Even though the NBA trade deadline officially passed on Thursday afternoon, there is still so much to take regarding what happened over the last several days. While some teams made major trades to acquire franchise stars, other teams had more under-the-radar deals that could pay dividends later this season.
Regardless, there was no bigger move than the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in a package centered around Anthony Davis. While Davis helped the team win an NBA Finals in his first season, Doncic can now be the face of the franchise for years to come. On a recent episode of his podcast, ex-Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley shared his thoughts on the deadline move.
"You get a player like Luka Doncic, there's nothing else to talk about...," Beverley said. "I think the Lakers win trade deadline. I think you have to give Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss a ton of credit...They always seem to make a small move, a small move, a small move, then a big splash. I like Vando. They were able to keep Rui, Austin Reaves. Don't sleep on the Lakers, the Lakers instantly go to contenders."
In addition to the acquisition of Doncic, the Lakers also made a trade to land Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams. While he's had injury concerns during his time with the Hornets, he heads to Los Angeles, where over the last 10 games, he's posted averages of 20 points and 12.1 rebounds per game.
The Lakers fans anxiously await the debut of the two recent acquisitions. They'll hope that Doncic and Williams will be the missing pieces that make them title contenders.
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