There are trades, then there are TRADES! Doncic for Davis is one of those “You remember where you where when you heard” trade moments. Steve breaks down how this impacts both teams.
It doesn’t take long to realize the trade seemed one sided. Luka Doncic is a generational talent that will play well in Los Angeles. He is the perfect heir apparent to LeBron James. The Lakers obviously got the better of the deal. One thing that appeared to be a problem was Dallas’ concern about Luka staying in shape. It is said Luka’s training habits are not good and the Mavs were reluctant to pay him $345 million for five years in his next contract. Anthony Davis a top 15 player in the NBA is good but he will be 32 and he should begin to decline as an athlete.
This is a now trade for the Mavs. Davis also has an injury history that makes this trade a bigger gamble. One other thing that needs to be mentioned is the inclusion of Max Christie by the Lakers in the deal. Christie is not a star but a decent three and D player. He is a rotation player on a low salary that the Mavs can play or trade. Could Dallas have gotten more if they shopped Luka, I would think so though it seems the Mavericks had their eyes on Anthony Davis from the start.
Let’s now look at the effect it will have on each team.
Doncic for Davis: Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers got their big fish that will carry them into the next decade. As for the present the Lakers have three players that need the ball to succeed. Austin Reaves, Lebron and Luka. Losing Davis means the Lakers now need size. I would think Reaves will be dealt for a big as many teams covet him. The problem is Reaves only makes 13 million so the Lakers would need to include someone else to get a quality big.
The Lakers are a dangerous team if they can make a trade for the right big. Even if they do make a trade I don’t believe they have enough to win a title now. Their future though is wide open because they have one of the three best players in the league. If they get the right players around Luka look out.
Doncic for Davis: Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs just got an over thirty year old to go with their second best player, another over thirty year old, Kyrie Irving. As I said previously both Davis and Irving have been injured quite often and as they age that could get worse. The Mavs are a much better defensive team and a contender but I don’t think they have enough to win it all.
Davis has wanted the Lakers to get a center so he can play power forward. The trade does this as Dallas presently has Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively, though Lively is injured and will be out for a while. Letting Davis play the power forward spot will reduce the wear and tear on his body. The Mavs definitely became a much better defensive team but they lost one of the best offensive players of this generation in doing so.
