When the Los Angeles Lakers secured Luka Dončić over the weekend, they obtained more than just a superstar player and constant NBA MVP contender.
They gained time for themselves, a resource that had not been accessible to them during the LeBron James period.
No longer tied to the intense championship-or-nothing expectations that arise from constructing the team around a 40-year-old, the Lakers can now exhale. They may be detailed and choosy in their decision-making, which might result in a quiet trade deadline.
Although it’s difficult not to see the significant gap left by Anthony Davis in their interior, there’s no need to hurry and seek a solution before Thursday’s deadline. According to Fred Katz, Joe Vardon, and Sam Amick’s report for The Athletic, “there aren’t many centers available on the market that interest them.”
The Lakers will certainly continue to explore the market, and it seems likely that something will be finalized before Thursday at 3 p.m. ET alarm beeps. Regarding significant improvements, that is highly unlikely to occur.
“Katz, Vardon, and Amick noted that, similar to their refusal to trade the 2031 first-round pick for Dončić, they intend to keep their top remaining draft asset rather than trade it for a temporary role player.”
This is how the Lakers need to approach this.
Indeed, their need at center is more evident than ever. While the Dončić-James partnership promises offensive excitement, there are equally concerning issues regarding the defensive weaknesses of a Dončić-Austin Reaves backcourt.
This is an immediate issue, yet the future of this franchise has unexpectedly become more important.
James is still a crucial element of this organization, clearly, but the focus is now entirely on Dončić. The Lakers would undoubtedly be thrilled if the duo could succeed together, but their main hope is that this partnership enhances Dončić’s performance.
The Lakers now have an extended opportunity ahead. And they required one since the current situation appeared quite ordinary.
Giving up valuable assets to improve a non-competitive roster into a somewhat better, yet still non-competitive roster never seemed very logical. Currently, there is no action that can place this team on a path to a championship. The Lakers possess a negative net efficiency rating (-0.2, ranked 16th overall, according to NBA.com). History indicates that championship squads typically possess top-10 standings in both offensive and defensive categories, yet L.A. ranks below that standard in both aspects (12th in offense, 21st in defense).
Bringing in Dončić while giving up Davis (and Max Christie) likely deteriorates the present team. There are additional defensive gaps to address, and the on-court chemistry between Dončić and James might be uncomfortable, at least at the start.
Once more, the Lakers are no longer compelled to focus solely on short-term considerations. They can begin to make long-term choices now and potentially set themselves up to contend for championships season after season.
That choice was never an option while the Lakers were guided by the James-Davis pairing. Acquiring Dončić alters everything, and L.A. is correct to acknowledge this.
