When the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, it created a massive ripple effect across the entire NBA. For the Lakers, they now have a perennial All-Star who can keep their franchise in title contention for the next decade and may have also extended the career of LeBron James.

It still doesn't seem real that the Dallas Mavericks traded away the heart of their franchise, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the new normal is here, and for the time being, Doncic will look to help LeBron James lead the Lakers to another NBA title.

Luka Doncic scored 32 points in his best game by far with the Lakers, leading Los Angeles to a 123-100 runaway win in the NBA at Denver on Sunday (February 23, 2025) that snapped the Nuggets’ nine-game winning streak.