Luka Doncic and four 'revenge' seasons that bode well for the Lakers

Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets, 2001-02

The Phoenix Suns were coming off a first-round playoff loss to the Sacramento Kings in 2001 when they made a classic "challenge" trade, dealing 27-year-old Jason Kidd to the New Jersey Nets for 23-year-old point guard Stephon Marbury. Marbury was younger, signed longer and was a flashier player than Kidd, but Kidd turned into a Hall of Famer and one of the best defensive point guards in history.

Kidd went on to lead the Nets to the best record in the Eastern Conference and their first berth in the NBA Finals. He averaged 14.7 points, 9.9 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals as the Nets improved by 26 games over the previous season. Kidd finished second in the MVP vote to Tim Duncan, then proved it was no fluke by winning the East again in 2003.

Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns, 2004-05

When Steve Nash became a free agent in 2004, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wasn't willing to pay his 30-year-old point guard big money to stay. So, in what Cuban called his "biggest mistake ever," he refused to match Nash's offer from the Phoenix Suns.

In Phoenix, Nash led the Suns' "seven seconds or less" offense to 62 wins. Nash led the NBA with 11.5 assists, shot 43.1% from three-point range and won the first of two consecutive MVP awards. In the second round of the playoffs, Nash cemented his revenge by knocking the Mavericks out of the playoffs in a series where he averaged 30.3 points and 12 assists and scored 39 points in the clinching game.

Shaquille O'Neal, Miami Heat, 2004-05

When the Los Angeles Lakers chose Kobe Bryant over Shaquille O'Neal when the two were feuding in 2004, O'Neal was shipped to the Miami Heat where former Lakers head coach Pat Riley got "The Big Aristotle" to get in shape.

Riley told Dan LeBatard that O'Neal went from 383 pounds and 14% body fat to 323 pounds and 12% body fat by the end of the season. The leaner O'Neal averaged 22.9 points on 60% shooting and grabbed 10.4 rebounds, finishing second to Nash in the MVP vote. A year later, the Heat won their first NBA title.