LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office feel validated in the room.
After trading Anthony Davis — a 2020 NBA Champion, 10x NBA All-Star, and four-time All-NBA First-Team selection — to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic, the Lakers are the fifth seed in the Western Conference for the upcoming NBA playoffs.
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Doncic, 26, has brought fresh energy to James and the team since arriving in L.A. on February 2.
The talented Slovenian has started 14 games for the Lakers, averaging 26.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.6 assists, and two steals per contest. He carried Los Angeles to a 107-96 victory in Sunday’s matchup versus the Phoenix Suns, ending a four-game losing streak. Doncic led all scorers with 33 points on eight-of-20 shooting from the field, including 13 of 14 made free throws.
Mar 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots the ball against Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
He also dished out eight assists and totaled a double-double with 11 rebounds.
Luka Dončić did a little bit of everything in the @Lakers‘ matinee win over Phoenix!
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???? 2 STL pic.twitter.com/xLNFSsMM7K— NBA (@NBA) March 16, 2025
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound shooting guard has been leading the charge with James nursing a groin injury.
Doncic, a five-time NBA All-Star, five-time All-NBA First Team selection, and 2024 NBA scoring champion, has Los Angeles leading the Pacific Division (41-25) with an opportunity to close in on the Memphis Grizzlies (43-25), Denver Nuggets (43-25), and Houston Rockets (43-25) for a higher playoff seed in the Western Conference. The NBA playoffs will tip off on April 19, but Doncic has a date Monday night with the San Antonio Spurs.
He’s had nine 20-plus point games, including seven matchup with 30 or more points.
Doncic looks to push the Lakers into overdrive down the stretch for the postseason.
Stephen M. Smith is a writer for Ball Exclusives. You can follow him him X via @CoachingMSmith.
