Doncic’s trade caught the NBA world by storm
Luka Doncic‘s transition to the Los Angeles Lakers has been anything but conventional. The blockbuster trade that sent him from the Dallas Mavericks to Los Angeles stunned the NBA world, and now, just a few games into his Lakers tenure, the team is already working to optimize the roster around him.
However, a key trade that was meant to bring in a rim-protecting center, Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets, was rescinded after Williams failed his physical.
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Despite this setback, Doncic remains patient and optimistic about his new team’s potential.
Doncic Embracing the Lakers’ Vision
Following the failed trade, Doncic made it clear that he is focused on working with what the Lakers currently have.
“At the end of the day, this is our team,” Doncic said. “This is the team we have, and we’re going to show we can do everything.”
NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Doncic and his camp have not expressed frustration over the Lakers‘ inability to finalize the Williams trade. He noted that Doncic was aware that finding the ideal center might take until the summer, but he remains impressed with how quickly the Lakers front office moved to address his needs.
The five-time All-Star has played only two games for Los Angeles so far, both against the Utah Jazz, and he has been on a minutes restriction after recovering from a calf strain. Doncic has averaged 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 23.5 minutes per game, still shaking off the rust after missing significant time due to injury.
“I think we can go very far,” Doncic said after the Lakers’ loss to the Jazz. “Obviously, today I felt a little bit rusty, two games in after my injury-turnovers, missed free throws, so I gotta do way better. But now we’re approaching this break, so we gotta rest.”