Now that the dust has started to settle from the craziest trade deadline in NBA history, we can step back and assess the league's new landscape. There have been many moving parts and the result is many contending teams getting big-time makeovers.
Still, the biggest move is the one that set off this entire frenzy, the shocking blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Mavericks. This was the first trade in NBA history that saw two reigning All-NBA players swapped for each other.
The entire face of the NBA has changed with superstars of this magnitude suddenly changing hands. Teams and players are left scrambling to figure out what’s what now. In the immediate aftermath, it appears that the Lakers are big winners as they’ve added a 25-year-old perennial MVP candidate.
Luka’s future uncertain after trade
Part of the reason the Mavericks moved on from Doncic is because they had reservations about offering him the 5-year supermax extension that he would have been eligible for this offseason. Luke has one more season on his current deal but would have been a near-lock to agree to a five-year, $345 million extension this summer.
However, now that Luka is no longer on the team that drafted him, that extension is off the table. Luka’s new max contract with the Lakers would be five years, $229 million - a massive, $116 million drop-off.
It’s still a lot of money, of course, but that’s a huge difference and could change Doncic’s interests and priorities going forward. It may actually make more sense for Luka to sign a short-term deal that allows him to hit free agency again in three years (once he has 10 service years) in an effort to recoup some of his now-lost money.
Nuggets could unite Doncic and Jokic in Denver in 2026
This also creates a scenario where LUka could leave LA as a free agent after next season. He no longer has any financial incentive to remain with his current team and could hit unrestricted free agency and choose any team he wants in the summer of 2026.
Sure, star players don’t often leave the Lakers voluntarily, but this is a new era and anything can happen. LeBron James is getting long in the tooth and it’s unclear what the team’s plan is beyond that. Doncic is not an American celebrity either; we have no idea what his priorities are when choosing his next team.
This creates a fascinating dream scenario for the Nuggets. We know that Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are close friends who are talking about teaming up every chance they get. If the next season and a half go poorly for the Lakers, nothing is stopping Luka from deciding he wants to leave for greener pastures.
And what pasture could be greener than teaming up with his Eastern European friend who also happens to be the best basketball player in the world? The basketball fit between the two basketball savants would be immaculate with a point guard and center who are among the best passers of all time.
Of course, this isn’t a likely outcome, but neither was Doncic getting traded to the Lakers in the middle of the night. This trade has completely shaken things up and made anything possible. It’s all still so new, but the Nuggets have a great built-in advantage as long as Jokic is around. Dare to dream, Nuggets nation.