The Lakers-Mavericks trade has taken the NBA world by storm. When Shams Charania reported that the Mavericks were trading Luka Doncic, nobody believed it was true at first glance. Then the fact that the package for him was just Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a single first-round pick made the deal even more shocking. The fallout from this explosion of the trade remains to be seen, but we are going to take a look at the players who will be most impacted by the Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis trade.
The Players Most Impacted By The Luka-AD Trade
Kyrie Irving Becomes the Primary Ball-Handler Post-Trade After Luka Doncic For Anthony Davis Trade
It has been a long time since Kyrie Irving was the unquestionable main playmaker on his team. Besides a few moments where he had to step up with injuries on the Nets and Mavericks, the last time Irving was expected to lead a team on offense was on the Celtics. We all remember how that went.
BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025
Although Irving has matured a lot since then, this is still a tall task for the 32-year-old (turns 33 on March 23). Not having another elite playmaking guard or forward to share some of the ball-handling duties with will make things tough. Irving’s ability to take control of the Dallas offense will be essential in whether this trade goes well for the Mavericks.
The Lakers Frontcourt Depth After the Luka Doncic For Anthony Davis Trade
The Lakers are now all of a sudden undersized. Their biggest and strongest defender plus rebounder has been shipped off, leaving them depleted at the power forward/center position. Doncic and LeBron James are now the leading rebounders on the team. That is not ideal. Doncic is a point guard and LeBron is 40 years old.
This puts even more pressure on the other front-court players for the Lakers. Dorian Finney-Smith, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes all have their work cut out for them with Davis no longer on the team. Hayes specifically is in line for a huge increase in his workload. Hayes is only averaging 16.8 minutes per game so far this season. The Lakers have no other legitimate centers ready to play significant minutes. If they don’t make another trade before the deadline, Hayes will be under a ton of pressure.
Klay Thompson Needs To Start Scoring Again
The Mavericks trade for Klay Thompson has not been a success. Thompson was averaging 17.9 points per game with the Warriors last season. When the Mavericks decided to go after him this offseason, they were hoping for similar production in Dallas. Unfortunately, Thompson has not lived up to his past play in his brief Dallas stint.
Thompson is only averaging 13.7 points per game this season for the Mavericks. That is the lowest points-per-game average he has had since his rookie season. With the Mavericks losing Doncic, they have some scoring to make up for. Davis will be able to take over some of that load, but the Mavericks need Thompson now more than ever. Let’s see if the future Hall of Famer can step up.
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