Lakers urged to reunite Luka Doncic with $8 million Mavericks, Knicks outcast

The Los Angeles Lakers can’t afford to waste the rest of Luka Doncic’s prime. 

Los Angeles should do everything in its power to give Doncic the best possible supporting cast moving forward. 

Lake Show Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk believes that the Lakers can move closer to achieving that goal by reuniting Doncic with a 6-foot-4 Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks outcast.

“The Mavericks did not quite know how good Grimes was when they traded him away last season to the (Philadelphia) 76ers. Caleb Martin was the return for giving away the talented wing player,” Rovenchuk wrote Wednesday.

“Due to injuries plaguing the 76ers last season, Grimes got to thrive in an expanded role. The 76ers guard averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in 28 regular season games with Philadelphia in 2024-25.”

“Grimes has understandably taken a step back in his production after so many 76ers returned for their share of the offensive pie this season. That does not mean the Lakers can't still expect a strong presence alongside Doncic should the two be reunited.”

During the second portion of the 2024-25 season, Grimes showed with a legitimate opportunity to shine on the offensive end, he could deliver the goods with the 76ers. 

Grimes, who played alongside Doncic in Dallas to begin the previous NBA campaign, was a high-level scorer with a newfound confidence with the injury-riddled 76ers. 

As Rovenchuk noted, Grimes has cooled down a bit this year, but he’s still a valuable, offensive-minded asset. 

The Kansas product is averaging 12.7 points per game while shooting 43.9% from the field and 34.1% from three. Grimes will likely find himself on the Lakers’ long list of offseason targets.

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