4 Luka Doncic blockbuster trades that will never happen

Magic receive: Luka Doncic

Lakers receive: Franz Wagner, Anthony Black, Tristan Da Silva, 2032 first-round pick, three second-round picks

The Orlando Magic made a huge trade in the offseason, sending away four first-round picks and a pick swap to bring in Desmond Bane. The move added much-needed shooting to Orlando’s rotation. It also left them relatively thin when it comes to draft capital going forward. Their 2032 first-round pick is their only tradable first-rounder, which makes a trade for Doncic nearly impossible, but it took just one star and one first-round pick for the Lakers to trade for Doncic last year.

Paolo Banchero burst onto the scene after the Magic made him the first overall pick, but he has actually somewhat disappointed this year. Orlando hasn’t taken an expected step forward, and Banchero has really struggled to shoot the long ball, which has led to some even pinning Franz Wagner as the team’s best player, rather than Banchero. That makes Wagner the prized addition in this trade.

Wagner is averaging 22.2 points per game in his own right. While Wagner’s shooting numbers are up this season, he was below 30% from deep in each of the prior two years. Trading him may help Banchero get back to form, as they both demand the ball and prefer to slash. The Magic still need more shooting even after adding Bane. Doncic is, of course, one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA. The Magic have enough defense to cover for him, and he could be the missing piece that gets the team over the hump.

The Magic would also have to part with Anthony Black and Tristan Da Silva in this deal. Black, in particular, has emerged as a really good player this season, and Da Silva is a solid rotation piece. While the Lakers wouldn’t and shouldn’t make this trade, it is a better deal than what the Mavericks received for Doncic last year, even despite only one first-round pick being included yet again.

Miami Heat

Heat recieve: Luka Doncic

Lakers receive: Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell, two first-round picks, two second-round picks

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are the Miami Heat’s two stars. They have craved a third star ever since Jimmy Butler requested a trade out of town. However, a deal for Doncic would likely mean parting with Herro. The Heat may just be okay with that, though. Herro has been above 20 points per game in each of the past five seasons, and he made the All-Star Game last year. Those numbers qualify Herro as a star, but the team has, at times, played better without him.

The Heat made it to the NBA Finals in 2023 largely without Herro, and they’ve performed better than expectations this year despite the shooting guard being limited to 11 games played. The team is 4-7 in games in which Herro has suited up this year, too. Whether or not Herro can contribute to a winning style of play has to be questioned.

If the Heat could flip him for Doncic, a similarly limited defensive player, but an offensive force as talented as any NBA player before him, Miami would have to do it. Doncic would thrive as the primary scorer and playmaker in Miami, where Austin Reaves and LeBron James wouldn’t be stealing touches away from him.

The Heat are known for their “Heat Culture,” too, so they would surely be able to get the best out of Doncic. Players are required to play with maximum effort on both sides of the court in Miami, so Doncic could reach levels that fans haven’t even seen out of him yet.

Detroit Pistons

Pistons receive: Luka Doncic

Lakers receive: Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris, Ron Holland, three first-round picks, six second-round picks

While the Detroit Pistons can stand pat and contend for years because of their young core, they are in a great spot to make a splash if they want. The team is currently in first place in the Eastern Conference standings. If there is a time to pursue a blockbuster trade, it would be this year while the conference is wide open due to injuries to Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum, as well as the inevitable trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

A Doncic-Cade Cunningham pairing could be enough to win a championship this year, especially since the Pistons would hold onto Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson if they made this deal. From an age perspective, it is possible that Cunningham and Doncic haven’t even hit their primes yet, so this duo could help Detroit contend for years to come.

Despite their current success in the standings, the Pistons have young assets and plenty of draft capital, so they could outbid teams for a star like Doncic. Jaden Ivey and Ron Holland were recent first-round picks who have flashed serious potential. That would be relatively intriguing for the Lakers, even though it is a stretch to think they’d even consider this deal. Three first-rounders and six second-round picks has to be enticing for a team that has James’ retirement on the horizon, though.

Atlanta Hawks

Hawks receive: Luka Doncic

Lakers receive: Zaccharie Risacher, Kristaps Porzingis, two first-round picks, two second-round picks

During the 2018 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks traded pick number three to the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas selected Doncic, and the Hawks took Trae Young with the fifth pick they acquired in the trade back. It is a move that fans have looked back at ever since. Young, like Doncic, became one of the best offensive engines in the NBA, but a lack of defense and winning playstyle led to the Hawks trading him to the Washington Wizards for next to nothing.

Doncic was also traded for a minimal return, so the connections between these two are undeniable. It would be quite ironic if Doncic were eventually traded to the team that originally passed on him on draft day. A trade to Atlanta could make some semblance of sense, though. The Hawks are clearly moving into a new era of basketball. Doncic could take over as their lead guard who runs the offense.

While trading for another defensively deficient player would be questionable at first glance, a lot of Young’s issues stemmed from a lack of size, whereas Doncic is a 6-foot-8 jumbo guard. For the Lakers, a stretch big like Kristaps Porzingis would actually fit quite well alongside James. While building around James doesn’t make a lot of sense considering he only has so many games left in the NBA, the all-time great has historically had a lot of say in what his teams do in the trade market. It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if James requested that the Lakers get him a stretch big who he can kick the ball out to. Of course, Porzingis’ health would be a big concern when making this deal.

Zaccharie Risacher would be the biggest appeal of this trade, though. While Risacher was taking in a weak draft class, it still means a lot to be a number one overall pick. He’d play a huge part in Lakers’ life after James’ retirement.

Ultimately, the Lakers are going to hold onto Doncic; plain and simple. The aforementioned trades all have a degree of logic, though.