
Examining how Lakers’ surprise Luka Doncic trade impacts Celtics
On Sunday morning, the NBA world was turned upside down when two of the league’s biggest superstars were involved in a stunning trade.
Shams Charania of ESPN.COM was the first to report that the Lakers were acquiring Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in a three-team deal that sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 Lakers first-round pick to the Mavericks. The Jazz are a facilitator in the deal, landing Jalen Hood-Schifinio and two 2025 second-round picks to complete the swap.
The shocking move comes while Doncic has been sidelined for weeks with a calf injury. It was a complete surprise on the heels of Doncic leading the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals against the Celtics last year.
What does the swap potentially mean to the Celtics’ title defense for this season and beyond? Here are the ramifications for the teams involved.
The Mavericks get more balanced but at what cost?
The Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving pairing was always a bit bizarre on paper but the duo found a way to make it work last season en route to the NBA Finals. However, the bloom was off the rose with Doncic in Dallas. Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reported the team had concerns about moving forward with Doncic on a supermax extension due to his conditioning issues.
Instead, the team pivots to 31-year-old Anthony Davis, giving Dallas a true big to pair with Irving. Danny Ainge dreamed of joining that duo in Boston six years ago. The problem for Dallas is both players are in their 30s now. The window to contend will likely be much shorter with this duo and the odds of both staying healthy for a playoff run seems remote.
From a Celtics perspective, it’s hard to envision the Mavericks being any scarier now. Doncic was always their biggest nightmare to guard.
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