Feb. 1 marks the one year anniversary of Luka Doncic being traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite all of the time that has passed, it feels like the impact of this deal will never subside.
The Lakers were in a predicament where their future looked murky with LeBron James aging and Anthony Davis in his early 30s. Fortunately, the Lakers always find their next star and they did so with Doncic, who was just 25 years old at the time.
The Slovenian guard called Dallas home for seven years to start his career and once he got dealt, it was up in the air whether he would accept L.A. as his new long-term home. However, now that a year has gone by, Doncic believes everything worked out for the best, via Melissa Rohlin of the California Post:
“I’d probably say it’s all going to turn out good,” Doncic told the California Post. “At that time, I didn’t know. I was shocked. But right now, I feel like I’m in a great place.”
After signing an extension this summer, Doncic’s commitment to his new team is apparent and his belief in this franchise is high:
“It’s a big opportunity for me,” Doncic said. “I feel great where I am. The team is good. I feel like I’m myself, personally. I feel great here. I like living in LA. I love the fans. So, I’m really in a good spot right now.”
Unfortunately, injuries have hindered the Lakers from achieving their full potential, but again, Doncic remains optimistic about how their season will turn out:
“Yeah, for sure,” Doncic said. “We had a lot of injuries, I think we had the most starting lineups in the NBA. But, obviously, when we’re all healthy, I think we’re a great team.”
With the trade deadline approaching, this roster still needs work despite their new star maintaining a high belief in his teammates. Yet, getting everyone healthy would allow L.A. to finally see what their true positives and weaknesses are.
Moving forward though, general manager Rob Pelinka needs to have a collaborative process with Doncic to better construct a team suiting his strengths as a player. It will not happen overnight, but acquiring a generational talent like the Lakers did, they cannot afford to squander this opportunity.
Big men across NBA want to play with Luka Doncic
The bright lights of Los Angeles attract all walks of life and Doncic has re-energized the city with his arrival. Over the next handful of years, players will want to be on that stage to play with Doncic, specially big men according to recent reports.
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