NEW YORK — Roughly an hour after one of their best wins of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers executed the biggest trade of the NBA season — and one of the biggest in NBA history.
In a three-deal deal that sent shockwaves throughout the league, the Lakers acquired Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and an unprotected 2029 first-round pick. The Lakers also sent Jalen Hood-Schifino to the Utah Jazz, who got second-round picks from the Lakers (their 2025 pick from the LA Clippers) and Mavericks. ESPN was the first to report the deal.
The trade, which was officially agreed to after the Lakers’ 128-112 win over the Knicks, came as a complete shock to many inside the organization, according to multiple team sources. Players and staffers were stunned as they found out about the trade on social media, according to team and league sources.
In Dončić, the Lakers acquire a 25-year-old generational superstar who’s widely considered a top-three player and, most importantly, the next face of the franchise. Players like Dončić don’t become available before they hit their prime, which is why the initial reaction to the trade on social media was that a hack had taken place and this was a fake trade being reported.
The Lakers had anticipated adding to their roster around LeBron James and Davis ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. Davis recently put pressure on the organization by publicly pushing them to add a center in a trade in an interview with ESPN. The plan had been to try to find a center to upgrade the roster in the coming days, according to team sources.
But then the Mavericks approached the Lakers about potentially acquiring Dončić, and the opportunity was too much to pass up for the Lakers, league and team sources said. The Lakers got the best player in the trade — and one who also happens to be nearly six years younger than the outgoing star in Davis. That reason alone is why the Lakers couldn’t turn Dallas’ trade offer down. Dončić is better than Davis in 2025 — and will likely be better than him every year moving forward. He’ll be Davis’ current age in 2031.
This season, Dončić is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists on 46.4/35.4/76.7 shooting splits. He’s also averaging a career-high 2.0 steals per game. He’s currently out while recovering from a calf injury that’s kept him sidelined since Christmas, but he’s expected back before the All-Star break.
Dončić is a five-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA player who has already led teams to the NBA Finals and conference finals. He’s already in rarified air as a scorer, with the third-highest scoring average (28.6 points per game) in the regular season in NBA history behind only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain and the second-highest scoring average (30.9 points per game) in playoff history behind only Jordan.
The seven-year veteran is a dominant playoff performer and late-game shot-maker who’s at ease with the ball in his hands in big moments. He’s a rare offensive force, a player capable of manipulating the best defenses and defenders with his blend of ballhandling, shotmaking, passing, guile and basketball IQ. He’s competitive, has a mean streak, and revels in trash-talking and playing mind games with opponents. He’s got a smile and swagger made for Hollywood.
In the short term, the Lakers’ roster is probably worse — at least in its current construction. For however big the gap is between Dončić and Davis, Christie had become a critical piece as an emerging 3-and-D wing. The 21-year-old was growing into a sometimes fourth option for Los Angeles, along with defending the opponent’s best backcourt scorer. His loss will be an afterthought for many, but it shouldn’t be overlooked.
Davis was their best player this season. He’s a two-way terror and still one of the 10 best players in the league. He’s in the conversation for the best non-Wembanyama defender. He was the only Laker capable of defending the rim and protecting the glass. His absence will be monumental.
There will certainly be a learning curve offensively between James and Dončić (and, to a lesser extent, with Austin Reaves). It’s not dissimilar to James learning how to co-exist with Dwyane Wade in Miami or Kyrie Irving in Cleveland, or Dončić with Irving in Dallas. The key difference, though, is that James and Dončić have both always been the Batman to another star’s Robin. Now, one will have to take a step back, however slight, and allow either the incumbent 40-year-old legend to shine or the 25-year-old newcomer to inherit the throne.
It’s easy to imagine Dončić and James developing a devastating two-man game, with James screening for Dončić and hitting shooters out of the short roll, or driving to the rim with a 4-on-3 advantage. Dončić can screen for James and pop out for open 3s or operate similarly in the short roll. The Lakers have two of the league’s top-five, if not top-three passers. Once they figure out their offensive pecking order and modified system, they’re going to be a nightmare to game plan against.
The most glaring hole in the roster is at center. Jaxson Hayes is their starter for the time being, which is a problem. He’s closer to being a fringe rotation center than a starting one. If the Lakers are serious about contending this season, the center need is the starting point. Los Angeles will explore the trade market for a center upgrade based on their current assets, though it’s unclear how much draft capital they are willing to include in such a deal, according to team and league sources.
Beyond a center, they could use another 3-and-D wing to replace Christie and bolster lineups around James and Dončić. That’s easier said than done with limited assets to trade.
Now that Davis has been traded, though, a potential James trade ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline can’t be ruled out. He has a no-trade clause, can test free agency this summer and is also extension-eligible this offseason. The James-to-Golden State murmurs are likely to pick back up this week. James was caught off-guard by the deal, according to ESPN. It’s unclear how James feels or what he wants in the aftermath of all of this, according to team and league sources.
Long term, the Lakers have a top-three player who should remain at this level — if not get even better — for the next six to eight years at least. Dončić’s game isn’t predicated on his speed or athleticism, suggesting he could play this style well into his mid-30s if he learns to take better care of his body. And there’s no one better to teach him how to do that than James, who has taken care of his body as well as any athlete in modern sports history.
The Lakers’ plan, obviously, is to keep Dončić in a Lakers uniform as long as possible. Dončić is eligible for a four-year extension worth nearly $229 million this summer, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. He could also opt to sign a shorter extension with three years, $165 million, with a player option for 2028-29, which would allow his next contract to be up to 35 percent of the cap once he has reached 10 seasons of experience.
Trading for Dončić is not without notable risk. He’s dealt with weight and conditioning issues, as has come out from the Mavericks’ side in the trade autopsy. Defense is often optional for him. He tends to pout and complain to officials. If things go south in Los Angeles, he can test free agency in 2026. The Mavericks had an up-close look at him and still decided to trade him, for whatever reason. That should be a red flag, even if only a minor one.
But none of that ultimately mattered for the Lakers — and it shouldn’t have. They were offered a generational talent not yet at the peak of his powers on a golden platter. The correct decision was to accept the deal and figure out the rest later. Their future went from murky to bright, even if they took a short-term step back (and even then, there’s obviously a chance that Dončić and James are great together).
If James eventually retires or is traded or signs elsewhere, the Lakers are well-positioned to acquire a second star to pair with Dončić. They still have their 2031 first-round pick, three pick swaps (and they’ll add a fourth this summer) and cap flexibility beyond 2025-26. They’ll have the option to add a second star in free agency or via trade.
There are more questions than answers after this trade — for the Lakers, James, Dončić and the NBA. But one thing is for certain: The Lakers are better positioned for the post-James era than anyone could’ve anticipated — including even themselves.
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(Photo: Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports)
