to +1800, which ranks sixth in the NBA.
Doncic, averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists, has continued to play at an MVP-caliber level when healthy. He’s eager to play alongside James. Doncic is eager to learn from his new superstar teammate, who has seen and done just about everything.
“Just like a dream come true,” Doncic said of playing with James. “I always look up to him. There’s so many things I can learn from him. And I’m just excited—just to learn everything. I get to play with him, so. It’s an amazing feeling.”
At 40-years-old, James is averaging 24.0 points, 9.1 assists, and 7.6 rebounds. He remains one of the league’s most effective all-around perimeter players. Doncic believes both of their basketball IQs will help formulate a dynamic partnership.
“I think we both make our teammates better,” Doncic said of James. “I think our IQ is very high. I think it’s going to help everybody, but obviously, I really haven’t thought about basketball much these days. I’m just excited to work with him.”
Any time a significant trade occurs, it takes time to build chemistry. This was the case for Doncic when his former team acquired Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets, going 7-15 after the All-Star break and ultimately opting to tank the final two games of the season to try to retain the draft pick that became Dereck Lively II. Doncic and Irving each dealt with injuries that held them out of games, disrupting their chance to build chemistry together, but thrived after a full offseason and training camp together.
It could take time for Doncic and James to build that on-court connection, but with both being size mismatches at their position, there are a lot of options the Lakers have that Dallas did not. Los Angeles doesn’t have time to waste given James’ age and Doncic needing to desire to commit long-term, but there is reason for confidence in the fit.
Both Doncic and James are dynamic pick-and-roll and isolation threats that are nightmares to account for due to their size at their position. Whether the opponents choose to use drop coverage, switch, or blitz, they are both masterful at picking it apart. As teammates, one can serve as a relief option in the short roll, or as a spacer, if a team elects to blitz.
There are two-man game options the Lakers can utilize featuring both players. It’ll be very challenging for any defense to keep a mismatch off either Doncic or James as they share the floor. In Dallas, Irving was the screener far more often than Doncic was in those actions. The default approach from defenses was to switch the screen.
If James is eager to be a screener, perhaps this could create simple basketball sequences for both players. Other options include deploying James as one of the screeners in double drag—a common action for Doncic in the Mavericks’ offense.
The Mavericks began increasingly operating with Doncic on the elbow in Horns sets, along with getting him the ball on the move in Zoom action in Delay with a center at the top of the offense. These are all basic NBA actions the Lakers can deploy with him that become dangerous to contain when James is on the court, too.
Doncic has also improved as a catch-and-shoot player and remains a potent threat at attacking close outs, a skill he shares with James. Doncic must continue that progression to increase his impact as an off-ball presence when James is attacking. At times, he’s hesitated to shoot the catch-and-shoot jumper when spacing but has taken them more frequently lately.
The Lakers are not done pursuing trade deadline moves, including targeting a center to pair with Doncic and James after parting with Davis. Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka mentioned Doncic’s preference for a “lob threat.” A move of this nature will be crucial to tie the unit together defensively for rim protection purposes as well.
As Luka Doncic nears a return from a calf strain that has kept him out since Christmas, the Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up for a series of home games, starting with a clash against the Clippers.
