However, the present-day Lakers' roster still needed to be refined if the organization was serious about chasing a title in 2025. While the Lakers now had an abundance of scoring

Despite initial shock over the Luka Dončić deal, the Lakers captain is leading with his trademark poise and professionalism, writes .

The Lakers had pulled off a blockbuster trade, sending Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round pick to Dallas in exchange for Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris. A stunning, seismic move no one saw coming. And LeBron James is its biggest winner — whether he stays in L.A. or joins a superteam in Dallas.