The Los Angeles Lakers listened attentively to Luka Doncic after they acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks before the trade deadline. Following the Lakers’ decision to trade Anthony Davis for Doncic, the management immediately wanted to address the star player’s needs. One of the needs the five-time All-Star brought up was a need for a center who could be a lob threat.
Without wasting time, the organization tried to trade for Mark Williams, center for the Charlotte Hornets. In exchange, the Lakers were open to trading Dalton Knecht and some draft capital. However, the deal between the two franchises has since been vetoed after the Los Angeles team claimed Williams failed his physical exam before the deadline.
On Monday, NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that Doncic was impressed with Rob Pelinka and his swift action in trying to trade for Williams. Although the trade was ultimately vetoed, the move by Pelinka left a strong impression on the Slovenian sensation.
“Yet there has been no tangible dismay from the Dončić camp about his new team walking away from the Williams deal,” wrote NBA insider Marc Stein. “Sources told The Stein Line that Dončić, in his first discussion about roster construction with Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, told Pelinka that he understood it might take until the summer to make that addition … and came away impressed by how swiftly the Lakers initially moved to try to address that void.”
Talking about the Mavericks' stunning decision to trade Luka Dončić was one All-Star Weekend activity that many participants eagerly embraced.
My latest lengthy report, with several new chapters, on The Trade: https://t.co/8GTRVLjYNe pic.twitter.com/krhd4koYcn
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 17, 2025
Pelinka seems to be focused on building a team around Doncic. However, this could grow into a problem soon. The front office’s decision to trade for Williams caught the attention of LeBron James and his camp. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the actions by the management “wasn’t lost on James’ camp” as they’ve wanted the organization to trade their draft capital to be contenders.
Luka Doncic gets a mural in Los Angeles
Lakers fans are loving their newest superstar, Luka Doncic. Although he’s only played two games for the team, he already has a mural in the city. The mural was created on Melrose Avenue, featuring the five-time All-NBA player and one of his favorite players growing up, Kobe Bryant.
The 2020 exchange between Doncic and Bryant is shown in the artwork. The five-time champion and his daughter Gianna were on the courtside for a Mavericks vs. Lakers game. According to the European star, he heard someone speak in Slovenian and found that it was the 2008 MVP when he turned around.
The new Luka Doncic and Kobe Bryant mural in LA 👀
At 8251 Melrose Ave by artoon_art pic.twitter.com/Meg16KJPa1
— Kobe & Gianna Bryant Murals (@kobemurals) February 17, 2025
One small detail about the artwork is that Doncic was painted with a Lakers jersey.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
