NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Let the winners and losers of the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks trade step forward. To be fair, we won’t know for quite some time who won or lost this trade. But that won’t stop us from early predictions. Luka Doncic is now a Lakers and by first appearance, it appears they won the trade. But how?
In my opinion, the Lakers received a new face of the franchise but at this moment, Luka Doncic is the loser here. He’s joining a team that was going nowhere fast. Even with LeBron James as his running mate, the Lakers will not sniff another NBA title. Hell, unless every team in the Western Conference falls on the injured side, they won’t even see a Conference Championship appearance.
The Los Angeles Lakers needed help in the paint. That was well documented by analysts and even their own players. Instead of granting the players what they needed, the Lakers took the path toward the future. Luka is just 25 years old so it makes sense they would hitch their wagon to him. With LeBron set to retire soon, there was no one on the roster who could fill that void. They had to venture out of their market and find a star.
For Luka, he’s been here before. This version of the Lakers is like what he faced when he first came to the Mavericks. There was some success but many forget that Luka did have a young squad surrounding him. What makes this version of the Lakers any different?
The Lakers have had trouble bringing in All-NBA quality players to pair with LeBron and Anthony Davis. Will it be the same with Luka leading the way? He faces these same issues in Dallas. Kyrie Irving came and they went on the run last season to the NBA Finals and months later, he was shipped out of town. The NBA is a cruel business.
While Lakers fans are rejoicing over his arrival, they now have to take a moment and come to realize that everything that glitters is not always gold. Who’s going to receive passes for Luka? Who’s going to pass him the ball? Who’s going to account for his shortcomings on defense?
This is a rebuild. Let’s be honest here. Davis got out just in time. He’s in Dallas where their championship window is still open. The Lakers are still searching for an identity. When one of the best players in the NBA says they need help in the post and he’s traded for a backcourt player, that says all you need to know regarding that franchise. They want the name on the back of the jersey, not the one repping the name on the front.
Luka Doncic will sell tickets. He’s likable, plays with heart and grit, and will leave it all on the floor for the Lakers. But who can he count on? It’s as if the Lakers just punted the season away with this trade. Getting Luka is a cause for excitement but what if he’s not with the losing anymore? He’s coming off a Finals appearance and this trade just put him back to 2022. He now has to wait for the Lakers to get their head out of their asses and provide him with the players necessary to win. Not just games but playoff games.
This was a good move for the Lakers’ future but a terrible trade for Luka Doncic.
