The Lakers and Mavericks left the rest of the league stunned at the 2024-25 trade deadline. Dallas parted ways with All-NBA PG Luka Doncic. Sending him to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis and picks.
Since Los Angeles made the trade with Dallas, the Lakers are 11-2. They’ve climbed to second second in the Western Conference and are title contenders in 2024-25. How far can Luka Doncic take the Lakers in the postseason after a run to the NBA Finals last year with Dallas?
Los Angeles has lost twice since acquiring Luka Doncic
The Lakers are 11-2 over the last 13 games.
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Before the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, they were not in a bad spot. LeBron James is 40, but he’s still playing at an incredibly high level. Los Angeles had Anthony Davis as their other star player who they could rely on. However, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka was negotiating with Mavs GM Nico Harrison to acquire Luka Doncic. The Lakers and Mavs made a deal, sending Luka Doncic to LA and Anthony Davis to Dallas.
Since the Lakers acquired Doncic on Febrary 1, the team is 11-2. Los Angeles is thriving during this stretch and they look like title contenders. First off, Doncic is not playing his best basketball and that’s scary for the rest of the league. The Lakers are 11-2 in their last 13 games and Doncic’s shooting splits are far from his career average. It’s taking him time to adjust to being in Los Angeles.
His (.271) three-point percentage is far less than his (.346) career average. Despite his small shooting slump, Doncic is still averaging (22.0) points per game with the Lakers. Last season, Luka averaged (33.9) points per game for the Mavericks. With LeBron James in the starting lineup alongside him, Doncic doesn’t have to score 30+ points for his team to win. That’s the beauty of pairing a legend like James with one of the brightest young stars in Doncic. Just how far can the Lakers go in the playoffs?
