Ludicrous trade ideas are crafted by NBA analysts/writers more often than many realize.
With this year’s trade season being relatively uneventful, spicing things up seems to be a priority for some individuals who follow the league closely.
According to Max Kellerman, who hosts the Game Over podcast with Rich Paul, the Los Angeles Lakers should consider trading a recently acquired 6-foot-6 ex-Dallas Mavericks star after less than two seasons.
“If I were the Lakers, I would give serious consideration to moving Luka (Doncic), and I'll tell you why," Kellerman stated last Saturday. "If you believe there's a redundancy (between) Austin and Luka — Luka is a better player than Austin Reaves, I understand that. Luka's a fantastic player — offensively.”
“But if you want to win a championship, I believe that your best player needs to be someone who is willing to at least play team defense, like Steph (Stephen) Curry. Steph's a bad defender, but he is a willing defender.... If your best player isn't that, very hard to win a championship.”
“There is a world in which, if you're really trying to win a championship and you're the Lakers, you go, 'Luka and Austin are redundant. I can get X for Austin, I can get 3 X for Luka. You might consider moving Luka."
Are Doncic’s defensive shortcomings problematic in Los Angeles? Absolutely, considering opponents regularly pick on the five-time All-Star and force the Lakers to scramble on the defensive end.
That said, the Lakers can’t afford to make the same mistake that’s currently haunting the Mavericks. Doncic is a generational talent who’s already proven he can lead a slightly above-average roster to the NBA Finals, making it foolish for Los Angeles to give up on him anytime soon.
The former lottery pick has been on a tear this season, averaging 33.4 points, 8.8 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game in his first full season with the Lakers.
If Los Angeles wants to bolster its defense, it should attempt to locate a defensive-minded wing who can help assist Doncic on that end of the floor.
Simply put, the answer to the Lakers’ problems isn’t trading Doncic.
More NBA: Proposed Warriors trade sends $148.5 million championship duo to 76ers for nine-time All-Star