Like with Kareem. Like with the late Kobe Bryant. And once again now with Luka Dončić. The Lakers have made a trade that will not only change their team’s trajectory this season, but also a trade that will change NBA history.
First reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers made a trade that will be talked about for ages.
To acquire oft-injured big man Anthony Davis, the Mavericks did what nobody would have even dreamed. Does any more need to be said? Dončić, arguably the best player in the world. Dončić, who last year led the Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011. Dončić, a player who has been All-NBA First Team, meaning the best player at his position, in every season of his career except his rookie year. They repeated history by sending him to the Lakers, and they will regret it forever more.
In 1975, the Los Angeles Lakers traded Elmore Smith, Junior Bridgeman, Brian Winters, and Dave Meyers for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley from the Milwaukee Bucks, a trade that would lead to the Showtime dynasty. Abdul-Jabbar did win one championship with the Bucks, but he would go on to win five championships with the Lakers. During his Lakers tenure, he became the leading scorer in league history and held it until LeBron James passed him last year and cemented himself as one of the greatest the NBA has ever seen. Meanwhile, the Bucks didn’t see another championship until Giannis Antetokounmpo broke through in 2021.
Once again, the Lakers struck in 1996. The Lakers traded Vlade Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for a straight-out-of-high-school Kobe Bryant. Of course, we know Bryant went on to win five championships and become one of the greatest scorers of all time. He created timeless memories for the Lakers and iconic moments that nobody will ever forget. Meanwhile decades later, the Charlotte Hornets are still ringless and one of the worst-run franchises in the NBA. Now the only hope that Dallas really had at a championship is now a Laker and will ultimately end up bringing championships like those before him.
Landing Dončić a coup for Lakers
There are arguments Dončić is the best player in the NBA today. His accolades don’t need to be repeated but trading away a superstar this young has never been seen before. And to trade him because of what the Mavericks are saying were “conditioning” issues is absolutely asinine. Zion Williamson hasn’t accomplished a fraction of what Dončić has, and yet he is still a New Orleans Pelican. It’s crazy that a player who they say is struggling with conditioning is somehow still good enough to average a near 30-point triple double annually, be an All-Star annually, and be in the MVP debate annually but just isn’t in good enough shape for their franchise. Not to mention, Davis at 31 is beginning the backside of his career and Dončić at 25 is just truly beginning his.
But what will ultimately end up changing NBA history is the fire the Mavericks just lit under the young superstar. We already know Luka has that dog in him. We know he loves to be challenged, and he is as clutch as they come when it comes to rising up to one. Not to mention, they also cost him a ton of money; Dončić was going to demand the largest contract in NBA history — a $345 million super max contract which he is now ineligible for after being traded. With this trade, the Mavericks shocked Dončić so much that he will channel his entire being into proving the Mavericks wrong. And we all know he has the requisite talent to do it. Not to mention James, who will truly show him the ropes and teach him how to become one of the greatest NBA players of all time. I couldn’t think of a much better mentor.
The Mavericks messed up. They messed up bad. Dončić will continue to put his usual stats and create moments nightly. But now alongside James and playing for the Lakers, he will get all the help he needs. He and LeBron together will be able to attract free agents to come play for cheaper than market value because of their passing ability and of course the L.A. weather. He will have James to be his second fiddle, and there is no questioning if James is the best second option in the league.
For the next decade, the Lakers will have the best basketball player in the world and all the benefits of Los Angeles with it. That hasn’t happened until Kobe … Shaq … Kareem. I think you get the point. I don’t know exactly how many championships Dončić will bring to L.A., but it will be multiple. Dončić will create a dynasty in Los Angeles, whether that’s now with LeBron or some time over the course of the next decade, and he will leave an indelible mark in NBA history. The Lakers swindled the entire league again and will add a couple more iconic moments and Larry O’Brien Trophies to their illustrious franchise because of it.
