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Inside The Stunning Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis Trade

February 2nd, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Rory Maher

Luka Doncic “was completely floored” when he learned that he had been traded to the Lakers, league sources tell Dallas-based NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link).

Stein reiterates that Doncic did not request to be traded and confirms reporting from ESPN that the Mavericks had reservations about giving the Slovenian star a five-year, super-max extension in the offseason due to his “conditioning, ability to stay healthy and his off-court commitments to those pursuits.”

In an appearance on SportsCenter last night (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst called the trade a “rebuke” of Doncic from the Mavericks’ perspective. While the primary focus from people around the league has been on Dallas’ end of the deal, Windhorst says LeBron James has “dreamed” of playing with Doncic, though it’s unclear how he feels about the move, given his close relationship with Anthony Davis.

As Stein writes, there had been whispers in the week leading up to perhaps the most shocking trade in NBA history that the Mavs were on the verge of making a deal, but rival teams weren’t sure what they were planning. General manager Nico Harrison has a preexisting relationship with Davis and zeroed in on the 10-time All-Star as an ideal return package for Doncic.

According to Stein, Harrison “essentially” only had the Lakers in mind as a trade partner, in large part due to Davis. That choice of wording is interesting, because league sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that “at least one other team” was approached by Dallas nearly two weeks ago about the prospect of trading Doncic for a different star. That offer was declined.

Amick’s story has several sourced details, particularly from the Lakers’ end. According to Amick, Lakers leadership has grown weary of James and Davis’ continual public requests for more on-court help. Amick also hears Los Angeles had concerns about Davis’ “durability and availability and a belief that he could never truly be counted on as a top option” going forward.

In a fascinating interview with Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, Harrison said he approached Lakers head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka more than a month ago to have “basketball” conversations. Harrison noted that the two have known each other for a couple of decades from their previous jobs, when Harrison was a Nike executive and Pelinka was a player agent.

“Then all of a sudden we’re like, ‘Would you ever do this?’

‘Nah, you’re joking, right?’

‘Hmm. Interesting. Maybe I would.’

“And then it just built over time over the last three weeks,” Harrison told Townsend.

Harrison admitted Doncic’s contract situation was a primary motivating factor in making the trade. Doncic will no longer be eligible for an extension worth 35% of the salary cap this summer after being moved; the most he can make now is 30%.

“We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the super-max and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract,” Harrison said. “And so we really felt like we got out in front of that. We know teams, they’ve had it out there, teams have been loading up to try to sign him once that comes available.”

He also said he hasn’t had direct communication with Doncic since the news broke, having talked to his agent Bill Duffy. His text and phone call to Doncic went unanswered, with Harrison telling Townsend, “My guess is he probably doesn’t want to talk to me.”

Davis has publicly said multiple times he views himself as more of a power forward rather than a center. Harrison told Townsend that while Davis will likely finish games in the middle, he will also play alongside Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively when the latter returns from an ankle fracture, pointing to Cleveland (Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen) as an example of a two-big pairing that has been successful.

Here’s more on the blockbuster trade:

  • James has a full no-trade clause, but both Stein and Amick write that the four-time MVP must be evaluating whether he’s still determined to finish his career in Los Angeles after the trade. According to Amick, there was an expectation that James would decline his $52.6MM player option for ’25/26 in the offseason to seek another contract, but it’s unclear if the Lakers would be willing to offer it.
  • Sources tell Stein (Twitter link) that the first time Harrison and Pelinka talked about trading Doncic for Davis was in person on January 7, when the Lakers were in Dallas to play the Mavs. League insider Chris Haynes hears the Lakers contacted Davis’ agent Rich Paul sometime after they heard the offer, viewing Doncic as a long-term replacement for James (Twitter video link).
  • After the trade was completed, Pelinka made three phone calls, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter links): the first was a joint call with Davis and head coach JJ Redick; the second a call to Paul; and the third to James. McMenamin also hears from sources that Davis chose to waive his trade kicker for multiple reasons, one being that he wants to sign an extension with Dallas in the future.
  • According to Stein, Doncic had been targeting February 8 as his return date from a left calf strain prior to the trade. The five-time All-NBA guard has been out with the injury since Christmas.
  • Doncic’s now-former teammate Kyrie Irving was also “stunned” by the deal that will send Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick to the Mavericks, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports (via Twitter).
  • Both the Lakers and Mavericks are expected to continue to be active in trade talks leading up to Thursday’s deadline, according to Stein, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and Christian Clark of The Athletic (Twitter links). “Everybody knows the Lakers are trying to do more even after this,” a source told Reynolds.
  • In a full story for The Athletic, Clark takes a look at Harrison’s history of making major roster moves at three consecutive deadlines. John Hollinger of The Athletic views the trade as a potential disaster for the Mavs, given the ages and injury histories of Irving and Davis. Hollinger also speculates that Doncic could sign a short-term extension with the Lakers in the offseason in order to maximize his future earnings, a possibility Bobby Marks of ESPN (YouTube link) discussed as well.
  • Mavs fans were understandably heartbroken by the trade, writes Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. “I’m hoping to wake up from a bad dream,” one fan said. “You have the most talented Mavericks team in Mavericks history and you have Luka right here. It’s like, ‘Boom.’ We just went to the finals, we finally get this team around him, it’s all right here, and then you trade him? It’s the biggest joke ever.”
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Luka Doncic To Lakers, Anthony Davis To Mavs In Three-Team Trade

February 2nd, 2025 at 9:14am CST by Arthur Hill

February 2: The trade is now official, according to a press release from the Mavericks.

“We are thankful for Luka and grateful for his efforts during his time with us,” stated general manager Nico Harrison. “He helped build this team and was an integral part of the success we’ve seen throughout the years, including our recent NBA Finals run, along with Maxi and Markieff who are veteran voices equally valued across this team.

“This is a new chapter, and we are excited to welcome Anthony and Max to the fold. AD is an experienced veteran, who can play both ends of the floor while helping elevate us defensively. He knows first-hand what it takes to win, and I know he’s motivated to be a part of what we’re building in Dallas.”

February 1: The Lakers are acquiring superstar Luka Doncic in a stunning blockbuster trade that will send Anthony Davis to the Mavericks as part of a three-team deal involving Utah, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

L.A. will also receive Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, while Max Christie and the Lakers’ first-round pick in 2029 are headed to Dallas.

The Jazz will take on the salary of second-year Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino while receiving two 2025 second-round picks, one from the Mavericks and one that originally belonged to the Clippers (via the Lakers).

Utah will also send $55K in cash to both the Lakers and Mavericks, a source tells Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

It’s one of the most shocking trades in NBA history, to the extent that Charania had to publish multiple tweets after breaking the news confirming that it’s real, while other reporters verified that he hadn’t been hacked. It’s the first time in league history that two players who earned All-NBA honors have been traded for each other during the following season, per ESPN.

There had been no indication that the Mavs were looking to part with Doncic or that the Lakers’ front office was considering breaking up Davis’ long-time partnership with LeBron James, who was surprised by news of the deal and didn’t know it was in the works, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“I believe that defense wins championships,” Dallas president of basketball operations Nico Harrison told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon in explaining his motivation. “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”

Doncic did not request a trade, sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The Mavericks simply liked the return from L.A. enough to part with their franchise player, who was “stunned” when he was informed of the trade, Charania said during an appearance on SportsCenter (Twitter video link).

Doncic would have become eligible during the 2025 offseason for a record-setting super-max contract projected to be worth $345MM over five years. According to MacMahon, Dallas had concerns about making that commitment due to Doncic’s diet and conditioning, which the team believes have been major factors contributing to his injuries over the years.

Sources tell Charania that the Mavericks initiated the deal, while the Lakers believed it was in their best long-term interest to give up Davis, who will turn 32 next month, to acquire the 25-year-old Doncic, who could be the face of the franchise for the next decade.

Doncic will no longer be eligible to sign a super-max contract in Los Angeles, since that option comes off the table once a player is traded. That means his next deal figures to start at 30% of the 2026/27 cap instead of 35%. The exact amount of that contract will depend on when he signs it and how many years it covers, but it would max out at about $296MM over five years rather than $345MM.

Dallas contacted several teams this week to see if they were willing to reroute salary in a potential three-team deal, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). While several teams had an indication that the Mavericks were working on something, no one else had any idea that it involved Doncic, Fischer adds.

Doncic has been sidelined since Christmas Day when he suffered a left calf strain in a game against Minnesota. He had been expected to return soon, and John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweets that Dallas was preparing for him to play next Saturday.

Doncic has a been a franchise-changing talent since the Mavericks traded up for the opportunity to select him in the 2018 draft. After winning Rookie of the Year honors, he was a first-team All-NBA selection and finished in the top eight of MVP balloting in each of the next five seasons, including third in 2024. He’s not eligible for individual awards this year because of the strained calf and other ailments that have limited him to 22 games.

Davis is one of the top big men in the league and helped the Lakers capture the 2020 title in his first season with the team. The eight-time All-Star is currently sidelined with an abdominal strain, but he has been remarkably durable over the last two years despite a history of injuries. He has appeared in 42 of L.A.’s 47 games this season after playing 76 in 2023/24.

Davis is looking forward to joining the Mavericks, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). He has a history with Harrison from their days together at Nike, and his long-time preference to play power forward rather than center will be less of an issue in Dallas with Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively on the roster.

Davis has agreed to waive his 15% trade bonus, which would have been worth $5.9MM, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes and Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links). That decision leaves the Mavericks $628K below the luxury tax line — they were $5.1MM above the tax threshold before the deal, Marks notes.

Davis’ current maximum-salary contract will pay him a projected $112.6MM over the next two seasons after this one, with a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28.

Because they’re not sending anyone out in the trade, the Jazz will have to open a roster spot before they can acquire Hood-Schifino, points out salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). That’s likely to happen by waiving or reaching a buyout with P.J. Tucker or Mohamed Bamba, both of whom were acquired from the Clippers in a deal earlier on Saturday.

Gozlan states that Hood-Schifino will be absorbed into Utah’s $8MM room exception, leaving the team $16.7MM below the tax line after Saturday’s dealings. The 21-year-old guard may get a greater opportunity to play with the Jazz after appearing in just two games this season and 23 total since being selected with the 17th pick in the 2023 draft.

Christie could be a valuable addition for Dallas, as he has blossomed into a solid rotation player during this third NBA season. He’s in the first season of a four-year, $32MM contract that he signed last summer as a restricted free agent.

Kleber suffered a broken right foot last weekend, so he won’t provide any immediate help to the Lakers. The 33-year-old big man is under contract for one more year at $11MM. Morris, a 35-year-old power forward, has an expiring veteran’s minimum contract.

Tristan Tucker and Luke Adams contributed to this story.

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Injury Notes: Nets, Quickley, Craig, Wolves, Davis

January 31st, 2025 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The banged-up Nets, who have seven players listed as out for Saturday’s matchup with Houston, provided updates on a handful of their injured regulars on Friday, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype relays (via Twitter).

Guard Cam Thomas, who has been unavailable since January 2 due to a left hamstring strain, is expected to make his return shortly after February’s All-Star break, per the Nets. Big man Noah Clowney will also likely remain on the shelf through the All-Star break after being diagnosed with a left ankle sprain.

Forward Cameron Johnson, meanwhile, is still day-to-day with the right ankle sprain that has cost him the past four games. He won’t play on Saturday.

The injury news in Brooklyn isn’t all bad. After leaving Wednesday’s game with left hamstring tightness, center Day’Ron Sharpe isn’t on the injury report for Saturday. Neither is forward Trendon Watford, who made his return on Wednesday after missing 21 consecutive contests while recovering from a left hamstring strain.

“It was good,” Watford said of his first game back (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). “I’m just glad to be back out there with the guys, back playing basketball. Missing 21 games, I’ve been missing it ever since I left the game in Cleveland. It was great to be back.”

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

  • Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley will be active on Friday vs. the Bulls after missing eight games due to a right hip strain, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. It was the third extended injury absence of 2024/25 for Quickley, who is appearing in just his 10th game of the season and will be on a minutes restriction against Chicago, Lewenberg adds.
  • Bulls wing Torrey Craig will be inactive for a 15th consecutive game on Friday due to a right ankle sprain, but he appears to be nearing a return — he participated in shootaround today, per head coach Billy Donovan (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago).
  • Timberwolves forward Julius Randle will miss his first game of the season on Saturday, having been ruled out vs. Washington due to a right groin strain, according to the team (Twitter link). However, Minnesota did pass along more positive injury news, announcing that rookie Terrence Shannon has been cleared for full-contact 5-on-5 activities and is being listed as questionable to play on Saturday (Twitter link). Shannon, who sustained a right mid-foot sprain while on a G League assignment, last saw the court for the NBA club on December 23.
  • According to Lakers head coach J.J. Redick, the team isn’t expecting an extended absence for Anthony Davis, who was ruled out for at least a week due to an abdominal strain. Redick is hopeful Davis will be back in action at some point next week, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link).
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NBA Announces 2025 All-Star Reserves

January 30th, 2025 at 5:51pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The 2025 NBA All-Star reserves were revealed on Thursday night during TNT’s Inside the NBA broadcast and officially confirmed by the league (Twitter links).

Fourteen players will join the 10 starters announced last week in the All-Star Game in San Francisco on Feb. 16.

All-Star reserves were selected by the league’s head coaches. Here are the players who made the cut:

Eastern Conference reserves:

The East features three first-time All-Stars in Cunningham, Herro and Mobley. The guard spots in the East were highly contentious, with Atlanta’s Trae Young, Chicago’s Zach LaVine, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey among those also in the running. Ball finished first in fan voting, but that had no bearing on the coaches’ decisions.

The Cavaliers are well-represented in San Francisco, with Donovan Mitchell named a starter last week and Garland and Mobley now joining him. This is Garland’s second All-Star nod after being named in the 2021/22 season. Jarrett Allen also had a shot at a spot, but ultimately wasn’t voted in.

This is Jaylen Brown‘s fourth All-Star appearance, Lillard’s ninth, and Siakam’s third.

Western Conference reserves:

Wembanyama, Sengun and Williams are each first-time All-Stars. The reigning Rookie of the Year, Wembanyama has taken several steps forward to help the Spurs to a 20-24 record, putting them in contention for a play-in spot. Meanwhile, Sengun and Williams are key contributors for the top two seeds in the conference.

Edwards, in his third overall and consecutive appearance, is having a career year from beyond the arc, connecting on 41.8% of his 9.8 three-point attempts. We wrote earlier today about how the Grizzlies view Jackson as a bona fide star amid their 31-16 record this season.

Veterans Harden and Davis round out the West reserves. Harden, the most decorated reserve, is making his 11th appearance in the game while averaging 21.7 points and 8.4 assists per game in his age-35 season. Davis continues to be one of the premier defensive players in the league en route to earning his 10th All-Star nod. The Lakers big man is currently injured and out at least one week, but it’s unclear if that would affect his availability for the All-Star Game, which is still more than two weeks out.

Fresh off making the NBA Finals last season, the Mavericks won’t have a representative in the All-Star Game, with Luka Doncic injured and Kyrie Irving not earning a spot. The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis, the Clippers’ Norman Powell, the Suns’ Devin Booker and the Kings’ De’Aaron Fox were among those who were not named to the team.

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Anthony Davis Has Abdominal Strain, Out At Least One Week

January 29th, 2025 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers star Anthony Davis, who exited Tuesday’s loss to Philadelphia in the first quarter due to an abdominal muscle strain, underwent an MRI on Wednesday that confirmed that diagnosis, the team announced (via Twitter).

According to the Lakers, Davis is heading back to Los Angeles and will be reevaluated in about one week. That means he’ll miss at least the three remaining games in the club’s Grammy road trip — Thursday in Washington, Saturday in New York, and next Tuesday at Intuit Dome vs. the Clippers.

The Lakers’ next home game is on Thursday, Feb. 6, the day of the trade deadline, against Golden State.

While it doesn’t necessarily sound like Davis’ ailment is significant, the timing isn’t great, given that the big man had been playing some of his best basketball of the season in the games leading up to the injury.

Davis racked up 42 points and 23 rebounds in a win over Charlotte on Monday after having put up 36 points and 13 rebounds in a victory over Golden State on Saturday. During his most recent four games entering Tuesday, he had averaged 32.8 PPG, 15.0 RPG, and 2.5 BPG, with the Lakers outscoring opponents by 60 points during his 136 minutes on the court.

The Lakers, who were up by three points when Davis exited on Tuesday, ended up losing to the Sixers by 14.

“When our best player goes out, it’s always challenging,” LeBron James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “If he’s out from the beginning, then we have a game plan set. We know what to expect, we know what our lineup is going to be. But when AD or any one of our guys go down throughout the course of a game, it’s just tough.”

Dorian Finney-Smith started the second half vs. the 76ers in place of Davis, as the Lakers utilized a small lineup that featured three forwards (Finney-Smith, James, and Rui Hachimura) and no true center. Head coach J.J. Redick may return to that look in the next few games, though reserve centers Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko also figure to play increased roles.

The injury news wasn’t all bad for the Lakers on Tuesday, as Hachimura returned following a two-game absence due to left calf soreness. Gabe Vincent (left knee soreness) sat out a second straight contest, but is considered likely to return during the road trip, as Khobi Price of The Orange County Register relays.

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L.A. Notes: Clippers, Harden, Davis, Hachimura

January 25th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are built around their stars, but they also have a deep roster that’s capable of competing when their top players aren’t available, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. With six rotation members sidelined against the Celtics on Wednesday, L.A. managed to take the game into overtime before falling to the defending champions.

“We have four starters out and to be able to come out with the team that we had just shows how deep we are,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “It just shows you that guys deserve opportunities to play, but you can’t play 15 players. And so, it’s hard. But it definitely shows the job that (president of basketball operations) Lawrence Frank and (general manager) ‘Red’ (Trent Redden) and (assistant GM) Mark Hughes putting a team together that’s deep, that can step up and play when guys are out and we were able to see that tonight.”

Derrick Jones Jr., who signed with the Clippers over the summer after an NBA Finals run in Dallas, said he tries to create a “next man up” mentality among the team’s younger players so they’re ready when needed. That was evident against Boston as Kevin Porter Jr. scored 26 points and Amir Coffey added 24 as they both got a rare chance to start.

“I always tell ’em to be aggressive, be who you are. You are on the team for a reason, you in the NBA for a reason, so just go out there and be who you are,” Jones said. “Don’t shy away from no pressure, don’t shy away from no opportunity. Just go out there and take it in full force.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

  • James Harden returned to the Clippers‘ lineup on Thursday and notched his 79th career triple-double, passing Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time list, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “It means a lot, just impacting the game in other ways,” Harden said. “Scoring is one thing, but rebounding the basketball, facilitating is another thing. And just impacting the game. You don’t get to be the best player on the court by just scoring the basketball every single night. Obviously that helps, but there’s other ways to impact games and you’ve seen it throughout the course of history of the NBA. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
  • Lakers management is paying attention to Anthony Davis‘ request for another big man, Shams Charania of ESPN said on tonight’s NBA Countdown (Twitter video link). Charania expects the front office to be aggressive in shopping its first-round picks for 2029 and 2031 to try to add another piece or two before the deadline.
  • Lakers forward Rui Hachimura is missing tonight’s game against Golden State due to left calf soreness, tweets Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Jarred Vanderbilt made his season debut after recovering from offseason surgery, but coach J.J. Redick said Hachimura’s absence won’t affect Vanderbilt’s minutes, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Dorian Finney-Smith got the start in place of Hachimura.
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Lakers’ Anthony Davis: “I Think We Need Another Big”

January 24th, 2025 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

After writing on Wednesday about LeBron James‘ and Anthony Davis‘ desire for the Lakers to be aggressive on the trade market and their belief that the team might just be a piece or two away from contending for a championship, Shams Charania of ESPN shared an in-depth interview with Davis on Thursday in which the star big man publicly expressed that belief (YouTube link).

Asked by Charania whether he feels the Lakers are a couple pieces away from having a legitimate shot at a title, Davis emphatically replied, “We are. I really feel like we are.”

Davis pointed to what he believes is a specific area of need for the team, suggesting that he could use some more help in the frontcourt.

“I think we need another big,” he told Charania. “You see the teams that have been effective. Our biggest matchup the past couple years has been against Denver, trying to beat Denver. You watch Minnesota – obviously they’re a different team now – but you see how Minnesota beat Denver (in the 2024 playoffs) — two bigs.

“I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been the four and having a big out there. We know it worked when we won a championship with JaVale (McGee) and Dwight (Howard) at the five and I’m at the four.”

Jovan Buha of The Athletic recently identified the Lakers’ greatest needs as a two-way wing, another play-maker and ball-handler, and a center who can protect the rim and rebound. It’s possible the team will have enough bodies on the wing after acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith last month, especially if Jarred Vanderbilt is effective in his return from injuries that have sidelined him all season.

That would leave a ball-handler/play-maker and a big man as the two pieces the Lakers could most use. However, the club reportedly hasn’t been especially aggressive on the trade market and remains reluctant to trade its two movable first-round picks (2029 and 2031).

Los Angeles will also have to figure out which of its mid-sized contracts make sense to move. Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura are all making between $10MM and $17MM, but Vanderbilt and Vincent are considered negative assets due in part to their recent injury history. Meanwhile, the Lakers haven’t been willing to discuss Reaves and seem reluctant to part with Hachimura, since losing him would leave a hole in the lineup at forward.

As Buha writes in a story for The Athletic, Davis’ and James’ desire to trade those 2029 and 2031 first-round picks and go all-in is butting up against the front office’s preference to take a more conservative approach with an eye toward both the present and future.

Davis, James, and the Lakers made a strong case on Thursday for additional investment in this roster when they dismantled the Celtics, registering a 21-point home victory over the defending champions to push their record to 24-18. That’s the best mark Los Angeles has had at this point in the season since 2020/21.

According to Buha, when asked by reporters after the win about his comments to Charania, Davis said he knows Rob Pelinka and the front office are working the phones in search of upgrades. He also stressed that he and James have a “championship mindset,” echoing comments he made to ESPN about wanting to win another title.

“One, we want to win it for the city. Two, we never got a parade. Three, it’s a lot of talk about an asterisk next to the (2020) championship, which I believe was probably the toughest championship to win,” Davis told Charania. “We just think it’s time. We feel like we’re right there as far as the team and everything like that. (LeBron) and I are very, very motivated to win another championship.”

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LeBron, AD Want Lakers To Be Aggressive On Trade Market

January 22nd, 2025 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

With just 15 days left until the NBA’s 2025 trade deadline arrives, Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are “growing concerned” about the team’s ability to make significant upgrades on the trade market, league sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Insider link).

James and Davis believe the Lakers could be just a piece or two away from contending for a title and have expressed that they want the front office to make moves to try to add those pieces, according to Charania.

That lines up with reporting from Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who wrote on Tuesday that James and Davis favor an “all-in approach” on the trade market and noted that LeBron has “never valued draft picks.”

The Lakers, who currently rank sixth in the Western Conference at 23-18, have two tradable first-round picks available in 2029 and 2031. They also have a pair of 2025 second-rounders on hand (their own and the Clippers’), and could trade first-round pick swaps for up to three years (2026, 2028, and 2030).

The front office – led by executive VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka – has taken a relatively conservative approach at the trade deadline in recent years, opting against making any moves in 2021, 2022, and 2024. In 2023, the club gave up Russell Westbrook and a lightly protected first-round pick in order to land D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt — that deal helped propel them to a strong second-half finish and a spot in the Western Conference Finals.

The Lakers, who already made one move last month for Dorian Finney-Smith, have done their due diligence in trade talks so far this season and are open to sending out one or both of their tradable first-round picks for players who would be both short- and long-term fits, Charania reports.

It’s unclear if there will be a difference-maker available that the Lakers will be able to attain using their limited assets, especially since a few of their potential salary-matching pieces – including Gabe Vincent and Vanderbilt – presumably have negative trade value.

Still, Charania suggests, given that many of the top seeds in the West this season are young teams with limited playoff experience, there’s a “perception of a wide-open league,” which could spur buyers to be more aggressive.

“Boston, OKC and Cleveland are who they are,” a high-ranking team official told ESPN. “But this is wide open.”

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Lakers Rumors: Trade Deadline Approach, Vanderbilt, Reaves

January 21st, 2025 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

With the February 6 trade deadline approaching, the Lakers could take one of three general paths, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. They could use one or both of their tradable first-round picks to try to significantly upgrade the roster; stand pat or make a relatively minor trade, perhaps using their two remaining second-round picks; or launch a rebuild by tearing down the roster and trading LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

That last option is clearly the least likely, according to Buha, who suggests that trading away James and/or Davis if they haven’t asked to be moved would be against the organization’s “ethos.” And there’s no indication that either player will seek a deal out of Los Angeles within the next couple weeks.

As Buha said a few days ago in a YouTube video, his sense from talking to rival scouts and executives around the NBA is that the Lakers are more likely to do something small than to take a big swing at the deadline.

While that could change if certain players unexpectedly become available, the Lakers aren’t in a great position to address all three of their most glaring needs – a two-way wing, another play-maker and ball-handler, and a center who can protect the rim and rebound – using their remaining assets, given their limited trade chips and their lack of mid-sized expiring contracts, Buha writes.

Here’s more from Buha on the Lakers:

  • Los Angeles is “cautiously optimistic” that the impending return of forward Jarred Vanderbilt will help give the team more clarity on which areas and positions represent its greatest need(s), per Buha. If Vanderbilt’s return goes well, the expectation around the league is that the Lakers will focus on adding either a big man or a ball-handler, especially since there likely won’t be impactful two-way wings available in their price range.
  • The “all-in” approach, which would involve trading the Lakers’ 2029 and 2031 first-round picks, has long been the one favored by James and Davis, Buha notes, but acquiring another impact player would be difficult, in part due to their cap situation — the club can’t take back more salary than it sends out and can’t aggregate Dorian Finney-Smith‘s salary since he was recently acquired, so stacking contracts for a Jimmy Butler-type star earning the max would be challenging.
  • As Buha observes, Austin Reaves‘ strong play since D’Angelo Russell was traded has also lessened the need for the club to acquire a high-level third option. In the nine games since Russell was moved, Reaves has averaged 20.4 points and 7.3 assists per game with a .450/.390/.915 shooting line.
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Western Notes: Nurkic, Fox, Davis, Blazers, Harden

January 2nd, 2025 at 11:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite a report to the contrary, the Suns aren’t actively shopping Jusuf Nurkic, a source tells Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link).

While the distinction may matter to Nurkic himself, the question of whether or not the veteran center is being “actively shopped” likely comes down to semantics, since it’s clear Phoenix would move him if the right opportunity arises.

However, it won’t be easy to find that right opportunity. Nurkic, who has one more guaranteed year left on his contract after this season, will have limited value on the trade market and may be easier to trade in the offseason, Bourguet notes. The Suns also can’t aggregate salaries in a trade since they’re operating over the second tax apron, meaning Nurkic can’t be dealt for a player earning more than he is ($18.13MM).

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Weighing in on the De’Aaron Fox situation in Sacramento, Marc Stein (Substack link) covers many of the same bases that Sam Amick of The Athletic did earlier today, writing that teams are keeping a close eye on the situation even though the Kings aren’t yet willing to entertain the idea of trading their star point guard. Discussing the possibility of the Rockets pursuing Fox, Stein cautions not to assume Houston will be in the mix, even though the 27-year-old fits the team’s timeline better than previously rumored targets like Jimmy Butler or Kevin Durant. Rockets officials like how the current roster looks and may not zero in on Fox as the player they want to sacrifice several valuable assets to acquire, Stein writes.
  • The Lakers held Anthony Davis out of action on Thursday vs. Portland due to a left ankle sprain. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays (via Twitter), head coach JJ Redick said before the game that the Lakers want to “be smart” about Davis’ lingering ankle soreness and pointed out that the team faces a challenging January schedule, with 17 games in the next 30 days.
  • In a preview of what 2025 holds for the Trail Blazers, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link) reiterates a point he has made before, writing that it’s “hard to picture” a scenario in which Chauncey Billups is still coaching the Blazers by the time the 2025/26 season tips off. Highkin also explores where things stand with Portland’s top trade candidates and the Blazers’ ownership situation, among other topics.
  • Clippers star James Harden was downgraded to questionable and then ruled out for the team’s Thursday game vs. Oklahoma City due to groin soreness. As Law Murray of The Athletic tweets, Harden also missed one game last month due to a groin issue — if the ailment isn’t any more serious this time around, it shouldn’t cause him to miss much – if any – additional time.
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