Three weeks ago, Luka Dončić was formally introduced as a Los Angeles Laker after the Dallas Mavericks dealt him in the most shocking trade in NBA history. On Tuesday, the 25-year-old superstar (who turns 26 this week) will face his former team for the first time. Buckle up! Our writers break down the Lakers and Mavs in the aftermath of the blockbuster trade, plus make predictions on what to expect from Dončić during Tuesday’s revenge game.
Vincent Goodwill: 8. The rhetoric surrounding Luka’s trade or at least Dallas’ reasoning didn’t come off as flattering to him, as valid as it may be. And it wasn’t until Saturday night where he had a Luka game, against Denver. But going to L.A., being introduced to the crowd last and clearly catching all of the positive vibes from JJ Redick can make up for all of that. His pairing with LeBron James has shown promise thus far, the QB-to-WR moments. But then he was being hunted by the Charlotte Hornets. So … an 8.
Dan Devine: Let’s call it a 7.5 — which, as luck would have it, is the Lakers’ winning percentage since the deal, with six victories in eight tries. Granted, three of those wins came with Dončić working his way back from a calf strain, and one of them came with him resting on the second night of a back-to-back; “3-2 with losses to the Jazz and Hornets” isn’t exactly the stuff that dreams are made of. What Luka did to a Nuggets team that has owned L.A. for the past four years, though, is the stuff that emboldens you to dream a little bigger, darling:
Players who can do that don’t grow on trees. Even with Dončić needing some time to shake off the rust and find his footing (and the range on his jumper) after missing 22 games, the Lakers have outscored opponents by 12.1 points per 100 possessions since his arrival, offering both tantalizing glimpses of what the LeBron-Luka partnership could eventually blossom into and fresh hope that it’s already got a shot to do some real damage in the here and now. Keep that up, and we’ll be bumping this “C” up toward the top of the grading scale in no time.
Tom Haberstroh: 6. I think Dončić would even admit that he hasn’t been himself for most of his short Lakers tenure. Before the Denver eruption, he had nearly more fouls and turnovers than made shots and assists. Some rust is to be expected from the change of scenery and recovery from his calf injury, but Dončić has set such a high bar for himself that I expect brilliance every night.
Morten Stig Jensen: 7, if only for the stat line and the lack of efficiency. But context is needed here. He came in after a long layoff due to injury, and is still rounding himself back into form. While I can hear Nico Harrison laugh at the word “form,” the 32-point, 10-rebound, 7-assist performance against Denver leaves enough optimism for me that this won’t take long.
Devine: LeBron James, let’s not overcomplicate things. The King’s scoring efficiency has spiked while sharing the court with another genius playmaker: 65 points in 80 minutes with Dončić, with 60% of his baskets coming off of an assist (including eight from Luka). His average time of possession, seconds per touch and dribbles per touch have all decreased since Luka’s debut; his usage rate goes down when Luka’s on the court, and his true shooting percentage (which factors in 2-point, 3-point and free-throw accuracy) jumps by 10 percentage points.
With all due respect to Kyrie Irving — who, now that you mention it, has also benefited from the deal, in the sense that he’s become the unquestioned No. 1 option in Dallas and absolutely essential to the Mavericks’ offensive function right before he can exercise his player option and position himself for another lucrative re-up — LeBron hasn’t had a hub-of-the-offense running buddy this capable of easing his burden since, what, 2011 Dwyane Wade? Those Heat teams turned out pretty OK. This Lakers squad just might, too.
Haberstroh: Rob Pelinka. The Lakers should build a statue for him, preferably sitting at a coffeeshop in a leather jacket halfway unzipped from the bottom up. He should never have to buy a coffee in Los Angeles again.
Jensen: The Lakers as a whole, with Jaxson Hayes coming in at a close second. (I’m guessing you want me to say Max Christie, but I’m not taking the bait!) Even if we’re just four games in, and the Luka Experience has only been fleeting, we’re going to see both wings and bigs — of which the Lakers have few — benefit greatly from a healthy Luka, particularly when he gets to the free-throw-line area, where he’s utterly elite at making decisions.
Goodwill: It’s JJ Redick. When he took this job, his fortunes were directly and tied only to the health and wants of LeBron James. There was the drafting of Bronny and the drama surrounding it. Now, this is a new lease for Redick. The Lakers have a post-LeBron plan and clearly the Lakers coach sees Luka as a huge upgrade from Anthony Davis — there was the moment of Redick telling himself to “stop” and lock in when looking at Luka on the bench, and Redick looking downright smitten as he daydreamed possibilities about the future. But at least he has a future and the possibility of a curious present in the meantime.
Haberstroh: Exceptional. They have been and will continue to be the exception to the rule. Teams usually don’t have generational stars seemingly fall into their lap. Unless you’re the Lakers, of course. Whether it’s Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Wilt Chamberlain, the Lakers seem to always find a way to get the big name. None of those all-time greats were drafted by the Lakers and yet, they’ve worn the purple-and-gold in their primes.
Devine: Relevant again. On Feb. 1, the Lakers had outscored opponents by just one-half of one point per 100 possessions for the full season, with a below-average defense and an uninspiring offense. Their chances of contending were the same as they’d been the previous three seasons: Hope LeBron and Anthony Davis are both healthy in springtime; hope the bracket breaks right; hope (and pray, and beg, and plead) that somebody else takes Nikola Jokić out before he sees them.
But hope isn’t a plan — or, at least, not one as elegant and potentially potent as, “We’re going to throw Luka and LeBron at you, and see how you deal with that.” These Lakers aren’t going to be anything close to a favorite in a West topped by a historically dominant Thunder team. But I don’t think anyone’s going to be too thrilled to see them come mid-April, either.
Goodwill: Intriguing. Not just for this year — I felt they would take a step back in the immediate; that’s been wrong thus far — but for their future. The Lakers are forever looking for the next guy, or a supporting figure for the next guy. They can move to the latter now, and prepare for a life when LeBron retires, if he ever does. Life with LeBron and Davis seemed easy to prognosticate: play-in tournament and, at best, a first-round exit. Maybe they can stretch the shelf life on this mismatched roster, or at least give someone a scare while they figure out what next year looks like.
Jensen: Championship contenders! Assuming of course our favorite Slovenian stays healthy, LeBron’s age suddenly doesn’t show, and they won’t get matched up against teams with a million centers who can abuse their lack of size. Alright, that may not technically describe an actual contender, but I’m going to stubbornly stick with it. When you have Luka Dončić and LeBron James on the same team, we’re entering one of those “Stranger Things” visions where everything is possible. Will they win the title? Probably not, but I can’t in good conscience exclude them from that conversation.
Jensen: Still wrong for making that trade? Look, I get it. We all get it. Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. What a trio, right? If only this was 2015, the league would be in for a world of trouble. But it’s a decade later, Davis is already out with an injury, and Thompson looks every bit like a 35-year-old who had back-to-back ACL and Achilles injuries. The Mavs would essentially have to win the title for this trade to ever make sense, and that seems … optimistic.
Goodwill: Snake-bitten. If you hate the trade, you can at least see why Nico Harrison thought he could build a team in the present that could contend in the West. Load up on rim-protecting, talented bigs and augment that with shot-making and creativity of shot creation on the perimeter. The combination of Davis and Dereck Lively II seems downright scary to consider defensively, but we may never see it because everybody is on the injured list. That prevents us from seeing the vision. I want to see it.
Devine: Waiting. Which, as I understand it, ranks among the hardest parts. The Mavericks deserve credit for staying above .500 since the deal, especially considering they’ve had AD for just one half of one game in that span. But the premise of the trade — the on-court rationale, anyway — was that bringing in Davis to play alongside the center tandem of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, with P.J. Washington at the 3 and a bunch of big mix-and-match options at the 2 next to Kyrie, would make Dallas a gigantic, imposing, defensive meat-grinder of a group to play against … and with Davis, Lively and Gafford all sidelined, we haven’t gotten to see what that version of the team looks like.
Whether that version has any chance of being as good as the Luka-led iteration that, again, went to the Finals eight months ago remains to be seen. But hope springs eternal … even if, as some dude wrote not too long ago, hope in itself isn’t a plan.
Haberstroh: Lottery-bound. Missing the playoffs after reaching the NBA Finals and trading away the face of the franchise would be a tragedy for their fans. The Warriors and Timberwolves look poised to come out of the West logjam with new-found edge, healthier rosters and softer schedules than the one ahead of the Mavs. Maybe the Mavericks pull a rabbit out of the hat, but I don’t see it with their injured bigs.
Goodwill: 32-10-6. Nobody does drama like L.A. And the Lakers will give Dončić every opportunity to extract early revenge, although the real revenge will come when the Mavericks have to play a road game at home during Luka’s return to Dallas later in the season. But as long as he’s got the wind to keep up with his emotions, he’ll have some wild swings and have his moments.
Jensen: It’s one of those things where he might go for 50, or he’ll brick eight 3-pointers because of built-up energy. Guessing there’s no in-between for this particular game, and frankly, that’s the way it should be. The team shipped you out and spent the following two weeks going on a smear campaign to justify its decision? If that doesn’t deserve a 50-piece, I don’t know what does.
Devine: Dallas ranks 26th in defensive efficiency since the trade; this seems like very bad news against a jilted lover with a flamethrower. Let’s go with 36-9-9 in a Lakers rout — the kind of performance that makes it very, very hard for JJ to remind himself to stop smiling.
Haberstroh: I’ll say 31 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. That’s his postseason career averages, collectively unmatched by any player in NBA history.
1. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate Luka’s first three weeks as a Laker.
2. Who has been the biggest beneficiary of the Luka trade?
3. Finish the sentence: The Lakers are ___________.
4. Finish the sentence: The Mavs are ___________.
5. Prediction time! What will Luka put up against the Mavs?
Three Things to Know: Lakers vs. Mavericks, Feb. 25
The Lakers (34-21) blew out the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday, and return to Crypto.com Arena to face the Mavericks (31-27). The game tips at 7 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet.
LUKA BREAKS OUT
In his first three games as a Lakers, Luka Doncic, who hadn’t played since Christmas, was primarily focused on fitting into the team, and trying to do his part to produce wins. He was on a minutes limit, and while showing flashes of his typical brilliance, didn’t have a statistical breakout. That changed in Denver, after JJ Redick told his former teammate he was looking for a “blackout” moment. He got it, as Doncic scored 16 points in the first quarter – matching his high in the previous three games – before finishing with a team-high 32 points, plus 10 boards, seven assists and four steals in a 123-100 victory. “Great confidence,” Doncic said he drew from the game. “I (can’t) remember when was the last time I won here. It’s very tough to play here. Just to win like that, it’s an amazing win for us and gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.”
“Part of what makes him brilliant is he makes the game easy for everybody else,” added Redick.
Up next is a matchup that could be a difficult one from an emotional standpoint for Doncic, as he faces his former teammates in Dallas. Luka will certainly have the full support of his new team, and his new city.
SHOWING FINNEY-SMITH’S VALUE
Dorian Finney-Smith is about winning, more than anything else. He’s not thinking about his counting stats, which are as follows: 7.0 points, 3.3 boards and 1.3 assists in 25.8 minutes, not to mention his ranking of 17th in the NBA in 3-point accuracy, at 41.7%.
Of course, there are a few stats the show a player’s value outside of the counting stats, including raw plus/minus. In Doe Doe’s 20 games with the Lakers, he is a team-best +163, meaning the Lakers have outscored opponents by 163 points when he’s been on the court. That’s an average of +8.2 per game, ahead of Doncic’s +7.3 in four games, and Austin Reaves’ +2.9 in 50 games.
DFS gets the job done in multiple ways, serving as a quick connector and ball mover when he isn’t hitting 3’s or attacking closeouts on offense, and a versatile defender that can help on bigs in the paint and move his feet with wings and guards on the perimeter.
SHORTHANDED MAVS
Bitten by the injury bug particularly in the frontcourt, Dallas has gone five games without Anthony Davis and Derrick Lively (who’s been out since Jan. 14), and four games without those two plus Daniel Gafford, leaving them playing the smallest lineup in the league at the moment. Nonetheless, they’ve gone 3-2 in their last five games.
The Mavs beat Golden State, Miami and New Orleans, and lost to Sacramento and Golden State, most recently a 126-102 loss to the new-look Warriors on Sunday night.
Max Christie returns to Los Angeles after eight impressive games in Dallas, where he’s averaging 15.3 points on 50.0% FG’s and 43.6% from 3 in 32.6 minutes per game. He was trending towards that level of play before the trade, so it’s nothing new to the Lakers.
Due to all the injured bigs, the Mavs have been starting P.J. Washington, Kessler Edwards and Klay Thompson in the frontcourt, with Kyrie Irving and Dante Exum in the backcourt. They bring Christie, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy off the bench, with limited minutes for newly-signed 10-day player Moses Brown or former South Bay Lakers big man Kylor Kelley.
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Betting Lakers-Mavericks: Four props that stand out
All eyes will be on the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night as Luka Doncic plays his former team for the first time. Tipoff in Los Angeles is set for 10 p.m. ET.
While plenty of attention will be on how well Doncic plays against the team for whom he played the first 422 games of his career, this game also presents a variety of intriguing betting opportunities.
ESPN BET is offering an array of prop bets, and here are betting experts Andre Snellings and Eric Moody with some that they like most.
For the latest odds, visit ESPN BET Sportsbook.
LeBron James should let Doncic run the show as he faces his former team for the first time since the blockbuster deal. Doncic’s minutes were limited in his first two games with the Lakers after returning from a calf injury, but he has played 30-plus in his past two. When he’s played 35-plus minutes over the last two seasons, he’s averaged 34.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 9.8 APG. I expect him to log heavy minutes and shine tonight against Dallas. — Moody
When Doncic is healthy locked in, he typically gets to the line. In his first 12 games of the season, before his first injury absences, he averaged 5.7 FT on 7.0 FTA. He returned for a six-game stretch in early December, averaging 5.5 FT on 7.5 FTA. On Saturday, in his fourth game with the Lakers, Doncic finally looked like himself and went 8-of-8 from the line. The Mavericks will likely use their bigger wings (e.g. Dante Exum, Max Christie, Naji Marshall) on Doncic to guard him more physically, which increases the likelihood that he’ll get to the line tonight. — Snellings
Doncic isn’t the only one with a revenge game narrative Christie, part of that blockbuster trade, has played surprisingly well for Dallas and logged 30-plus minutes in every game with the Mavericks so far. He’s also in a good spot against a Lakers team that struggles against spot-up shooters. — Moody
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Irving has been very aggressive as a scorer of late through all the Mavericks’ injuries. He managed only 17 points in a blowout in their last outing, but in the three games prior he had averaged 35.7 PPG with at least 30 in all three. In what has become a marquee matchup, facing a team featuring both of Irving’s most high-profile former teammates, I look for Irving to be assertive on offense and try to keep the Mavericks in the game. Plus, he will likely be defended by Austin Reaves or Doncic, neither of whom are plus defenders, which should give Kyrie the chance to get it going early. — Snellings
Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser reflect on Diana Taurasi’s career after she announced her retirement from basketball. (2:04)
Diana Taurasi, the leading scorer in WNBA history and voted “greatest of all time” by the league’s fans, announced her retirement Tuesday after 20 seasons.
“Mentally and physically, I’m just full,” Taurasi told Time magazine. “That’s probably the best way I can describe it. I’m full and I’m happy.”
Taurasi, 42, steps away as one of the most decorated players in basketball history. She made an impact from her first moments at UConn in 2000, and she was still in the spotlight through the end of her WNBA career, helping lead the Phoenix Mercury to the playoffs this past season.
In August, Taurasi became the first basketball player to win six Olympic gold medals.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert hailed Taurasi as “one of the greatest competitors to ever play the game of basketball on any stage.”
“In a record-setting career that saw her play 20 seasons, score more points and make more three-point shots than any player in WNBA history, she has earned the unquestioned respect of players around the globe, delivered electrifying moments and captivated fans again and again,” Engelbert said in a prepared statement. “On behalf of the WNBA family, I thank Diana for everything that she has brought to the WNBA — her passion, her charisma and, most of all, her relentless dedication to the game.”
Taurasi scored 10,646 points — the only WNBA player to surpass the 10K mark in scoring — in 565 regular-season games, and she scored another 1,476 points in 72 playoff contests. She led Phoenix, which drafted her No. 1 in 2004, to WNBA championships in 2007, 2009 and 2014.
A five-time WNBA scoring champion and 14-time All-WNBA selection, Taurasi was league MVP in 2009 and Finals MVP in 2009 and 2014. She also leaves as the WNBA’s leader in 3-pointers made with 1,447 in the regular season and 215 in the playoffs.
Josh Bartelstein, the chief executive officer of the Mercury and Phoenix Suns, called Taurasi “the face of the Mercury and women’s basketball for 20 years.”
“She revolutionized the game with her scoring ability, infectious personality and the edge she brought to the court every night,” Bartelstein said. “There will only ever be one Diana Taurasi, and she will continue to inspire us for years to come and remain part of the fabric of this city.”
Despite the personal records and achievements, Taurasi was considered the consummate teammate throughout her career.
“I’ve always tried to be on everyone’s side, and tried to champion everyone on the team,” Taurasi said. “If they’re in your circle, you take care of them.”
Sue Bird, Taurasi’s longtime friend and UConn/USA Basketball teammate, said to ESPN: “She has a way of making people feel connected to her, but also like the best version of themselves.”
WNBA
– 3-time champion
– 2004 Rookie of the Year
– 2009 WNBA MVP
– 2-time Finals MVP
– 5-time scoring champion
– 11-time All-Star
– 10-time All-WNBA 1st-team selection
USA National Team
– 6-time Olympic gold medalist (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024)
College: UConn (2001-04)
– 3-time national champion (2002, 2003, 2004)
New York Liberty coach Sandy Brondello, who guided the Mercury for eight years, said Taurasi had what seemed like a sixth sense in dealing with teammates.
“She knows when she needs to take over; she knows when to get others involved,” Brondello said. “She knows when she just needs to whisper in their ear to get them going. When you see it up close and personal, you realize just the effect she has on her teammates, and they all look up to her.”
Taurasi first rose to national prominence at UConn two decades ago, leading the Huskies to three consecutive national titles from 2002 to 2004, including an undefeated season that many consider the greatest in women’s college hoops history.
In a prepared statement Tuesday, Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said that Taurasi “had as much to do with changing women’s basketball as anyone who’s ever played the game.”
“In my opinion, what the greats have in common is, they transcend the sport and become synonymous with the sport,” Auriemma said. “For as long as people talk about college basketball, WNBA basketball, Olympic basketball: Diana is the greatest winner in the history of basketball, period. I’ve had the pleasure of being around her for a lot of those moments, and she’s the greatest teammate I’ve ever coached. I’m happy for her and her family. At the same time, I’m sad that I’ll never get to see her play again, but I saw more than most.”
UConn went 22-1 in NCAA tournament games in Taurasi’s career, and she finished her collegiate career with 2,156 points, 628 rebounds and 648 assists. After being selected No. 1 by the Mercury, she won the first of her Olympic medals in 2004.
Her first WNBA championship with Phoenix came three years later.
After leading Phoenix to its second title, Taurasi was arrested for driving under the influence in July 2009. Shortly afterward, while she was playing overseas in Turkey, Taurasi received a provisional ban in late 2010 for alleged use of the stimulant modafinil, but the lab conducting the test was discredited, and Taurasi was cleared of all allegations in February 2011.
Taurasi and Bird became the cornerstones of USA Basketball for two decades. Along with her Olympic haul, Taurasi has three golds from the FIBA Women’s World Cup and won six EuroLeague titles.
“There never seems to be a bad day when you’re around Dee,” said Carol Callan, longtime USA Basketball women’s national team director. “She doesn’t seek the limelight, and she’s totally comfortable in her skin not needing it.”
Taurasi was voted by fans as the WNBA’s “GOAT” during the league’s 25th season in 2021.
“To me, she’s the greatest player,” said Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, who played and coached against Taurasi. “She just hooped. I think one of the most underrated parts of her game was her passing. Her 3-ball and pull-up jumpers got so much attention, but she literally does everything.
“It’s like when you talk about LeBron James. … Some people would knock on him when he would pass the ball, but it was the right decision. Great players, the GOATs, just make the right play. And they make it over and over and over again, and it leads to winning.”
