Lakers' trade chase exposes why Luka Doncic was destined to be a Maverick

When the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic on February 1 of last year, it was pretty clear that Dallas and Doncic would be forever linked.

As a result, there's always something new happening with Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers that can be traced back to his time in Dallas, unfortunately. NBA insider Marc Stein's recent Sunday newsletter highlighted this trend, as Stein reported that the Lakers want to pair Doncic with a bigger two-way wing (subscription required) ahead of the February 5 trade deadline.

Of course, the Mavericks already had this type of player next to Doncic in P.J. Washington, as they had literally traded for Washington to be one of the completing pieces of a team that went to the NBA Finals less than two years ago. The Lakers sorely lack the perimeter defense needed around Doncic and Austin Reaves, just like the Mavericks once did around Doncic, so the Lakers trying to piece together a team that can compete around Doncic is a sore reminder of what Dallas already had.

LA wants to pair Doncic with a versatile wing — Mavs already had it down

Washington has still been great for the Mavericks, and is one of the only players safe to remain on the roster past the trade deadline after signing a four-year, $88.8 million contract extension this past offseason, but he's currently a little overextended compared to his ideal role. This is obviously due to not having a dynamic shot creator like Kyrie Irving or Doncic in the lineup anymore, but Washington projects as someone Dallas wants to take into the Cooper Flagg era with them.

Needless to say, Washington would've been far more idealized in Dallas continuing to play alongside Doncic, as Washington and Flagg mirror some of the same skillsets, even if early signs suggest they can still fit together. The Lakers don't have anyone like Washington defensively besides Jarred Vanderbilt, and Vanderbilt isn't close to the same caliber player as Washington is on the other side of the ball.

Because of being gifted Doncic essentially, it makes sense why the Lakers' roster construction wasn't fully idealized for Doncic's arrival already. Rui Hachimura and Vanderbilt are both solid wings on one side of the ball primarily, but the Lakers don't have anyone on their roster quite as dynamic as Washington.

However, the Lakers may have even more dynamic shot creation than Dallas did with Doncic and Irving, given they have Reaves and LeBron James as well, so the Lakers could potentially be even scarier than the Mavericks were in 2024 if they can add someone like Washington via trade (i.e., Jerami Grant).

Of course, there's no guarantee the Lakers can do this given limited trade resources, but it's certainly possible, which is wild to even fathom considering the Mavericks and Nico Harrison had no reason to break up Doncic from this team. Now the Lakers have a problem the Mavericks once had, that being building a contender around Doncic, but most Mavericks fans wish this was still their problem to have instead, even if the Flagg era has already begun.