Since trading for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975, the Los Angeles Lakers have gone exactly seven seasons since then without a bona fide headliner — and they were going to make sure that number would stay exactly where it is when LeBron James retires.
That was the impetus for the Lakers trading Anthony Davis, who’s playing the best ball of his career, for Luka Donu010diu0107 despite the questions about Donu010diu0107’s conditioning. It wasn’t something the Lakers were courting, but Dallas did call them about Donu010diu0107, and the Lakers jumped at the opportunity, sources told Yahoo Sports.
It’s hard to think of a more shocking trade in NBA history when you consider the names and the timing of the deal, late on a Saturday night when the Lakers looked as good as they have at this point in a season since 2020.