By Sunday 
When Luka Doncic boarded the plane to Los Angeles after the blockbuster trade that shocked the NBA world, it wasn’t just a trip west — it was a step back in time. Back to the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Mavericks. Because that’s exactly what this new Lakers squad feels like: the old Mavs, in purple and gold.
A New Jersey, Same Burden
Doncic came to L.A. in what’s now the biggest trade in NBA history, but right now, it feels like he’s the one who lost most. He left behind a Dallas team that just made the Finals in 2024. Now? He’s back to carrying a bunch of role players deep into the postseason wilderness.
The Lakers were bounced in five games by the Timberwolves. Meanwhile, the Mavericks didn’t make it past the first round either. Luka left to chase a championship, but the timeline to get there just got significantly longer.
Coach Talk, or Just Déjà Vu?
After the loss, first-year Lakers coach J.J. Redick took the podium and said the quiet part loud.
“We have a ways to go as a roster,” Redick admitted. “And certainly, there are individuals that were in phenomenal shape. There’s certainly other ones that could have been in better shape.”
Translation? This roster wasn’t ready, and he knows it. The postgame mood in Los Angeles had that all-too-familiar Dallas energy — tired starters, defensive gaps, and a superstar doing too much on his own.
One particularly wild coaching decision: Redick played his starting five the entire second half of one game. No subs. No breaks. That’s not coaching — that’s a burnout recipe.
Luka’s Limits Are No Secret
Doncic is brilliant. He can drop 45 on your favorite team and make it look casual. But let’s stop pretending he’s a two-way monster. Defense has never been his thing. Sometimes it’s fatigue, sometimes it’s just… not his priority. As one writer put it, “his approach to defense is akin to mowing the lawn; he might do it today, but he’s more apt to hope someone else does it.”
And that’s okay — if you build the right team around him. The Mavericks finally figured it out last year. The Lakers, as currently built, haven’t.
No AD, No Help
Here’s the real kicker: in order to land Doncic, the Lakers had to give up Anthony Davis. And while that made headlines, it also left Luka without the one thing he needs most — a dominant inside presence.
LeBron is still doing ridiculous LeBron things at 40, but Luka doesn’t need a goat-shaped mentor. He needs a younger All-Star, preferably a center, to do the dirty work inside while he crafts magic on the perimeter.
Right now, his best teammate is older than almost every coach in the league.
From Star to Savior
L.A. isn’t just any team. It’s the team. Wearing a Lakers jersey means you’re not just playing basketball — you’re auditioning for legacy.
Doncic didn’t ask for this trade, but now he’s in the spotlight of a city that eats icons for breakfast. He’s no longer just Luka the Maverick. He’s Laker Luka — the guy expected to save the most storied franchise in NBA history.
And unless the front office pulls off something drastic, fast, Luka might find himself in a familiar loop: MVP numbers, playoff appearances, and a championship window that never quite opens wide enough.
Conclusion: The View from L.A. Isn’t Always Better
There are worse places to be stuck than Los Angeles, but for Luka Doncic, this version of paradise might start to feel like purgatory. The jersey’s changed. The pressure’s heavier. And unless the Lakers build smarter around him, the echoes of 2020, ’21, and ’22 are only going to get louder.
Would you like a follow-up piece imagining what the Lakers should do to build around Luka next?