The NBA world was turned upside down Feb. 2 when the Dallas Mavericks traded five-time All-Star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future pick.
The deal sent shockwaves through the league leading to on-going discourse about the repercussions of the deal in Dallas and what the future now holds for the Lakers, one of the most decorated franchises in the league history. The ire from Mavericks fans erupted after the franchise questioned the conditioning and commitment of their former superstar on his way to Los Angeles and Davis picked up another lengthy stay on the IR midway through his first game in Dallas.
In the three weeks since the trade, the Mavericks have gone 5-4 and maintained a solid hold in the Western Conference’s play-in tournament despite a run of impactful injuries. Kyrie Irving averaged 27.7 points during that stretch as the new look Dallas roster attempts to navigate the post-Luka world.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are just 2-2 in games when Doncic plays. He’s averaged 19.0 points over that span but appeared to turn a corner on Saturday with a 32 point, 10 rebound and seven assist performance against the Denver Nuggets in a 123-100 win. A calf injury had sidelined Doncic for nearly six weeks (22 games) prior to the trade and the Los Angeles staff has kept an eye on his health as he gets back into playing shape with a brand new franchise. He’s averaging 26.7, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game this season.
The Lakers host the Mavericks on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET) in the teams’ first game since the trade that sent Luka to Los Angeles.
ESPN Insiders Dave McMenamin and Tim MacMahon will be keeping tabs on all the updates inside the arena in the build up to the game in our live blog while Tim Bontemps and Chris Herring will provide analysis from this highly anticipated Western Conference clash.