The Los Angeles Lakers stunningly acquired Luka Doncic in February, just months after he led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, and all it cost them was Anthony Davis, Max Christie, one first-round draft pick, and a second-rounder. How did one of the three best players in the world get traded for so little at the peak of his powers? It is mind-boggling, but credit to Rob Pelinka. He kept this deal quiet and will have everyone discussing it for years.
The Lakers immediately made Doncic [the face of their franchise](https://lakeshowlife.com/los-angeles-lakers-made-stance-luka-doncic-crystal-clear) over LeBron James. They started making decisions to keep Luka happy and mold their roster to fit his playstyle. LeBron may be the GOAT, but the 40-year-old must make way for the young lion to take his throne.
Luka has already rewarded the Lakers by getting in the best shape of his life. The improvements [are already on display](https://lakeshowlife.com/los-angeles-lakers-took-seconds-luka-doncic-prove-reached-terrifying-new-heights), and there will be no stopping number 77. Expect him to be in the thick of the MVP race and leading Los Angeles to a top seed in the West. The headlines from this trade aren’t stopping anytime soon.
This trade will still be making headlines when Luka Doncic is retired
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Mavericks have already faced a ton of ridicule for this unprecedented move. Luka didn’t ask out. He wanted to spend his entire career in Dallas. Lakers fans have already seen his loyalty. It was the Mavs who turned their backs on Doncic. To dump a prime superstar is one thing, but months after he led the franchise to the finals makes it that much worse.
Nico Harrison staked his job on Anthony Davis helping Dallas win a championship. The Mavericks got older, took on a greater injury risk, and banked on Harrison outsmarting his peers with this move. AD has struggled to stay healthy, and this trade put Dallas in the lottery the year after they won the West. They lucked into Cooper Flagg, but that isn’t saving Harrison from ridicule.
If Luka maintains his all-time great trajectory, this will look like a genius move by the Lakers. If he leads LA to multiple championships and wins MVP, the Mavericks may have pulled off the worst trade of all time.
Fans won’t stop hearing about this deal either way. Just like the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade that helped the Celtics get Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, this deal will stay at the forefront of conversations for years to come. It will be the trade that built this version of the Lakers and created a gigantic what-if to rival letting Steve Nash in 2004 for Mavs fans.
Luka Doncic instantly answering his critics and transforming his body tells Lakers fans all they need to know about how this move will end. He is ready to lead his new franchise back to the top. LA supporters will love hearing about this trade because it saved their future. Things looked bleak after LeBron retired, but not anymore. They have their next superstar and should be an annual title contender for the next decade.
The Los Angeles Lakers still can’t believe they lucked into Luka Doncic. This was a seismic trade that will never be forgotten. Fans should be thankful. If it wasn’t for this gigantic mistake by the Mavericks, who knows what the Lakers' future would look like? Talk of this trade isn’t going away, so sit back and enjoy every second of it.