It took multiple verifications and a slew of fans questioning if Shams Charania had been hacked, but the craziest trade of the 21st century has been verified. The Los Angeles Lakers have officially swapped Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic in what can only be described as a landscape-altering decision.
First reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, the Lakers will part with a surprisingly limited list of assets beyond Davis to acquire one of the very best players in the NBA.
BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
The move for Doncic is significant on every level, as Los Angeles has built for both the now and the future. Doncic is less than a year removed from leading the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals and is already a five-time All-NBA First Team honoree at 25 years of age.
Between his youth and his immediate value, the Lakers have landed a new franchise player who can lead the organization both during and after LeBron James' NBA career.
For as exciting as that is, the Lakers still have work to do if they're hoping to contend. The Western Conference is as deep as ever, and Los Angeles has created new flaws for itself despite the obvious influx of perimeter talent.
If the Lakers are going to compete at the highest level, then they'll need to make at least one more trade, prioritizing defense in the backcourt—even if it costs them dearly.
Lakers need high-level defenders to complement Luka Doncic
By trading Christie and Davis, the Lakers parted with two of the few consistent defenders on the roster. They thankfully held on to the trio of Dorian Finney-Smith, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Gabe Vincent, but perimeter defense has been a glaring issue.
Christie played a significant role in the Lakers' recent improvement, but with him gone, the pressure falls to Austin Reaves to complement Doncic on defense—a task he hasn't yet proven to be up to.
Reaves is in the midst of a tremendous fourth season, taking steps forward in almost every statistical category. He's currently averaging 18.2 points, 6.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 2,6 three-point field goals made per game, setting new career-bests in every area but rebounding.
Much like Doncic, however, Reaves has struggled to provide consistency on defense, which could create the potential for the Lakers to regress significantly on that end of the floor.
Finney-Smith, Vanderbilt, and Vincent can be rotated in and out of hte lineup to help ease the burden on defense. Doncic, a 40-year-old James, and Reaves haven't exactly inspired faith on defense, however, and their potential postseason matchups could exploit that fact.
Realistic postseason matchups could see the Lakers tasked with defending the likes of Devin Booker, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ja Morant, or Jamal Murray.
Perhaps the answer is trading Reaves for a player who can provide two-way value at an impact level. It's also possible that head coach JJ Redick will be able to get through to both Doncic and Reaves, inspiring them to perform at a level on defense that hasn't yet been consistently witnessed.
Whether Reaves is traded or not, however, the Lakers must double down on defense and make at least one more trade ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.