The Los Angeles Lakers fundamentally altered their roster midway through the 2024-25 regular season.
Ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, Los Angeles parted ways with one of the more talented big men ever to suit up for the storied franchise in Anthony Davis along with guard Max Christie and other assets and received a package headlined by star Luka Doncic in return.
Lakers star forward LeBron James has acknowledged that while it’s difficult for a team to contend for an NBA title after making a blockbuster trade in the middle of the season, he also believes it can be done.
“They’re wrong,” James said of the assertion that an NBA team can’t make a blockbuster deal partway into a campaign and contend. “They’re wrong.”
James continued.
“It’s very challenging, especially midseason because — I mean, you know. You really start the season in September, and you start to implement what you want to do offensively, what you want to do defensively.
“And yes, throughout the course of the season there’s times where, ‘Okay, maybe we shouldn’t do this. Okay, let’s lean to this.’ But the premise and the staple of what you want to do offensively and defensively is put in place, you know? So, when you add a — when you talk about blockbuster, not just a regular get a piece here or there but if you add a blockbuster trade where you bring in a Luka Doncic or a blockbuster trade or if Anthony Davis goes to Dallas, whatever. You have to kind of rearrange how we’re playing, you know?”
The Lakers went through a rough patch recently, as they lost three games in a row in the month of March. Those losses came at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic, and Los Angeles came up short in all of those contests despite the fact that Doncic scored 30-plus points in two of those games (he did not play against Milwaukee).
However, Los Angeles has since rebounded by winning three of its last four games and picked up a victory over the Houston Rockets in its most recent game on Monday. Doncic made his presence felt across the board with 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds, and the Lakers are now just 2.5 games back of the West’s No. 2 seed.
Lakers fans should feel optimistic about the team’s chances of contending for the 2025 NBA title in the near future for the simple fact that the team employs two of the best offensive players in the league at the moment. The Slovenian has long been an elite scorer and facilitator, and he’s averaging 27.2 points and 7.9 assists per game so far in his maiden season as a Laker.
James has been similarly effective as a scorer and passer this season despite holding the title of being the NBA’s oldest active player at 40 years old. He’s averaging 24.4 points and 8.4 assists per contest in his 22nd season in the league and totaled double digits in points and assists in a recent contest against the Bulls on March 27.