Lakers Predicted To Trade For Luka Doncic’s Former $22 million Lob Threat

It seems like every summer for the Los Angeles Lakers is a major one and with Lebron James set to enter year 23, the franchise doesn’t have much time left with the NBA’s all time leading scorer. 

That means it’s imperative that Rob Pelinka, the president of basketball operations and general manager for Los Angeles, continues to build another championship roster. The Luka Doncic experiment had its highs and lows, but ultimately Minnesota's combination of size and athleticism, mixed with Anthony Edwards leading the show, proved to be too much for the Lakers.

The number one priority for the Lakers should be to upgrade their frontcourt. Here’s a pitch,  Pelinka should call his friend Nico Harrison of the Dallas Mavericks to propose a deal centered around Derrick Lively II. Since adding Anthony Davis, the future of Lively in Dallas long term has to be questioned. 

With Davis, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington all under contract next season, moving Lively for additional shot making from the perimeter could make this team more balanced. Dalton Knecht fits that mold perfectly. As a rookie this season, Knecht scored 9.1 points per game on 37% from three point range. He’s an impressive shooter from all ranges on the floor, which makes him an enticing piece to offer. 

If Harrison wants more from the offer, the Lakers have their second round pick in this year's NBA draft, throw that in to make it work. In a worst case scenario, maybe they would be forced to lose their first rounder in 2026, but that seems steep at this stage. 

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As for what Lively II does for Los Angeles, he gets to reunite with his former teammate Doncic and fill a glaring hole. He brings strong rim protection, rebounding, and explosiveness, the perfect partner for Doncic during pick-and-rolls. 

Given that we have already seen the duo be an important part of a trip to the NBA Finals last season, it’s a tremendous fit. Pelinka must be aggressive this summer and considering that he already tried to send Knecht to Charlotte in exchange for Mark Williams, this deal makes sense. 

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