Plaschke: Is LeBron James next? Trading Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic is a great first step
The Lakers dealt their murky present for an awe-inspiring future, and now you have to wonder, with the NBA trade deadline just four days away, are they done?
No, they didnât.
Yes, they did.
They did! They did! They did!
In making the boldest move in franchise history Saturday night, the Lakers rediscovered their fight, their future and the hearts of their fans.
Rob Pelinka, I could kiss you.
A team clogged with mediocrity just found hope again. A team that was being run into the ground by a superstar and his agent just regained control of its identity again.
Fifty years after stealing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the Milwaukee Bucks, the locals pulled off a similarly spectacular move with an equally compelling message.
The Lakers are acting like the Lakers again.
In a trade that is preposterous to even verbalize, much less actually complete, the Lakers sent superstar Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal that brought them an even bigger superstar Luka Doncic.
A.D. for Luka ⊠A.D. for Luka ⊠Youâve got to keep saying it to actually start believing it.
Great trade. Tremendous trade. Championship trade.
The Lakers dealt a brittle 31-year-old defensive whiz for a 25-year-old scoring machine. They dealt a guy who could never carry a team for a guy who last year nearly hauled the mediocre Mavericks to an NBA title.
They dealt their murky present for an awe-inspiring future, and now you have to wonder, with the NBA trade deadline just four days away, are they done?
Is LeBron James next?
Coach JJ Redick will have a new superstar replacing Anthony Davis, left, but what does the future hold for LeBron James?
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
What if James is unhappy with the departure of a guy he basically brought here? What if James doesnât relish the idea of ending his career alongside a bigger personality who will demand much more of the ball? What if James is angry that a team he once controlled made such a big deal without his apparent approval?
What if James agrees to be traded to, say, the Golden State Warriors? What if clearing out their crumbling house of their two cornerstones was the Lakersâ plan all along?
Hereâs hoping that happens. This space has long pleaded for it to happen, openly begging in a December column.
Dear LeBron ⊠ask out. Dear A.D ⊠.follow him
One down, one to go, and, now that heâs finally seen the light, donât put it past Pelinka to pull it off. He knows the team needs to be gutted. He knows his job might depend on it. He is surely tired of being called Rich Paulâs caddie, and he knows itâs time for a divorce.
It was absolutely time for a separation from Davis, who the Lakers wrongly thought would be part of a career-ending duo with James. After all, they were a match made in Hollywood. They were a glittering pair. They were a dashing duo. They were a celebrity twosome whom the Lakers felt were perfect for this city.
Good for Pelinka for finally realizing their combo was all style and no substance. Except for his play during the COVID-shortened 2020 bubble title year, Davis just could never stay on the court long enough to make the sort of impact necessary to become Jamesâ successor.
This season was a perfect example. Davis recently completed one of the greatest stretches of his career â 11 double-doubles in 12 games â but the run ended with an abdominal injury that will sideline him indefinitely.
He played hard, but his body never allowed him to fulfill the predictions of greatness that surrounded him. He was the author of the memorable âMamba Shotâ in the final seconds of a 2020 playoff game against the Denver Nuggets, but he would rarely put together the consecutive overpowering performances necessary for the Lakers to win in the postseason. Heâs a great guy, but he was never the right guy, and the Lakers had to dump him in favor of somebody better suited to carry the Lakers into the post-LeBron era.
Doncic is that guy.
Heâs flashy yet tough, heâs wise yet youthful, heâs one of the five best players in the league who suddenly became expendable because of his big contract and expanding waistline.
He missed five games earlier this season simply because the Mavericks wanted him to get in shape, and he hasnât played since straining his calf on Christmas Day, but goodness, there might not be a more clutch player in the league.
He averaged 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists in last seasonâs NBA Finals loss to the Boston Celtics. He averaged 32 points and almost a triple-double in the Western Conference finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He made the All-NBA first team in each of the last five seasons and capped his run with a scoring title.
The one thing the 6-foot-6 star doesnât do is play center. The Lakers now need a center. And they have four days to find one.
The trading of Anthony Davis is a big step. But it is probably just the first step in what could be the complete reimagining of Lakers greatness.
LeBron James, youâre on the clock âŠ
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