The Mavericks lost the Luka Doncic trade. That much is non-negotiable. Even if they wind up being correct in their assessment of Doncic’s commitment and conditioning woes, which wouldn’t shock me, this is one trifling haul in return. In exchange for who is– when aggregating talent, age, and contract– the single most valuable asset ever traded, Mavs GM Nico Harrison managed to finesse a 31-year-old Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick…. Under different circumstances, like a desperate free agency team-up or a playoff-fringe hail mary (à la Jimmy Butler to the Warriors), pairing Irving and Davis would be a fine tinker. Under these circumstances, it is egregious. The Mavericks traded in a 25-year-old crown jewel for a duo that provides a fleeting window of faint contention. I won’t over-explain, because the Mavericks have been getting grilled about it for nearly a week now.
Even as I play shock jock and offer an alternative take on last weekend’s blockbuster, I cannot with a straight face and any integrity tell you the Mavericks “won” this trade. I can, however, tell you the Lakers might’ve lost it too.
Lebron James and Doncic are poised for an incredible power struggle. Despite James’ claim that they are “two selfless competitors”, these are actually a couple of the most ball-dominant players in the league. It’s going to be difficult to tell Doncic, at the peak of his ability, coming off an NBA Finals appearance, to simply fall in line. On the other hand, James has never played second-fiddle in his career. Even in his twilight years alongside Anthony Davis and co., James has held a tight grasp over the Lakers locker room. His ego might not let go so easily. Calibrating their team chemistry whatsoever, let alone midseason, is going to be an awkward process, if not an impossible one.
Even if they manage to sort out their offensive dynamic, the Lakers leave horrific holes in their roster in place of defensive prowess. Already ranking at the back half of the league in that regard, the Lakers now let go one of the league’s finest interior defenders in return for one of the league’s biggest defensive liabilities. Mark Williams is a fine makeshift solution by GM Rob Pelinka, but it’s hardly enough. The Lakers are bare and vulnerable to offensive barrage. Nonetheless, there is a prevailing mentality among general managers that enough starpower can overcome any schematic shortcomings. A marquee of Luka Doncic and LeBron James does make a tall promise.
The Lakers are now torn between their commitments. They must try to build around their future in 25-year-old Doncic while upholding the box-office sensation of 40-year-old James. The timelines don’t align. Yet, the media and fans are convinced the Lakers have found their new franchise cornerstone. But if the Lakers misplay their hand, as they seem so likely to do, what is stopping Doncic from promptly leaving? He can opt into free agency as early as 2026. The Lakers are unable to offer him a supermax extension, and the Hollywood spotlight may not be so alluring to an outsider of American culture like himself. What if, in just a few years, the Lakers have nothing to show for this big deal?
The Mavericks made a colossal mistake in trading Doncic, but I’m not too sold on the Lakers’ purported big win either. Maybe the biggest trade of the 21st century was a lose-lose.
Doncic makes his Lakers debut against the Utah Jazz on Monday, February 10 at 9:30 P.M.
