During the late hours of Saturday night, the Los Angeles Lakers shocked the entire sports world by trading superstar big man Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for All-World talent Luka Doncic.
A move that stunned fans, players, and front-office personnel around the league, this blockbuster is a clear sign that both franchises are now entering into completely different eras of play.
What said eras may wind up looking like on the hardwood is truly anyone's guess at this point, but, based on recent comments made by LeBron James, Los Angeles could be heading toward a rocky transition period.
Following their latest outing against the New York Knicks on Saturday night, the four-time MVP told reporters post-game that, even though they managed to pull out a hard-fought 128-112 win on the road at the Garden with Davis sidelined due to injury (abdominal strain), he felt this team still needed the big man in the fold to be at their best.
LeBron James called Anthony Davis Lakers' 'best player' before trade
"There's no way we can make up for AD's absence. Defensively, offensively he's our best player so we all have to figure out how we can do a little bit more and give a little bit more. I think tonight we did that," James said.
Now, though labeling Anthony Davis as the Lakers' unequivocal best player this season may not be as easy as James made it out to be with his remarks, it goes without saying that he's been a major part of their successes throughout his six-year tenure with the team and through the 42 games he played this season.
The 31-year-old has spearheaded the charge for Los Angeles in a bevy of key areas of play such as scoring (25.7), rebounding (11.9), and in the blocked shots (2.1) departments while ranking third on the team in net rating out of those who have played in 30 or more games so far this season.
Los Angeles may be bringing back a significant offensive weapon in Luka Doncic to now have running alongside James moving forward (baring any other unforeseen trades, that is), but there's no secret to that, at least during these early stages of the transition period, the ball club may severely struggle to adapt.
This 21-ranked defense losing the services of the perennial All-Defensive selection and DPoY candidate will almost certainly be felt rather quickly.
Hopefully, James' comments about how the Lakers can't make up for Davis' absence were more for morale and camaraderie purposes. Otherwise, the team could be in for a very rude awakening.