Everybody’s still talking about how the Lakers managed to nab generational wunderkind Luka Doncic. The irony, of course, is that the Mavericks themselves offered their cornerstone without prompting from any quarter. Evidently, they did not have enough confidence he had the temperament and work ethic to deserve an impending $345-million supermax contract extension, and thus resolved to get ahead of the curve by sending him out the door on their terms. Never mind that he just led them to the Finals, and that — even at 25 and yet to reach his prime — he already has the body of work of a future Hall of Famer.
Certainly, the shock that continues to reverberate throughout National Basketball Association circles stems both from the Mavericks’ decision to part ways with Doncic and limit their options to the Lakers. Instead of testing the market and dangling him in order to generate the most out of a consensus Top Three player in the league, they somehow figured that getting Anthony Davis in return was to their advantage. There was to be no waiting out to see suitors bet against each other and ultimately drive up the price; they had their eyes set on the 10-time All-Star as recompense, period.
It goes without saying that more information will be tricking from the grapevine as time passes. Until then, avid followers of the pro scene will have to content themselves with the revelation that the Mavericks did not deem Doncic capable of exhibiting a level of professionalism expected of megastars. Evidently, he refused to put in a modicum of conditioning work that would at least guard against the types of soft tissue injuries from which he has been wont to suffer since being chosen third overall in the 2018 draft.
And so the Lakers have Doncic, thereby assuring themselves of yet another marquee name to fortify their status as the NBA’s glamour franchise. Given Davis’ subdued personality, his emergence as the top dog to succeed the still-larger-than-life LeBron James was seen to be iffy at best. Now, the changing of the guard becomes more understandable, if not altogether fitting. Little wonder, then, that they pounced on the opportunity, the obvious handicaps in the immediate term notwithstanding.
If there is any negative to the development, it’s that the Lakers’ priorities now go beyond guaranteeing that James exits in a blaze of glory. Unless they manage to pull off another coup that nets them a bona fide post presence, he will find his aim to bookend his career with a title even more of a pipe dream now. Meanwhile, the Mavericks are forced to accelerate their championship timeline. Else, they’ll wind up as a sorry footnote to a future slated to be carved in purple and gold.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
