There are only so many “Where were you when” moments in the world of basketball and on February 1, basketball fans were treated with one of the most memorable and infamous moments in NBA history.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka immortalized himself in NBA front office lore when he pulled the trigger on a blockbuster trade that brought in Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. Even without considering the [meager] package that the Mavericks received for Doncic, trading one of the best players in the NBA was already enough to cause a reaction of this magnitude.
The fact that Pelinka fleeced his Dallas counterpart and longtime friend Nico Harrison only amplified the many different reactions to this trade which ranged from the deepest of sorrows to straight up euphoria.
The Mavericks acquired a pair of players–10-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis and promising guard Max Christie–that would have been a more than decent haul had the marquee name on the other end of the deal not been that of Doncic. Yes, Davis is immensely talented and a current NBA All-Star, yet he is a month away from turning 32 years old while Doncic has yet to even begin his prime years.
One can argue that Doncic is actually already better than Davis ever was and what’s scary for the rest of the NBA is that he is still only 25 years old and is likely to keep on getting better over the next few years. Pelinka not only secured Los Angeles’ future with this trade, but he reinvigorated their present as well.
The Lakers have won 10 of their last 12, climbing up to fifth place in the Western Conference standings.They trail the second seed Memphis Grizzlies by only four games with roughly a third of the regular season still left on the calendar. With Doncic set to make his debut in Los Angeles’ signature purple and gold early next week, this team’s hot streak is looking like it still has much more room to run.
Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves should eventually fit in nicely with one another as all three are high IQ players who should figure out the best way to coexist.
The Lakers then followed the Doncic trade up with the news that they planned to add 7’0 center Mark Williams, addresses their most glaring weakness and he should thrive playing alongside these three elite playmakers.
The acquisition of Williams would have been another feather in the cap of Pelinka as these types of players (i.e. Those with a standing reach of 9’9) do not grow on trees and fit perfectly next to Doncic (as stated by the man himself).
Williams was reportedly mentored by the Lakers’ head coach and fellow Duke alumnus JJ Redick while he was in college–a tidbit that only made the trade even better.
Unfortunately for Lakers nation, the trade for Williams ended up being rescinded after he failed his physical. Since this happened after the trade deadline, the Lakers were unable to amend the trade and only had the option to rescind it.
Still, the Lakers’ Doncic era is all set to begin and no matter how this story unfolds, its shocking beginning will live forever in basketball fans’ hearts.
