The Los Angeles Lakers made the first move to prepare for a post-LeBron James future this season by making a blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic.
James, it seems, is likely to retire with the Lakers, although not for at least another season. Rather than link themselves to a trio of Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves, the Lakers are expected to make some moves this summer to build around Doncic, not James.
On the other side of the Doncic trade, the Dallas Mavericks have opened their title window, as weird as that may seem.
Anthony Davis is still a superstar, Klay Thompson is a solid role player (as are Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively III, PJ Washington, and Naji Marshall), and Kyrie Irving could return in time from his ACL injury for a postseason run
On top of that, the Mavericks shockingly won the draft lottery and will either draft Cooper Flagg, a win-now player in his own right, or flip the pick for an established superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo.
With the top pick being an excellent asset to land the Greek Freak, the Lakers might have to have a tough conversation if they want to outbid Dallas.
This season, alongside Doncic and James, Austin Reaves emerged as a legitimate star in the NBA, although the Lakers still have clear weaknesses.
Los Angeles needs rebounding and interior defense, and would be elated with a star who better fits Doncic’s timeline. If the Lakers make Reaves available, then they could get a massive haul, putting the Dallas Mavericks to shame.
The Mavs failed to get Reaves in the trade for Doncic, and there is little reason to believe that they even tried to.
“When Reaves gets traded this summer, and he will get traded, the stuff that [the Lakers] get back for him is going to make it seem even worse that [Dallas] didn’t get him in the trade,” predicted Bill Simmons
Who would the Lakers trade for? An established center like Daniel Gafford, Nic Claxton, or Kristaps Porzingis would make the most sense, although there is a path for them to land Antetokounmpo.
“A lot of people are going to wonder about the Lakers, could the Lakers make an offer? Yes,” said ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on Get Up.
“Could Giannis come in and say, ‘I am going nowhere but the Lakers?’ Yes. And if that happens, that would increase it. But I don’t think the Lakers or the Knicks could make an offer that’s in the top five or six. But because Giannis potentially has agency in this, then you would say that his words would matter a lot.”
It’s possible, although unlikely, that the Lakers could shock the world for a second time in 2025.
By Dallas giving the Lakers Doncic for only a single draft pick, the Lakers can, in theory, swap three picks and give up a pick in a deal.
That would ruin any of their future flexibility, although for a duo of Giannis and Doncic, “the future” would be of no concern.
While teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Brooklyn Nets can offer more in the way of both talent and draft picks, there is a chance the Bucks try to do right by their star and send him to his preferred landing spot.
While this trade would be a blunder for the Bucks, getting back young players in Reaves and Knecht, as well as an unprotected draft pick and additional assets, is a better return than the Mavericks got for Doncic in February.
However, with lottery luck on their side, the Mavericks (along with the Spurs and Rockets) can suddenly offer a better package for the MVP finalist.
Just days ago, a trade sending the Greek Freak to the Mavericks would have been laughable, although with the draft rights to Cooper Flagg on the table, suddenly it’s not hard to imagine.
Flagg is expected to rival Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, and Victor Wembanyama as a transformational young player, and if the Mavericks are willing to part with all of that potential, the Bucks wouldn’t demand much more in return.
