Welcome to Glass Slipper! Mavs at Lakers, February 25; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

Being in the middle of a packed Los Angeles crowd when Earth-shattering Lakers news drops is quite the experience. I didn’t hear about the deal, I witnessed it. People were gasping, covering their mouths, letting out yelps of surprise, and frantically showing their phone screens to anyone that would look at it. Shams posted it! That means it’s real! When I opened up Twitter for myself, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I raced up to my room, shoved aside the Glass Slipper draft that I was originally preparing to publish today, and started trying to find the words that you’re currently reading.

This is the most shocking trade in the history of the sport. It’s only right that we analyze it from each angle.

My Instant-Reaction Questions

1. Is Luka’s calf injury worse than we think?

2. Was Rob Pelinka mad about Anthony Davis publicly demanding a center?

3. How did both teams keep this so private?

4. Why didn’t Dallas get more?

5. WHY DIDN’T DALLAS GET MORE??

After letting things sit and consuming the reports that spilled out in the following hours, I managed to piece together some thoughts for both franchises.

Dallas Mavericks

I can’t comprehend the thought process here. I just can’t. If you’re planning on moving Luka, why in the world aren’t you telling every single person associated with an NBA organization that he’s available? The Jazz got five(!!) first-round picks for Rudy Gobert in 2022, because they - at the very least - made Minnesota’s front office believe that there were other bidders. What exactly was the incentive for Dallas GM Nico Harrison to communicate with Rob Pelinka via whispers?

After seeing the unfiltered rage of their fans, the Mavs’ front office folks tried to do some really bizarre damage control. They very-intentionally leaked a rumor that Doncic had ballooned to around 270 pounds, and Nico himself even decided to remind everyone about the 25-year-old’s lackluster defense. It all felt so panicked to me. Almost as though the Dallas higher-ups sat back in their chairs after calling the deal into the league, and had a collective what-have-we-just-done moment.

I’m fascinated by the on-court fit. Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively immediately becomes the best duo of bigs in the West; we can expect to see a lot of opponents settling for jumpers with those two lurking near the rim. There’s a glaring issue, though. Who’s running the offense when Kyrie Irving sits? It’s not Jaden Hardy. Wait, hold on. What was that? Oh, you said Spencer Dinwiddie? Don’t turn this into a Try Not to Laugh challenge.

The mental gymnastics that some Mavs diehards are performing in order to make themselves feel okay are pretty impressive. 2016 Simone Biles stuff. Others are downright despondent, and it’s hard to blame them. Luka was supposed to be a primary source of happiness in their lives for another dozen years.

On the bright side, Kyrie has wanted to play with AD for a long time. I suppose those two have a puncher’s chance to make Mr. Harrison seem like a genius. Alright, that’s about all of the positive spin that I have in me for now.

Los Angeles Lakers

First things first, I need to see more LA supporters giving Anthony Davis his flowers. That guy was desperate to wear Purple and Gold, helped deliver a title, and never once gave any indication that he wanted out. If his No. 3 jersey gets sent up to the rafters in a decade, I wouldn’t bat an eye. Davis was awesome for Los Angeles.

Doncic is going to look incredibly weird in a Lakers uniform, but this isn’t actually as strange of a match for him as it may seem. He idolized LeBron as a kid. Maxi Kleber and Markeiff Morris are coming along for the ride. Dorian Finney-Smith is one of his favorite teammates ever. He played with JJ Redick and Christian Wood in Dallas. Greg St. Jean - who coached Luka for two seasons - is on LA’s staff. There are plenty of familiar faces welcoming him.

This is a gutsy, legacy-defining move by Pelinka. To permanently change the course of the organization forever while the team is sitting at 28-19 is an awfully daring endeavor.

We can glance at the trade details and claim it was an easy decision, but things probably feel different when an image of AD hugging the Larry O’Brien Trophy is framed on the office wall.

Take one glance at the new roster, and you’ll immediately come to the same conclusion that I did. There is no way that Los Angeles is done dealing. A center is certainly coming soon. I know Lakers fans don’t want to hear this next part, but Austin Reaves suddenly feels like an obvious trade candidate. With LeBron and Luka handling the ball, extra shot-creation is no longer a huge necessity. Reaves is a really good player on an incredibly team-friendly contract; he’s beloved in this city, but perhaps it would be prudent to sell high now. Maybe package him with Rui Hachimura and that 2031 first-rounder, and try to reel in a big fish and a battle-tested role piece.

The defense is a real concern. LA’s philosophy on that end was often predicated on funneling penetrating opponents directly into Davis. From now until the deadline, Pelinka should be laser-focused on shoring up what looks like an extremely leaky group on paper. Even if the Lakers plan to close with both Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt, they need a rim protector. Talking yourself into Jaxson Hayes is not a mature course of action.

The social media reactions from LA people have been somewhat mixed (though generally positive). I personally would have veered towards excitement rather quickly. The current iteration of the team got a lot more confusing, but the post-LeBron era is in fantastic shape. The Lakers were just spoon-fed an extra decade of contention.

The Final Verdict

Man. I’m totally dumbstruck. Two seemingly untouchable top-10 dudes, traded for each other in the middle of a playoff race. I don’t root for either of these squads, and I’m still shaken up.

I’ve made it clear which side I think won this deal, but we’ll see. I can’t believe we’re about to observe LeBron James and Luka Doncic execute a pregame handshake, then watch Anthony Davis get introduced at All-Star Weekend with a Mavericks logo next to his name. Just when you think the NBA is fading, it yanks us all right back in.

Pressroom

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“If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. Fitting, some might say.