Proposed Lakers trade swaps former Mavericks superstar for 76ers' $254 million duo

Jan 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at midcourt at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Will the Los Angeles Lakers endure another successful trade season or be left pondering what could have been if they had elevated their aggression on the trade market? 

The answer to that question is unclear, considering things could go either way between now and the Feb. 5 deadline.

Although completing a small trade is the most likely scenario, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey recently crafted a hypothetical blockbuster deal that would see Los Angeles send a former Dallas Mavericks star to the Philadelphia 76ers for a talented duo.

“The Mavericks got plenty of heat for only getting one pick in their Luka (Doncic) trade, but this is obviously a much different situation,” Bailey wrote Sunday. "Tyrese Maxey is eight years younger than Anthony Davis. VJ Edgecombe is a much higher-upside prospect than Max Christie.”

“And a 2032 first-round pick from Philadelphia would convey when Luka is in his mid-30s, and Joel Embiid is potentially retired. In fact, as is the case with the previous three packages, this is probably enough of a haul for Philadelphia to be seriously concerned about giving it up.”

“But Daryl Morey has long been a fan of the super-duperstar trade. And a Luka-Embiid combination would be an absolute nightmare on offense (assuming Embiid can stay upright through the spring).”

For clarity, the Lakers would send Doncic and Jaxson Hayes to the 76ers for Maxey, Edgecombe, and a 2032 first-round pick in Bailey's trade proposal.

Maxey and Edgecombe are a tandem that will terrorize the league for years to come. Maxey’s dynamic stop-and-go/downhill driver ability and Edgecombe’s poise/polished shot-making chops as a rookie will make it challenging to neutralize them regularly.

That said, the Lakers would be out of their minds to trade the 6-foot-8 point guard they coveted enough to acquire in a deal sending Anthony Davis to the Mavericks. 

Doncic is the face of the Lakers’ franchise, and if the 17-time NBA champions succeed in surrounding him with a high-caliber supporting cast, the organization could hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy several times in the foreseeable future.

Unless Doncic’s relationship with the Lakers sours, it’s safe to say he isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

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