How Luka Doncic Trade Could Change NBA Draft Landscape

On Saturday night, double takes were had as millions of people checked the most recent Shams Charania notification: Luka Doncic is being sent to the Lakers in a package including Anthony Davis.

More and more information is being released by the hour, but it appears the Dallas front office was ready to move on from the superstar, who just last season helped the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. 

While the move obviously means plenty for the futures of both Dallas and LA, as well as the current state of the NBA, it’s sure to have NBA Draft implications, too.

All in all, three NBA Draft selections were traded in the deal, with many more in the future likely to be altered by the seismic shift. The Mavericks receive a 2029 unprotected Lakers first — a pick that was previously thought of to be valuable, before the team added a 25-year-old perennial All-NBA player — and the Jazz added seconds from the Clippers and Mavericks for the 2025 NBA Draft.

The Mavericks now add a still-valuable first round pick, but one that they won’t see til’ 2029, should they hang onto it rather than flipping it for even more win-now value. The Jazz add seconds that it will likely try to package together in order to move even higher into the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.

While the Dallas front office seems to be asserting it will stay in win-now mode, there’s no guarantee it will want to see this core through. Or that an aging core comprised of Davis, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson will be sustainable for the next few seasons. While it seems far-fetched just hours after the trade, the Mavericks could very well be bound for a rebuild or reset in the near-future.

In that case, the OKC Thunder come out winners, too, as they own an unprotected pick swap with Dallas in the 2028 season. 

For now, aside from seconds being re-routed, the 2025 NBA Draft seems safe. But there’s sure to be a ripple-effect from this deal as the NBA trade deadline nears.