The Lakers Traded the Wrong Star—But at Least We Got Luka!

This is definitely not what I anticipated my first basketball blog post to be about LOL! The NBA just shook up the basketball world with some wild trades!! I’m going to talk about one that made my jaw drop—Luka Dončić is officially a Laker. Let me start by saying: I. AM. HYPED. I’ve been obsessed with Luka since he originally became a Mav, and now, he’s wearing my purple and gold.The man is clutch, a walking triple-double machine, and a generational talent. Sure, people love to talk about his conditioning, but let’s be honest—when the game is on the line, he delivers.

But while I’m ecstatic about Luka, I can’t shake one frustrating thought: the Lakers traded the wrong guy.

LeBron Should Have Been the One to Go!!!

I know this is going to be a HOT take, but let’s be real—LeBron should have been the one on the chopping block, not AD. Yeah, yeah, I know. He’s the King, he’s a four-time champion, he’s a beast, etc. But when will we stop pretending that he’s adding value to the Lakers?

AD was the defense, the guy who could single-handedly change a game without even touching the ball on offense. Sure, he might have been injury-prone. Could he have been a little more consistent? Absolutely. But he’s still in his prime, and when he’s on the floor, the Lakers are a different team. Top 5 player in the NBA for sure. Come at me. The team should have built around him and now we are still stuck with a 40-year-old LeBron who plays defense when he feels like it and needs the ball all the time…don’t forget the dramatics – HARD EYE ROLL.

Now, let’s talk about the real issue—how Luka is going to fit into LeBron’s world. They’re both ball-dominant, high-usage players. Luka thrives when he’s controlling the offense, dictating the tempo, and making the game his. LeBron? Same thing. The problem? There’s only one basketball and now they’re on one team. I’m sweating just typing about this. 

Soooo did Dallas just win this trade?

Personal opinion, but I think the Mavericks just got a steal. AD and Kyrie? That’s a fire team. Dallas desperately needed defense and a dominant inside presence, and now they have exactly that. AD doesn’t need the ball every possession to be effective, which means Kyrie can do his thing without any fighting moments. On top of all this, this may just be the confidence Klay needs to get going and become a championship contender again. Clearly, the Lakers just love handing out assets like candy.

So, here we are. Luka is a Laker, and I’ll obviously be watching every game intently because I adore him. But I also know this team just got a whole lot more complicated. If LeBron actually lets Luka spread some Luka magic, this could be interesting. But if history tells us anything, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

The truth is, the Lakers did need to do something…they just did the wrong something. They needed to build for the future. Instead, they chose to keep LeBron—and I can’t help but feel like this is going to backfire on them.

And because I do love him…Luka, welcome to LA! 💜💛

What do you think? Did the Lakers make the right move?